Sonya joined BBS as a Lecturer in Marketing prior to which she was a postgraduate teaching and research assistant at the school. She obtained her PhD in Place Branding in 2011. Her PhD develops and empirically tests a theoretical model of strategic place brand management to explain the process of branding geographical entities (towns, cities, regions). 

Current and previous BBS roles:

  • PGT Dissertation lead co-ordinator, 
  • Panel member of Athena SWAN Self Assessment Team (SAT),
  • UG and PGT dissertation supervisor,
  • PhD supervisor,
  • Personal tutor,
  • Director of Student Engagement (2019-2021),
  • Disability Officer (2016-2017),
  • Ethics Officer (2016-2017). 
  • IBM Universities Business Challenge Co-ordinator (2011, 2012).
 

Email: s.hanna@bangor.ac.uk

Telephone: 01248 38 8077

Location: Room 1.14, Hen Goleg

  • Professional: Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCertHE)
  • PhD: PhD ‘Strategic Place Brand Management’
  • Other: MBA General Management
  • Other: LLB (Hons) Law

UG and PG Teaching:

  • E-Marketing (ASB 3114, ASB/ABJ 4114)
  • International Marketing (ASB 3439, ASB/ABJ 4439)
  • International Marketing Projects (ASB/ABJ 4524, and 4525)
  • PGT Dissertations (ASB/ABJ 4900, and 4901) 
  • Marketing Strategy and Management (ASB 3103, 2013-2020)
  • Entrepreneurial Marketing (ASB 4429, 2013-2014)

UG and PGT Dissertation Supervisor 

PhD Supervision:

  • Surbhi Jain (2014-2020) passed with minor corrections. 

Sonya is a Lecturer in Marketing at Bangor Business School.  She sits on the management board for the 'Places of Climate Change' (PloCC) Research Centre at the University, is an editorial board member for the Journal of Place Management and Development, and a member of the scientific committee for the International Place Branding Association (IPBA).  Her research is place focused considering aspects of the place branding process from various perspectives, but more recently looking at sustainability, sustainable tourism, and places and climate change. 

Working papers:

  • Place and climate change: an interdisciplinary approach. 
  • Lucozade and Litter: How can we prevent single-use plastic pollution.

Conference Presentations:

  • Kavaratzis, M., Pasquinelli, C., Cassinger, C., Hanna, S., de Jong, M., and Medway, D. (2023) "Marketing for better cities: Setting the agenda for responsible, inclusive, smart and equitable places", Academy of Marketing Science: annual conference (accepted).
  • Hanna, S., and Rowley, J. (2017), “Projected Destination Personalities of European Capital Cities”, The International Place Branding Association Conference.
  • Hanna, S., and Rowley, J. (2016), "Social Media in Place Branding: a review", The International Place Branding Association Conference.
  • CELT Learning and Teaching conference (2016), Bangor University.
  • Hanna, S., and Rowley, J. (2013), "Brand Architecture in Place Branding", in: 3rd International Place Management and Branding Conference: Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, UK.
  • Hanna, S., and Rowley, J. (2012), "Place Brand Practitioners Perspectives on the Management of Brand Experience", Academy of Marketing Conference on Marketing: catching the technology wave, University of Southampton Management School, UK.  Won best paper in track award for tourism.
  • Hanna, S., and Rowley, J. (2011), "A Practitioner Led Strategic Place Brand Management Model", Academy of Marketing Conference on Marketing Fields Forever, University of Liverpool Management School, UK.
  • Hanna, S. (2007), "Objectives and Processes in Place Branding", Academy of Marketing Conference on Marketing Theory and Practice, Kingston Business School, UK.
  • Rowley, J. and Jones, R. and Hanna, S. and Vassiliou, M. (2010), “Using Card-based Methods in Semi-Structured Interviews”, in: 9th European Conference on Research Methodologies for Business and Management Studies, IE Business School, Madrid.

Reviewer for the Journal of Marketing Theory, Journal of Marketing Management, Urban Studies, Cities, European Management Review and Journal of Place Branding and Public Diplomacy. 

Willing to take PhD's related to my research focus.

2023

2021

  • PublishedCo-creation of place brands?
    Hanna, S. & Rowley, J., Apr 2021, A Research Agenda for Place Branding. Medway, D., Warnaby, G. & Byrom, J. (eds.). Edward Elgar, p. 201-214 (Elgar Research Agendas).
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
  • PublishedPlace and Destination Branding: a review and conceptual mapping of the domain
    Hanna, S., Rowley, J. & Keegan, B., Jun 2021, In: European Management Review. 18, 2, p. 105-117
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2020

2019

2016

  • PublishedDo Places have a Personality? A perspective from Place Branding
    Hanna, S. & Rowley, J., Aug 2016, Strategic Place Branding Methodologies and Theory for Tourist Attraction. Bayraktar, A. & Uslay, C. (eds.). IGI Global, p. 21-40
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

2014

  • PublishedRethinking Strategic Place Branding in the Digital Age
    Hanna, S. A. & Rowley, J., 31 Dec 2014, Rethinking Place Branding: Comprehensive Brand Development for Cities and Regions. Springer, p. 85-100
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedTowards a model of the Place Brand Web
    Hanna, S. & Rowley, J., 25 Nov 2014, In: Tourism Management. 48, June, p. 100-112
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2013

2012

2011

  • Principal Investigator working with Prof Mihalis Kavaratzis (Prof of Place Marketing at MMU).  Our project looks at how place branding can help drive sustainability and mitigate against or slow down climate change, and how sustainablity and climate change initiatives can be measured.  Identified funders include ESRC and Leverhulme, expected submission date summer 2023.
  • In collaboration with Dr Sopan Patil (Lecturer at the School of Natural Sciences), as CoI with Dr Sara Parry we are leading the development of a work-package (WP) on a project titled ‘AI-enabled digital framework for sustainable management of land, freshwater, and marine resources.’  The WP will examine stakeholder perceptions on the suitability of AI models for decision making.  The project is in response to UKRI's Artificial Intelligence Call ‘Artificial intelligence research to enable UK’s net zero target, 2022’, for £2.97m involving 18 academics from two universities (Submitted).  
  • Principal investigator working with Dr Sara Parry attaining BUII Award of £20,000 in aid of project titled 'Capitalising on the Slate Landscape UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Development of Sustainable and Regenerative Tourism in Northwest Wales' (August 2022 to July 2023).
  • Co-Investigator working on an interdisciplinary project titled 'Lucozade and Litter: how can we prevent single-use plastic pollution', awarded £10,000 NERC discipline-hopping scheme (January 2022 - May 2022). 
  • Board Member of PLoCC (Places of Climate Change) research centre at the university - external engagement and connects lead, ongoing. 
  • Editorial Board Member: Journal of Place Management and Development - ongoing. 
  • Scientific Committee Member for the International Place Branding Association (IPBA) Conference - ongoing.
  • Contributing Panel Member: The Place Brand Observer (research hub on the branding and reputation of places, quarterly contribution) - ongoing.
  • Lead in the development of a multidisciplinary MA titled 'Environmental and Social Sustainability Management' for BBS - ongoing.
  • Nominated for the 'Teacher of the Year' Award (student led-teaching, 2019 - 2020).
  • External examiner: University of Wolverhampton (2017 - 2021)
  • Lead organiser of the 1st and 2nd Consumer Research Summit, a one-day conference held in London (2016) and Chester (2017). 

Awards:

  • Top downloaded article 'Place and Destination Branding: a review and conceptual mapping of the domain', European Management Review (2019-2020 and 2021-2022).
  • Outstanding Reviewer for Journal of Place Management and Development (2017) Emerald Literati Awards.
  • Centre for the Enhancement of Learning: CELT Associate Award (2016).
  • Best Paper in Track Award - Hanna, S., and Rowley, J. (2012), "Place Brand Practitioners Perspectives on the Management of Brand Experience", Academy of Marketing Conference on Marketing: catching the technology wave, University of Southampton Management School, UK.  

Memberships:

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
  • Fellow of the Academy of Marketing Science.
  • Member of The Chartered Institute of Marketing.
  • Member of the Institute of Place Management.