Quick answer
The best marketing dissertation topics narrow a trend to a specific platform, product category and audience, for example paid partnership disclosure and trust in skincare influencers. This guide lists 40 topics for 2026 across social media, influencers, consumer behaviour, branding, sustainability, e-commerce and Saudi Arabia.
Marketing is one of the most popular dissertation areas, which means broad topics such as 'the impact of social media on consumers' have been studied many times. A fresh angle usually comes from narrowing the platform, the product category and the audience: for example, how TikTok food reviews influence where UK students choose to eat out.
Below are 40 marketing dissertation topics for 2026, grouped by theme and suitable for undergraduate, Master's and MBA students. Adapt the brand, platform or country to the consumers you can realistically survey or interview. After the list you will find the theories and methods that suit marketing research.
Digital and social media marketing topics
- How do TikTok food reviews influence where UK university students choose to eat out?
- The effect of user-generated content on trust in online fashion retailers.
- Short-form video versus static posts: which drives more engagement for small UK businesses on Instagram?
- How do consumers respond to personalised email marketing, and when does it feel intrusive?
- The role of online reviews in choosing a dentist or private clinic.
Influencer marketing dissertation topics
- Micro-influencers versus celebrities: which builds more purchase intention for skincare brands?
- Does disclosure of paid partnerships (#ad) reduce the credibility of influencer recommendations?
- The rise of virtual influencers and consumer attitudes towards them.
- Influencer marketing for charities: effects on donation intention among young adults.
- How do Saudi consumers evaluate fashion influencers on Snapchat and Instagram?
Consumer behaviour dissertation topics
- The effect of 'buy now, pay later' options on impulse buying among young online shoppers.
- How do cost-of-living pressures change brand loyalty in UK grocery shopping?
- Factors influencing the adoption of second-hand fashion apps among Gen Z consumers.
- Consumer attitudes towards subscription services and subscription fatigue.
- The role of scarcity messages ("only 2 left") in online purchase decisions.
Branding dissertation topics
- Brand authenticity and loyalty for independent coffee shops compared with national chains.
- How do university brands influence international students' choice of UK university?
- Rebranding and customer perception: a case study of a UK high street retailer.
- Brand activism: how consumers react when brands take a stance on social issues.
- The role of packaging design in perceived quality for premium food products.
Sustainability and green marketing topics
- Consumer scepticism towards green claims (greenwashing) in UK fast fashion.
- Willingness to pay for sustainable packaging among online shoppers.
- How do eco-labels influence purchase decisions for household cleaning products?
- The attitude-behaviour gap: why consumers who care about sustainability still buy fast fashion.
- Communicating sustainability in the airline industry: trust and scepticism.
Retail and e-commerce dissertation topics
- Factors influencing customer satisfaction with quick-commerce grocery delivery.
- Click-and-collect services and customer loyalty in UK supermarkets.
- The use of augmented reality try-on tools and online purchase confidence.
- Live-stream shopping: consumer attitudes in the UK compared with Asia.
- Why do shoppers abandon online baskets, and which interventions bring them back?
Services, tourism and hospitality marketing topics
- Service quality and customer satisfaction in budget hotels, using the SERVQUAL model.
- How do online reviews shape restaurant choice among tourists?
- Destination image and intention to visit Saudi Arabia among UK travellers.
- Customer loyalty programmes in coffee chains: do they change behaviour?
- The marketing of private healthcare services to international patients.
Saudi Arabia and Gulf marketing topics
Saudi Arabia has one of the youngest and most digitally active populations in the region, and Vision 2030 is expanding sectors such as entertainment, tourism and retail. These topics suit students with access to Saudi consumers.
- How does short-form video content shape Saudi Gen Z perceptions of local fashion brands?
- Country of origin effects: how Saudi consumers evaluate local versus international food brands.
- Consumer adoption of e-wallets and digital payments in Saudi retail.
- The influence of the entertainment sector on spending habits of young Saudis.
- Marketing Saudi tourism destinations to international visitors: messages that build trust.
Theories that work well in marketing dissertations
- The theory of planned behaviour: attitudes, social norms and perceived control as drivers of intention
- The technology acceptance model (TAM): adoption of apps, AR tools and digital payments
- The stimulus-organism-response (SOR) model: how marketing cues shape emotions and behaviour
- Source credibility theory: expertise, trustworthiness and attractiveness of influencers
- Brand equity models from Aaker and Keller
- SERVQUAL: the gaps between expected and perceived service quality
Methods and data sources for marketing research
- Online surveys with established scales suit questions about attitudes and purchase intention; many Master's students analyse them with SPSS or SmartPLS
- Simple experiments, such as showing two versions of an advert to different groups, suit questions about cause and effect
- Content analysis of social media posts or reviews suits questions about how brands communicate
- Interviews and focus groups suit questions about meanings and experiences
- Market data from Mintel, Statista or ONS retail figures, usually through your university library
Tip: If you survey students, say so honestly in your limitations: a student sample is convenient, but it may not represent all consumers.
Need help with your marketing dissertation?
FIZBS has supported students in more than 115 subjects since 2015, and marketing and business are among our strongest areas. Our Master's and PhD-qualified experts can help you choose a focused topic, build your literature review, design your survey and analyse your data in SPSS or SmartPLS.
Dissertation support is ยฃ30 per 1,000 words. Message us on WhatsApp 24/7 with your topic ideas.