Dr Kate Sansome
Research Fellow
Adelaide Business School
Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics
Dr Kate Sansome is a Research Fellow and Lecturer in Marketing at The University of Adelaide, specialising in sustainability communication, circular economy transitions, influencer marketing, and digital media. Her research explores how brands communicate sustainability, engage in circular business practices, and navigate the ethical tensions of digital platforms, including issues of brand activism and influencer marketing.
Kate Sansome graduated from the University of Adelaide with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in March 2024, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Media (with a major in Marketing) and a First Class Honours Degree in Commerce from the University of Adelaide, where she received a University Medal for outstanding academic performance.
Her research agenda focuses on brand transparency, consumer trust in circular economy initiatives, and the role of digital influence in shaping sustainable behaviours. This includes investigating how digital media and social influencers shape perceptions of sustainability, as well as how effective communication strategies can support systemic transitions toward more circular and regenerative economies.
Kate teaches at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, with expertise in Content Marketing, Digital Media, Marketing Communications and Market Research. She is the Course Coordinator for Content Creation & Management, a subject she designed to equip students with practical skills in digital storytelling and strategic content development, utilising tools such as Canva, WordPress, and Mailchimp. The course also explores the evolving role of digital influencers and the ethics of content production in contemporary marketing.
In addition to her academic work, Kate brings industry experience in digital marketing, communications, and graphic and web design across sectors including e-commerce, fashion, music, and the non-profit sector. Driven by creativity, social justice, and environmental sustainability, she is committed to making a meaningful impact through research, teaching, and industry collaboration.
Dr Kate Sansome is a researcher focused on sustainable and circular practices, working to identify and overcome barriers that prevent consumers and businesses from adopting sustainable behaviours. Her work spans the fashion and textile industries and food waste reduction in healthcare settings, providing practical insights to drive meaningful change.
Dr Sansome’s research areas include brand transparency, the circular economy, and consumer engagement with sustainability. Her PhD developed a consumer-based approach to understanding brand transparency, examining how consumers evaluate brands' ethical and sustainable practices. Particularly, her work addresses consumer scepticism and uncertainty, and how this may encourage consumers to engage in circular behaviours, such as recycling, reuse and repair.
Her projects on circular economy transitions and reducing food waste demonstrate a commitment to bridging theory and practice. Collaborating with industry partners like End Food Waste Australia, Dr Sansome works on reducing food waste in hospitals and aged care facilities using co-design methods to promote sector-wide sustainability. She has secured competitive grants, including a $250,000 End Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre grant and a $10,000 Women in Circular Economy Leadership Scholarship from Green Industries South Australia.
Dr Sansome has published in leading journals such as the European Journal of Marketing (ABDC: A*) and the Journal of Business Research (ABDC: A) and has presented at conferences like the Australia and New Zealand Marketing Academy (ANZMAC) and the Society of Consumer Psychology (SCP) Marketing for Societal Impact Conference.
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2024 - ongoing Lecturer University of Adelaide 2023 - ongoing Research Fellow The University of Adelaide 2021 - 2024 Casual Lecturer University of Adelaide 2019 - 2021 Marketing Academic Tutor The University of Adelaide -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title 2020 - 2023 The University of Adelaide Australia PhD 2019 - 2019 The University of Adelaide Australia Honours Degree of Bachelor of Commerce 2014 - 2018 The University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Media (Marketing) -
Research Interests
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Journals
Year Citation 2025 Sansome, K., Conduit, J., & Wilkie, D. (2025). Consumers demand transparency… but do they actually engage? Exploring motives and interactions with brand transparency information. Journal of Business Research, 194, 115386.
2024 Sansome, K., Wilkie, D., & Conduit, J. (2024). Beyond information availability: Specifying the dimensions of consumer perceived brand transparency. Journal of Business Research, 170, 15 pages.
Scopus172024 Sansome, K., Conduit, J., & Wilkie, D. (2024). Consumer-based Conceptualisation of Brand Transparency: Scope, Characteristics, and Contextual Determinants. European Journal of Marketing, 58(12), 0885-1-0885-33.
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Conference Papers
Year Citation 2025 Burgess, A., Sansome, K., Joubert, A., Matthews, D., & Gray, H. (2025). De-Influencing and Over-Consumption: Managing Ethical Contradictions in the Influencer Economy. In https://academyofmarketing.org/am2025-conference/. Cork, Ireland. 2025 Sansome, K., Willmott, T., Baker, J., & Conduit, J. (2025). Understanding Barriers to Sustainability Transitions: A Service Ecosystem Perspective. In https://academyofmarketing.org/am2025-conference/. Cork, Ireland. 2024 Sansome, K., Baker, J., Conduit, J., & Willmott, T. (2024). Multi-level framework for overcoming barriers to sustainability transitions. In Proceedings of the SCP Boutique Conference 2024. Auckland. 2024 Sansome, K., Willmott, T., Baker, J., & Conduit, J. (2024). Understanding barriers to sustainability transitions: Multi-level framework. In ANZMAC 2024 Proceedings. Hobart. 2024 Sansome, K., Willmott, T., Baker, J., & Conduit, J. (2024). A sector-wide investigation into food waste in hospitals and aged care. In Proceedings of the 41st National IHHC Conference. Perth. 2024 Willmott, T. J., Sansome, K., Baker, J., & Conduit, J. (2024). Workshop: Co-designing sustainability initiatives in hospitals and aged care. In Proceedings of the 41st National IHHC Conference. Perth, Australia. 2023 Sansome, K. (2023). Acknowledging Negatives? Understanding Valence In Perceived Brand Transparency. In ANZMAC 2022 Conference Proceedings. Perth, Australia. 2022 Sansome, K., Conduit, J., & Wilkie, D. (2022). Acknowledging Negatives? Understanding Valence In Perceived Brand Transparency. In ANZMAC conference proceedings. Perth. 2019 Sansome, K., Wilkie, D., & Conduit, J. (2019). The multidimensional construct of transparency and its implications. In .. Wellington, New Zealand.
End Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre funded a project to reduce food waste in the hospital and aged care sectors (https://endfoodwaste.com.au/projects/institutions-sector-action-plan-hospital-aged-care/).
Course Coordinator/Lecturer:
MARKETNG 7120 - Research Project in Marketing (Tri 3, 2023)
MARKETING 3007 - Content Creation and Management (Course Development 2021, Sem 1 2022, Sem 1 2023)
MARKETING 3006 - Delivering Customer Insights (Sem 1, 2021)
Marketing Academic Tutor for undergraduate courses:
MARKETING 3006 - Delivering Customer Insights (2019, 2020, 2021)
MARKETING 3501 - Marketing to the World (2019, 2020, 2021)
MARKETING 1001 - Introduction to Marketing (2019, 2020)
MARKETING 2506 - Building & Managing Brands (2019, 2020)
Marketing Academic Tutor for postgraduate courses:
MARKETING 7104 - Marketing Management (2020)
Postgraduate assessment and exam marking on an ad hoc basis.
Guest presenter:
MARKETING 3510 - Contemporary Issues in Marketing (2019, 2020, 2021, 2023)
MARKETING 1001 - Introduction to Marketing (Sem 2, 2020) on the lecture topic "Market Research"
"Marketing Research" Lecture presented to Yanshan University (March 2021)
Connect With Me
External Profiles
