Preparing students for responsible digital marketing: Meet Yao Yao

Yao, Lecturer in Fashion Retail Technology and Digital Innovation, brings together employability, ethical digital practice and sustainability to help students connect academic learning with the realities of industry. Recently nominated for a Distinguished Achievement Award, we spoke to Yao about responsible use of generative AI, student co-design, sustainability education and preparing graduates to think proactively in the workplace.

Your teaching brings together employability, ethical digital practice and sustainability. What inspired that approach?
A lot of the concepts we teach in marketing can feel quite abstract to students until they enter the workplace. I have spoken to alumni who said they only fully understood the value of what they had learned once they started using it in practice. That made me think more carefully about how we help students see the connection between theory and professional skills while they are still studying. I want students to recognise the skills they are developing, feel confident talking about them and understand how they can apply them in real working environments. For me, employability is not just about helping students get a job. It is about helping them develop the confidence, awareness and practical skills to contribute meaningfully when they get there.

You have developed a generative AI marketing training programme. What do students gain from it?
The programme is designed to help students build both technical capability and awareness of responsible and ethical AI use. Many students are already using generative AI tools but they may not always understand the policies, risks or responsibilities that come with them. In one of the workshops, I asked around 120 students whether they had read the University’s AI guidance and none of them knew it existed. That showed me there was a real gap. The University guidance is important, but it is quite broad, so we translated it into examples that made sense for marketing students.

Students understand how they learn better than anyone. I wanted the workshops to be useful and accessible so I invited students to help co-design them.

How does the programme connect students with industry practice?
It is difficult to teach one piece of software and say it will prepare students for every workplace because different organisations use different tools and systems. Instead, I wanted to help students develop the thinking behind the practice. The workshops include guest speakers from industry who can show students how these tools are being used in real marketing contexts. Students also take part in hands-on activities that simulate workplace scenarios. They may not be exactly the same as an industry system but they help students build the kind of systematic thinking they will need in professional settings.

Students have helped shape the workshops. Why was that important?
Students understand how they learn better than anyone. I wanted the workshops to be useful and accessible so I invited students to help co-design them. I worked with a group of 10 master’s students, most of whom were international students. Many of our master’s students are only here for one year and it can be difficult for them to find short-term work experience because of time, language and cultural barriers. This project gave them an opportunity to gain research experience, contribute to a live project and develop evidence they could use in their CVs and job applications.

The project was supported by external funding. How did that help?
The project was funded by the Academy of Marketing. The funding was relatively small but it made a real difference. Part of it supported dissemination of the project and part of it helped incentivise student participation. Because the workshops were not credited or assessed, students needed to see a clear reason to attend and engage. We ran four workshops, each around one and a half to two hours long, and offered a prize draw after each one. It added a fun element and helped motivate students to keep taking part.

You have also worked on a sustainability-focused game for public audiences. Can you tell us about that?
I am a co-investigator on a project developing a game for children aged between eight and 14. My role is not in the technical development of the game but in helping to shape the narrative around sustainability. The game focuses on fast fashion, pollution and waste and introduces sustainable practices in a fun and engaging way. It is not designed to feel like a lesson. The aim is to build awareness through gameplay and help younger audiences think differently about sustainable consumption. For me, that is really important because if we only start teaching sustainability at university, it may already be too late. When children encounter these ideas earlier, they can become part of how they naturally think about choices, consumption and responsibility.

Employability is not just about helping students get a job. It is about helping them develop the confidence, awareness and practical skills to contribute meaningfully when they get there.

Why is it important to take learning beyond the classroom?
Teaching students is important but some of these challenges are much bigger than one module or one cohort. Sustainability, digital ethics and responsible use of technology affect businesses, consumers and society more widely. My work in teaching, research and public engagement all connects naturally because my interests are in marketing technology and sustainability. When you work on projects in these areas, you start thinking about how to reach broader audiences, not just the students in your classroom. Public engagement is a way of sharing knowledge more widely and hopefully influencing people beyond the University.

What do you hope students take forward from learning and working with you?
I hope my students become proactive, innovative and brave in the workplace. I want them to think about new ways to solve problems, rather than simply doing things the way they have always been done.

The topics I teach, such as new technology and sustainability, are issues that businesses are facing right now. I want students to feel confident proposing new ideas, using technology thoughtfully and helping organisations think more seriously about sustainable practice.

Finally, how long have you worked at the University?
I started at the University in late 2020, shortly after completing my PhD. I also completed my master’s and PhD in the same department, so I have been part of the University community for several years.

Some of my current colleagues were my lecturers or PhD supervisors, and they supported and inspired me throughout my journey. Their approach to teaching and student support had a big influence on me, and it made me want to pursue an academic career where I could support and inspire students in the same way.