Mingru Li

Research Student

Mingru Li is affiliated with The Open University's Department of Strategy and Marketing.

You can email Mingru Li directly, but for media enquiries, please contact a member of The Open University's Media Relations team

Biography

I have a BA degree in Business English from Jinan University, China, and a MA degree in Corporate communications, marketing, and public relations (CCMPR) from Leeds University Business School. Outside of my research, I am a fan of football (especially FIFA, Euros) and like hiking and running. I am willing to try different kinds of sports.

Current Research

'Explore the role of brand activism in the counter-democracy'

In the summer of 2020, brands jumped on the #BlackLivesMatter bandwagon to show their support for the injustice faced by black Americans and this movement soon swept across the Europe and UK. However, the public and pundits criticized that brands’ stands are inauthentic and they commodity the social movement without making any good changes happen. My research will explore brand activism, as a new phenomenon, by refer culture and political studies, aiming to reveal the mechanism behind brand activism and its social impact.