Dr Jake Monk

Before I joined Canterbury Christ Church University, I worked for ten years at other academic institutions in Suffolk and Shropshire. Prior to this gained valuable experience in the commercial and public sector working for a variety of organisations including as a retail manager (in New Zealand), at Gatwick Airport, for an international insurance company, for Canterbury City Council, and on the cross-channel hovercraft service.

Part of my role is acting as a Postgraduate Course Director on our Senior Leaders' Apprenticeship and the Collaborative Leadership MBA.  During my time here I have won the student nominated Golden Apple Award for teaching, and the Vice Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Contribution to the University.

My teaching is centred on Leadership modules at postgraduate level, and Retail Management, and Service Management on our undergraduate courses.  These are all areas that impact everybody's life to some extent and endlessly interesting.  A key part of my role is also acting as a supervisor on dissertations.

As a lecturer committed to both research and to teaching Jake is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

My main area of research focuses on my PhD on the efficacy of using product placement as a marketing tool; much of this placement activity appears to go un-noticed by viewers (and by definition potential consumers) and if this is indeed the case then it serves no useful purpose for the brand owners; or that the money could have been used in more effective ways by the sponsoring company. My research was based on the use and effectiveness of product placement in film.  This is an area that I'm happy to explore and develop further.

I am also active in researching the Retail Sector in particular the collapse of the traditional High Street.

As well as my own research interest I supervise students with their dissertations at both Masters level, on the M.A., M.Sc. and M.B.A. programmes, and at Undergraduate level on various business, marketing and management degrees.

While I have held workshops and discussions on Retail Marketing and the wider retail industry, my main area of interest is in product placement in mainstream films. I have presented to various audiences on this topic including to those with an interest in marketing communications, film studies and the wider research community.

An external role I hold is as a member of the Kent Police Business Crime Advisory Board.  Additionally, I act as an External Examiner for a university here in the UK, and one in eastern Europe.