Paul Dobson

Senior Lecturer

Digital, Tech, Innovation & Business

Paul is the course leader for the MSc Digital Marketing Management. While at Staffordshire University he has also been a key member in setting up the MSc in Digital Marketing Management and the Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA). He is a PRINCE2 Project Management Practitioner and has also been the Regional Chair of the Chartered Institute of Marketers (CIM).

Paul is successful in supporting businesses in Digital Marketing; examples include: taking a hotel/restaurant from page three of Google to the top of page one for key search terms, enabling a restaurant to be fully booked mid-week, enabling a 600% return on investment (ROI) for paid advertising, and substantially increasing a charity's online donations.

Prior to lecturing, Paul was a Founder and CEO of Aim for Excellence, Ltd, a team of consultants that specialised in growth and turn-around for commercial, government and non-profit organisations in various countries. This includes leading lean/business process re-engineering (BPR) projects for international logistics companies, training 1000s in performance management, project management to PRINCE2 standards, process management, BPR, and European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) assessments, etc. This also included working with major consultancies in the UK, France, Germany and the USA. 

Paul is a Trustee of Dorothy Clive Gardens and The Mitchell Arts Centre. As a hobby he also supports business start-up and growth plus he is a beekeeper. His PhD (currently studying) is Successful Digital Marketing for SMEs.

Professional memberships and activities

FCMI, MIPM, MAM

Academic qualifications

BSc (Hons), DIT, DMS, MSc, MA, MBA, Postgraduate Certificate in Higher and Professional Education, Senior Fellow HEA

Expertise

Local, national and international Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO), how to be an influencer, and business start-up plus growth.

Research interests

Marketing and Digital Marketing of SMEs and Social Enterprises including charities and non-profits.

Enterprise and commercial interests

University consultancy work includes supporting businesses with international market penetration, innovation, new product/service development, business start-up, growth and turn-around.

Actively involved in supporting SMEs, charities and social enterprises in developing and improving their digital marketing.

Teaching
  • MSc Digital Marketing Management
  • MBA
  • BA (Hons) Business Management (2 Year Fast Track)
  • BA (Hons) Business Management (One Year Part time Progression route)
  • BA (Hons) Business Management BA (Hons)
  • Business and Human Resource Management
  • BA (Hons) Business and Marketing Management
  • BA (Hons) Business Management & Enterprise
  • BA (Hons) International Business Management
  • BA (Hons) Business Management with Foundation Year

Publications

Ibrahim, B., Hazzam, J ., Ali Qalati, S., ; Aljarah, A ., Dobson, P. (2024) Building a tribe on Instagram: User-generated and Firm-created Content can drive brand evangelism and fidelity, In: Journal of Marketing Communications.

Zhao, F., Fasholar, O., Olarewaju, T., Moran, F., Dobson, P., Reszka M., Mitchel, K. (2021) How Hybrid Learning Can Enhance Student Experience and Teaching Outcomes in the Wake of Covid-19 - A Case Study of a Business School in the UK, 35th EBES Conference Proceedings, pp. 387-405, April 7-9, 2021, Rome, Italy.

Dobson, P. and Maheshwari, V. (2020) Internet Marketing, In Nwankwo, S., and Gbadamosi, A., ed. Entrepreneurship Marketing: Principles and Practice of SME Marketing, Routledge: London and New York.

Maheshwari, V., Dobson, P. and Lawrence, A. (2019) Digital Marketing, In: Gbadamosi, A., ed. Contemporary Issues in Marketing, SAGE Publications Ltd: London.

Presented papers at Association of Business Schools (ABS) and Higher Education Academy (HEA) conferences on using technology to improve education and learning.

Presented paper at the 9th Manchester Metropolitan University Postgraduate Research (PGR) Conference on Social Enterprise Marketing.

Co-author of Contemporary Issues in Marketing: Principles and Practice (2019). Social media

External profiles

for Career Prospects

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Facilities

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Social Inclusion

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023

of Research Impact is ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very Considerable’

Research Excellence Framework 2021

of Research is “Internationally Excellent” or “World Leading”

Research Excellence Framework 2021

Four Star Rating

QS Star Ratings 2021