Dr. Vita Zimmermann

Education and Academic Training

• 2023: Doctorate (Dr. rer. pol.), Faculty of Business and Economics, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, title: "Sustainable Marketing for the Greater Good(s) - Selected Essays on the Limits and Conditions of Marketing Interventions to Promote Transformation-supporting Consumer Behavior"
• 2016: Master of Science (M.Sc.) in E-Business, Hochschule Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences
• 2013: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Media Management, Brand Communication and Advertising, Macromedia University of Applied Sciences
• 2009: Completion of the Academy for Junior Managers, IHK & Norbert-Gymnasium Knechtsteden
• 2009: General Higher Education Entrance Qualification

Professional Experience

• Since 2026: Co-Head of Research Unit Resources, Design and Behaviour, Wuppertal Institute
• 2025 - 2026: Senior Researcher, Research Unit Product and Consumption Systems, Wuppertal Institute
• 2024 - 2025: Senior Consultant - Digitalisation in the Public Sector, human digitals GmbH
• 2018 - 2024: Executive Director, Institute for Consumer Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
• 2017 - 2018: Senior Manager, Platform Development, Sisters Closet GmbH & Co. KG (Go-to-market phase)
• 2016 - 2017: Business Development Analyst, OBI Group Holding SE & Co. KGaA
• 2011 - 2015: Various internships and working student positions, including:
  • Project team "Taskforce Digital Transformation", PricewaterhouseCoopers AG WPG (voluntary internship)
  • Strategy development, Pawlik Consultants GmbH (working student)
  • Digital marketing, Beiersdorf AG (bachelor internship)
  • Digital performance marketing, Luna-park GmbH (working student)

Research Focus

• Consumer behaviour / behavioural economics
• Consumer policy
• Design for Circularity and Sustainability as a lever for behavioral change
• Market-oriented business management in transformation contexts / sustainable marketing management
• Market research and strategic analysis (e.g. SWOT/TOWS, PESTEL)
• Stakeholder communication and multi-stakeholder processes

Research Methods

• Correlational and experimental research designs
• Univariate and multivariate quantitative analysis methods (e.g. regression analyses, variance analyses, structural equation modeling, cluster analysis, conjoint analysis)
• Qualitative methods (e.g. content analysis) and meta-analytical approaches
• Quantitative empirical data collection (e.g. standardised surveys, structured observation protocols)
• Qualitative empirical data collection (e.g. semi-structured in-depth interviews, focus groups)
• Instrumental methods (e.g. eye-tracking, functional near-infrared spectroscopy, fNIRS)

Teaching

• Since 2026: Design & Sustainability, Industrial Design, Design Futures, Folkwang University of the Arts [lecturer]
• Since 2026: Marketing and Consumer Policy, Master in Business Administration, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf [lecturer]
• Since 2025: Empirical Marketing Research, Master in Business Administration, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf [lecturer]
• 2025 - 2026: Narratives of Sustainability, Industrial Design, Design Futures, Folkwang University of the Arts [seminar as part of the SbyD project]
• 2024: Market Research, MBA in General Management, Düsseldorf Business School [lecturer) 
• 2018 - 2024: Marketing and Consumer Policy, Master in Business Administration, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf [as part of academic employment]
• 2018 - 2022: Multivariate Analysis Methods, Master in E-Commerce, Hochschule Niederrhein [lecturer]
• 2017 - 2022: Social Research Methods, Master in E-Commerce, Hochschule Niederrhein [lecturer]
• 2020 - 2021: Marketing Research and Consumer Neuroscience, Master in Business Administration, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf [as part of academic employment]
• 2020: 3-day workshop “Market Research”, Audi AG [commissioned training]
• 2018 - 2020: Buyer Behaviour and Consumer Neuroscience, Bachelor in Business Administration, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf [as part of academic employment]
• 2018 - 2020: Empirical Marketing Research, Master in Business Administration, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf [as part of academic employment]