Programme: ZBADAI, Copernicus Science Centre
Project description:
“Shopping in the Viral Age” is an original educational and research project developed within ZBADAI, a nationwide initiative coordinated by the Copernicus Science Centre. The project was selected through a competitive nationwide call that attracted 107 research proposals from across Poland. Only 8 projects developed by researchers from various scientific disciplines were selected, including 4 designed for upper-secondary school students.
The project aims to investigate consumer awareness among young people in the era of digital marketing and examine whether knowledge of marketing persuasion techniques and recommendation algorithms contributes to more informed purchasing decisions.
The project engages upper-secondary school students as researchers of their own consumer behaviour. Participants will keep purchasing decision diaries, investigate the sources of purchase impulses, including digital advertising, social media and algorithmic recommendations, and use artificial intelligence tools to analyse collected data. By comparing consumer awareness levels before and after the project, the research will examine whether increased knowledge influences students' consumer attitudes and purchasing behaviour.
The initiative combines consumer behaviour research with marketing education and the development of students' research, analytical and digital competencies.
Implementation period: 2026–2028 (research activities in upper-secondary schools during the 2027/2028 school year).
Funding: Polish Ministry of Education, through the ZBADAI programme.
Project website: https://www.kopernik.org.pl/zbadai/nabor-szkol
Conditions for the Effectiveness of AI Disclosures in Influencer Marketing: A CAWI Study of Trust in Labels and Platforms
Principal Investigator: Dorota Jaguścik
Funding programme: DISPONIUM – Empowering Doctoral Students through Research Mini-Grants
Funding: PLN 12,000
The project examines how different forms of AI-assistance disclosure influence consumer trust and responses. A three-condition online experiment compares no disclosure, generic disclosure and process-specific disclosure, focusing on content evaluations, trust in labels and platforms, persuasion and engagement.
Generative Artificial Intelligence Assistance in Human Influencer Marketing: Impact on Trust, Engagement, and Persuasion
Principal Investigator: Dorota Jaguścik
Funding programme: Gdańsk Tech Young Researchers Programme, 2026
Funding: PLN 8,970
The project investigates how disclosure of generative AI assistance in influencer marketing affects consumer responses. The experimental research focuses on authenticity, credibility, persuasion and engagement, examining differences between functional and experiential marketing appeals.
Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education "Developing E-marketing Skills for the Business Market"
Project Leader: Dr. Eng. Anna Maria Trzaskowska
Funding Program: Foundation for the Development of the Education System
The DEMS project - Developing E-marketing Skills for the Business Market is conducted with the aim of bridging the existing skills gap in the field of digital marketing, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Activities planned within the international consortium focus on identifying and defining key skills, proposing international teaching programs in digital marketing, promoting and developing digital marketing competencies among business educators, and creating five e-learning courses in digital marketing for students at business schools across Europe.
Gdansk University of Technology leads the consortium, which includes Instituto Politecnico Do Porto from Portugal, Turun Ammattikorkeakoulu Oy from Finland, and Stichting Hogeschool Utrecht from the Netherlands.
The awarded funding amount is 394,000 euros.
Project Duration: November 1, 2021 – November 1, 2024.
IDUB-CUPRUM Supporting Research Team Building in Emerging Areas "Towards Regulations in Loot Box Practices"
The project aims to understand the motives that trigger compulsive microtransactions in video games, the mechanics of in-game microtransactions, and their relationship with gambling practices. Microtransactions in video games, such as loot boxes, are a system of random rewards that can be purchased with real-world money. The video game industry is widely criticized for selling digital content in games to generate revenue, a practice that some consider exploitative. In many countries, including Australia, legislators and addiction-focused organizations call for regulation of marketing communications and microtransaction practices (in and out of the game), arguing that loot boxes can be considered gambling. In Poland, the sale of such digital content in games remains unregulated (not even subject to gambling laws). This project extends research on microtransactions in games by addressing some issues identified to better regulate loot boxes and unregulated gambling practices. Potential social benefits of the project include appropriate legal regulations concerning microtransactions in video games to protect vulnerable groups, such as youth and individuals with gambling problems.
The awarded funding amount is 286,750.40 PLN.
Project Duration: November 15, 2022 - November 14, 2023.