Dr. Sommer Kapitan is an associate professor of marketing at Auckland University of Technology, where she has made her academic and research home since 2015. Sommer is an experimental researcher and consumer psychologist by training. She is an academic expert on brand activism and the factors influencing successful delivery of social sustainability capital for organizations. In addition to foundational work on authentic brand activism, Sommer has explored the roles of sustainable marketing and influencer marketing in such outlets as Journal of Business Research, Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, Journal of Consumer Affairs, and Psychology & Marketing. She is a book chapter author and speaks to industry and media on pressing consumer advocacy topics.

Sommer runs a consumer behavior lab with her PhD students currently focusing on sustainability marketing impact, consumer insights into VR and AR tools, and influencer marketing via livestreaming.