PhD ~ 2023 “The Dark Side of Iconicity: How Controversial Icons become Lightning Rods for Passionate Audiences”
Vanessa Bittner is a cultural sociologist who is currently located in Hamburg, Germany, while working at the German tech & market research company Appinio. As a research consultant, she supports global brands in the creation, adaptation, and analysis of projects such as Mental Availability Tracking, Consumer Usage & Attitude studies, Maximum Difference Scaling, TURF or Conjoint Analysis.
Having earned her PhD in 2023, Vanessa’s dissertation research explored controversial public figures and political polarization through the lens of iconicity. Her case studies included quarterback-turned-activist Colin Kaepernick, climate activist Gretha Thurnberg, as well as Donald Trump’s MAGA hat. You can find her work published in Emotions & Society and Cultural Sociology.