Head of Future & Trends Research
Dr. Fabian Buder
Dr. Fabian Buder is Head of Marketing & Consumer Behavior at the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions. His research examines how consumers make decisions and how these decisions are shaped by technological innovation, societal trends, and marketing.
A particular focus of his work is the acceptance and impact of emerging technologies in consumer and marketing contexts. This includes generative AI, virtual environments, and digital innovations along the customer journey. Another major area of his research is sustainable consumption, sustainability communication, and the question of how marketing can support consumers in making decisions that align with their values.
Methodologically, his research is primarily quantitative and empirical. He uses survey-based research and experimental designs, complemented by qualitative methods, to study consumer attitudes, preferences, and decision-making behavior.
Dr. Buder studied sociology at the University of Bamberg and earned his doctorate in agricultural and food marketing from the University of Kassel. Before joining NIM at the end of 2013, he worked as a market researcher in GfK SE’s household panel, advising retail and manufacturing companies. Since the end of 2018, he has headed NIM’s Marketing & Consumer Behavior research area, formerly Future & Trends Research.
His work has appeared in outlets such as Futures, Management Research Review, Futures & Foresight Science, British Food Journal, NIM Marketing Intelligence Review, transfer, and Der Markenartikel. He is also a regular speaker, panelist, and media interviewee on topics including generative AI in marketing, virtual consumer environments, and sustainable consumption.
In addition to his role at NIM, Dr. Buder is an Affiliate Researcher at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University in Boston and a Research Affiliate at the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto. He has extensive teaching experience at German and international universities at the undergraduate, graduate, and MBA levels.