Alessandro
Buffoli, PhD
Assistant Professor of Marketing
The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
Alessandro Buffoli is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. An Italian academic based in Hong Kong, he holds a PhD in Marketing from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), awarded in 2026. His earlier education includes a CEMS master’s in International Management at HKUST and WU Vienna, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Brescia.
His research examines how beliefs and emotions shape consumer decisions. He studies why consumers reject perfectly edible but unattractive produce, how compassion changes those choices, and how beliefs about packaging influence the quantities people buy. His work on compassion and unattractive produce is under revise and resubmit at the International Journal of Research in Marketing (IJRM). Across these projects, his interest is in explaining consumer choices and testing practical ways to encourage more sustainable consumption.
At HSUHK, he teaches Global Marketing. His classes use brand cases and negotiations to examine how businesses enter new markets, adapt to local expectations, and compete internationally. Students are asked to make decisions, defend their reasoning, and reconsider their assumptions. His wider experience in education includes IELTS, TOEFL, and GMAT tutoring.
Alongside his academic work, he advises businesses on global marketing, brand positioning, and customer behavior. His industry experience spans educational consulting, fashion, and consumer goods. Consulting, company workshops, and speaking engagements draw on that experience and his research to address concrete questions: which customers to target, what to change for a new market, and how to give people a reason to choose a brand.
His writing explores marketing, Hong Kong, and the psychology of financial decisions, from how brands build demand abroad to how investors interpret prices, fees, and risk. His media collaborations include the South China Morning Post and Giornale di Brescia, with commentary on brands, international markets, and consumer behavior.
Outside work, Alessandro enjoys travelling, playing padel, and following football. Discovering a city through its food and everyday routines is part of what he values about living internationally.
HKUST · 2025 winner
Three Minute Thesis
From Ugly to Loved: The Compassionate Consumer’s Journey Towards Embracing Unattractive Produce
Collaborations
