A Global Approach to Marketing: Dr. Pia Albinsson’s Journey to App State
Written by:
Appalachian State University
• May 18, 2026
Pia A. Albinsson, PhD, MBA, has always had a deep passion for learning, traveling and connecting with the people she meets along the way. As a teenager and young adult in Sweden, she worked at one of Stockholm’s largest hotels and later as a destination manager for a travel agency. That work took her to Greece, Malaysia and Portugal.
“After talking with hundreds of guests over the years,” Dr. Albinsson says, “I realized that a business degree would be very useful, as everyone — unless you are an entrepreneur, self-employed or financially independent — works for some sort of organization.”
From Stockholm to App State
In 1999, Dr. Albinsson started working toward that goal. She began her studies in Stockholm before taking the opportunity to go on exchange to the U.S. through an ISEP program, an experience that ultimately led her to complete her Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) at New Mexico State University.
“At first, it was quite a culture shock to live in the desert, but I absolutely grew to love the blue skies, the hiking and the people in the area,” she says. She enjoyed the experience so much that she stayed on to earn her Master of Business Administration (MBA) and PhD in Business Administration, with a focus on marketing.
From there, Dr. Albinsson set her sights on teaching at a large, urban university and immersing herself in a bustling business education community. However, she heard about an opening at a school in a small but beautiful town: Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.
“I kept an open mind and when I was invited for an interview and later offered a job with App State, I happily accepted,” Dr. Albinsson remembers.
It turned out to be the perfect fit. Since Dr. Albinsson joined App State in 2009, her creative research and genuine love for marketing education have taken her — and her students — in exciting new directions.
Curiosity and Collaboration
Since launching her career in business education, Dr. Albinsson has established herself as a pillar of the global marketing research community. She’s published insightful work on topics ranging from alternative marketplaces, sustainability and consumer activism to the social significance of gag gifts.
“My research is often inspired by a behavior or phenomenon that I observe in the marketplace. When something is new or a bit odd to me, I like to inquire about it,” she says. “I would get bored with conducting research if I only investigated one thing.”
One issue Dr. Albinsson hasn’t grown bored of is collaborative consumption, or the sharing and circulation of goods and services through communities. It can be communal and focused on generosity (such as a local tool library) or corporate and profitable (such as ride-hailing services). Her work often examines collaborative consumption as both an economic phenomenon and a vehicle for trust, connectedness and sustainability.
“My mother happened to live on the same street as a clothing library in Stockholm when collaborative consumption first started to appear in the popular press,” Dr. Albinsson says. She also completed a project on clothing exchanges in New Mexico around this time.
Fostering Collaboration in Her Own Field
For Dr. Albinsson, collaboration is more than just a fascinating topic to study — it’s also a central part of her life. Over the course of her career, she’s coauthored articles and books, served as an editor for numerous marketing and business research journals, and traveled to conferences and universities in France, China and New Zealand, all in the name of exploring different areas of her field and building meaningful connections.
“By traveling, you extend your network, find potential collaborators, and build relationships among faculty and students and even across departments, colleges and the university,” she says.
Spreading Her Enthusiasm and Expertise at App State
As much as Dr. Albinsson loves traveling to exchange ideas with her international network of colleagues, she doesn’t have to go far for a lively conversation about marketing. All she has to do is step into a classroom at App State.
“I think my favorite part of the job is that I get to be around students who want to learn and who are excited to build their skills for their future careers,” she says.
Whether Dr. Albinsson is teaching marketing research skills to undergraduate students or high-level strategy to MBA students, her passion is evident. In 2021, she was named the Beroth Professor of Marketing — and as of spring 2026, more students than ever can experience her teaching.
After teaching the on-campus Marketing Research course for several years, Dr. Albinsson was asked to develop its online counterpart for App State Online’s Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) in Business and Marketing program. She’s since prepared lectures, gathered supporting materials and crafted hands-on market research activities for the course.
“We have always had a focus on experiential learning,” Dr. Albinsson says of her and her colleagues’ approach to business education. With her guidance, the next generation of marketing professionals can apply those experiences to launch their careers from anywhere.
Start Your Journey Toward a Career in Marketing
In App State Online’s BSBA in Business and Marketing program, students learn how to analyze consumer behavior, turn insights into actionable strategies and position organizations for success. With support and development assistance from faculty such as Pia A. Albinsson, PhD, MBA, they also gain the perspective to grow as thoughtful, globally minded marketing professionals.
This degree is designed for working students, career changers and anyone who needs flexibility in their schedule.
Learn more about App State Online’s transfer credit policies and the program curriculum by requesting information today.
Sources:
Appalachian State University, Marketing, Supply Chain Management Flight Path Programs Soar