Mehruba Haque is a marketing researcher and educator. Her doctoral research explores how early adolescent girls (aged 10-14) perceive beauty and post-worthiness in filtered and unfiltered images on social media. It examines how they negotiate the gap between what they find beautiful and what they choose to share, shedding light on how filters shape perceptions of beauty and how social media pressures influence online self-representation. Her work contributes to broader conversations on ethical marketing, digital well-being, and responsible communication.
Mehruba teaches marketing-related courses, supervises bachelor's and master's theses, and contributes to curriculum development. She has delivered the Free Being Me body confidence programme, developed by the Dove Self-Esteem Project, and is currently developing two new courses: Visual Ethics in Marketing, which brings together research on media influence and marketing ethics, and a course on the impact of social media.
With a research focus that speaks directly to the pressures of today's visual, social-media-driven culture, Mehruba offers valuable insight for students, brands, and organisations seeking ethics in modern marketing.
Selected publications
- The Hunting Gaze and Ronaldo’s Smile Reign Supreme in the Beauty Ideals of Estonian Young Men – ERR Novaator, 2026. Popular science article (in Estonian).
- Microintervention Strategies on Social Media to Protect Women’s Body Image: A Review and Future Research Directions – 12th European Conference on Social Media (ECSM), 2025.
- Feminism, Sustainability, and Social Media Shaping the Beauty Industry – 12th European Conference on Social Media (ECSM), 2025.
- Social Media Influencers Can Help Rebuild Women’s Body Confidence – Research in Estonia, 2024.
Awards and recognition
- Science in 3 Minutes Laureate – Estonian Academy of Sciences.
- Best Review Award – European University Network on Entrepreneurship (ESU).
- Best Poster Award – Doctoral School of Economics & Innovation.
- Best Elevator Pitch – Kaunas University of Technology.
- 40 under 40 – YellowBrick.
- Winner, Arts & Hardware Hackathon – Garage48.
- Winner, Multiform Marketing of Service Innovation – Tampere University of Applied Sciences.