Prof. Dr Sophie Hieke studied Business Administration at Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU) in Munich, followed by a PhD at the Institute for Market-based Management (Munich School of Management, LMU), focusing on consumer behavior in the area of food, health and nutrition.
Afterwards, she moved to Brussels to set up the consumer research department at the European Food Information Council (EUFIC). In her position as head of Consumer Science, she has collaborated on numerous EU research proposals and won multiple grants (e.g., Horizon 2020 framework, EIT Food program, CORNET projects etc.). Most notably, she was the principal coordinator of the FP7 project CLYMBOL (2012-2016) which was funded at 3 million EUR.
Additionally, Prof. Dr Sophie Hieke has worked at the German Institute of Food Technology, was an associate editor at Public Health Nutrition (Impact Factor: 2.526) from 2015 to 2019, regularly reviews for and publishes in international scientific journals and is a key note speaker at many academic and/or industry-based events. An overview of her h-index can be found here.
At Munich Business School, she teaches behavioral marketing with a focus on consumer behavior. Her courses combine the latest insights from psychology, sociology and behavioral economics with a well-founded understanding of empirical research, in particular experiments, and are supplemented by numerous practice cases, examples and guest lectures, workshops and field trips.
Prof. Hieke was appointed Impact Officer at Munich Business School in 2022. She is responsible for the publication of the yearly impact report and currently works with all relevant stakeholders on developing the MBS impact model and strategy.
Professor Marketing and Communication
Master International Marketing and Brand Management, Bachelor International Business, Master International Business
Marketing, Communication, Consumer Behavior, Customer Insights, Behavioral Economics
International journal articles
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MACREADY, A. L., HIEKE, S., KLIMCZUK-KOCHANSKA, M., SZUMIAL, S., WACHTER, K., ARNOULT, M. H., VRANKEN, L., & GRUNERT, K. G. (2024). Why Trust is Crucial: The Moderating Role of Trust in the Relationship Between Motivation and Intention to Buy Healthy, Sustainable, and Novel Foods. Food Quality and Preference, 112, 105386. [Q1, 3.652] [A]
B. CHANG; C. MASSRI; M. REIPURTH; E. PETROPOLOU; V. HÜTTL-MAACK; D. GAWLIK; K. KUJÁNI; V. SZENTE; A. HEGYI; A. SZEGEDYNÉ FRICZ; E. SANTA CRUZ; T. BENOS; C. AOUINAIT; D. CAMPOS; B. ALFARO; F. JANSSENI; I. THEODORAKOPOULOU; C. ILIOPOULOS; S. HIEKE (2022): Barriers and facilitators of purchasing from short food supply chains: Evidence from consumer focus groups in Germany, Spain, Greece and Hungary, International Journal of Food Studies, 11:SI196.
C. AOUINAIT; D. CHRISTEN; C. CARLEN; C. MASSRI; M. REIPURTH; S. HIEKE; A. HEGYI; K. KUJÁNI; A. MAJOR; A. SZEGEDYNÉ FRICZ; V. HÜTTL-MAACK; D. GAWLIK; E. PETROPOLOU; B. ALFARO; E. SANTA CRUZ; M. LAMERIS; J. KUITEMS; F. JANSSEN; S. BRAUN; B. CHANG (2022): Barriers and facilitators of purchasing from short food supply chains in Europe: Insights from a stakeholder perspective, International Journal of Food Studies, 11:SI208.
A. PROFETA; M.C. BAUNE; S. SMETANA; K. BROUCKE; G. VAN ROYEN; J. WEISS; S. HIEKE; V. HEINZ; N. TERJUNG (2021): Consumer preferences for meat blended with plant proteins – Empirical findings from Belgium, Future Foods, 4.
L. TIMOTIJEVIC; S. ASTLEY; M.J. BOGAARDT; T. BUCHER; I. CARR; G. COPANI; J. DE LA CUEVA; T. EFTIMOY; P. FINGLAS; S. HIEKE; C.E. HODGKINS; B. KOROUSIC SELJAK; N. KLEPACZ; K. PASCH; M. MARINGER; B.E. MIKKELSEN; A. NORMANN; K.T. OFEI; K. POPPE; G. POURABDOLLAHIAN; M. M. RAATS; M. ROE; C. SADLER; T. SELNESC; H. VAN DER VEENC; P. VAN’T VEER; K. ZIMMERMANN (2021): Designing a research infrastructure (RI) on food behaviour and health: Balancing user needs, business model, governance mechanisms and technology, Trends in Food Science & Technology, 116. [Q1, 12.563]
A. FESTILA; S. HIEKE, C. MASSRI, P. CHRYSOCHOU (2020): Public Sensemaking of Active Packaging Technologies: A Feature-Based Perspective, Public Understanding of Science, 30(8). [Q1, 3.09]
A. PROFETA; M.C. BAUNE; S. SMETANA; S. BORNKESSEL; K. BROUCKE; G. VAN ROYEN; U. ENNEKING; J. WEISS; V. HEINZ; N. TERJUNG; S. HIEKE (2021): Preferences of German Consumers for Meat Products Blended with Plant-Based Proteins, Sustainability, 1. [Q2, 2.85]
NEUBIG CM; L. VRANKEN; J. ROOSEN; S. GRASSO; S. HIEKE; S. KNOEPFLE; A. MACREADY; N. MASENTOE (2020): Action-related information trumps system information: Influencing consumers’ intention to reduce food waste. Journal of Cleaner Production, 261. [Q1, 6.395] [A] [2]
MACREADY A; S. HIEKE; M. KLIMCZUK-KOCHANSKA; S. SZUMIAL; L. VRANKEN; K. GRUNERT (2020): Consumer trust in the food value chain and its impact on consumer confidence: A model for assessing consumer trust and evidence from a 5-country study in Europe. Food Policy, 92. [Q1, 3.111] [B] [3]
Y. HUNG; S. HIEKE; K. GRUNERT; W. VERBEKE (2019): Setting policy priorities for front-of-pack health claims and symbols in the European Union: Expert consensus built by using a Delphi method, in: Nutrients, 11(2). [Q1, 4.196]
M. JERUSZKA-BIELAK; A. KOLLAJTIS-DOLOWY; A. SANTORO; R. OSTAN; A.A.M. BERENDSEN; A. JENNINGS; N. MEUNIER; A. MARSEGLIA; E. CAUMON; R. GILLINGS; L.C.P.G.M. DE GROOT; C. FRANCESCHI; S. HIEKE; B. PIETRUSZKA (2018): Are nutrition-related knowledge and attitudes reflected in lifestyle and health among elderly people? A study across five European countries, in: Frontiers in Physiology, 9. [Q1, 3.394]
C. HARTMANN; S. HIEKE; C. TAPER; M. SIEGRIST (2018): European Consumer Healthiness Evaluation of 'Free-from' Labelled Food Products, in: Food Quality & Preference, 68. [Q1, 3.652]
S. HIEKE; Z. PIENIAK; W. VERBEKE (2018): European consumers' interest in nutrition information on (sugar-free) chewing gum, in: Food Quality & Preference, 64. [Q1, 3.652]
K. GRUNERT; S. HIEKE; H. JUHL (2018): Consumer wants and use of ingredient and nutrition information for alcoholic drinks: A cross-cultural study in six EU countries, in: Food Quality & Preference, 63. [Q1, 3.652]
Y. HUNG; K. GRUNERT; S. HIEKE; C. HOEFKENS; W. VERBEKE (2017): Motivation outweighs ability in explaining European consumers’ use of health claims, in: Food Quality & Preference, 58. [Q1, 3.652]
S. HIEKE; N. KULJANIC; L. FERNANDEZ; L. LÄHTEENMÄKI; V. STANCU; M. RAATS; B. EGAN; K.A. BROWN; H. VAN TRIJP; E. VAN KLEEF; E. VAN HERPEN; A. GRÖPPEL-KLEIN; S. LEICK; K. PFEIFER; W. VERBEKE; C. HOEFKENS; S. SMED; L. JANSEN; A. LASER-REUTERSWÄRD; Z. KOROSEC; I. PRAVST; A. KUSAR; M. KLOPCIC; J. POHAR; A. GRACIA; T. DE MAGISTRIS; K. GRUNERT (2016): Country Differences in the History of Use of Health Claims and Symbols, in: European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety, 6(3). [not ranked]
A. KAUR; P. SCARBOROUGH; S. HIEKE; A. KUSAR; I. PRAVST; M. RAATS; M. RAYNER (2016): The nutritional quality of foods carrying health-related claims in Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia and the United Kingdom, in: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70(12). [Q2, 2.954]
S. HIEKE; J. HARRIS (2016): Nutrition information and front-of-pack labelling: issues in effectiveness, in: Public Health Nutrition, 19(12). [Q2, 2.485]
S. HIEKE; N. KULJANIC; I. PRAVST; K. MIKLAVEC; A. KAUR; K.A. BROWN; B.M. EGAN; K. PFEIFER; A. GRACIA; M. RAYNER (2016): Prevalence of Nutrition and Health-Related Claims on Pre-Packaged Foods: A Five-Country Study in Europe, in: Nutrients, 8(3). [Q1, 4.196]
K.A. BROWN; S. HIEKE; N. KULJANIC; I. PRAVST; K. MIKLAVEC; M. RAYNER; A. KAUR; K. PFEIFER; A. GRACIA (2015): Prevalence of health-related claims on pre-packaged foods: a five-country study in Europe, in: Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 67(suppl 1). [Q2, 3.951]
S. HIEKE; A. PALASCHA; C. JOLA; J.M. WILLS; M. RAATS (2015): The pack size effect: influence on consumer estimations of portion size, in: Appetite 96. [Q2, 3.175] [A]
S. HIEKE; C. NEWMAN (2015): Nutrition Label Comprehension and Usage: The Impact of Comparison Baselines, Nutrition Knowledge, and Gender, Journal of Consumer Affairs, 46(1). [Q3, 1.860] [A] [2]
S. HIEKE; N. KULJANIC; J.M. WILLS; K. MIKLAVEC; I. PRAVST (2015): Prevalence of nutrition and health claims on baby foods in 5 EU Member States, in: Appetite 89. [Q2, 3.175] [A]
S. HIEKE; N. KULJANIC; J.M. WILLS; I. PRAVST; A. KAUR; M. RAATS; H. VAN TRIJP; W. VERBEKE; K.G. GRUNERT (2015): The role of health-related claims and symbols in consumer behaviour: Design and conceptual framework of the CLYMBOL project, in: Nutrition Bulletin, 40(1). [not ranked]
M. RAATS; S. HIEKE; C. JOLA; C. HODGKINS; J. KENNEDY; J.M. WILLS (2014): Reference amounts utilised in front-of-pack nutrition labelling; impact on product healthfulness evaluations, in: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 69(5). [Q2, 2.954]
K. GRUNERT; S. HIEKE; J.M. WILLS (2014): Sustainability labels on food products: Consumer motivation, understanding and use, in: Food Policy 44. [Q1, 3.111] [B] [3]
E. VAN HERPEN; S. HIEKE; H. VAN TRIJP (2013): Inferring Product Healthfulness from Nutrition Labelling: The Influence of Labelling Scheme and Reference Points, in: Appetite 72. [Q2, 3.175] [A]
S. HIEKE; S. STORCKSDIECK; FERNANDEZ, L; JM WILLS (2013): Nutrition Labelling in Europe - Effective Guidance towards More Healthful Food Choices?, in: Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 63(1). [Q2, 3.951]
S. HIEKE; J.M. WILLS (2012): Nutrition labelling – is it effective in encouraging healthy eating?, in: CAB Reviews, 7(31). [not ranked]
S. HIEKE; P. WILCZYNSKI (2012): Colour Me In – An Empirical Study of the Traffic Light Signposting Scheme in Nutrition Labelling, in: Public Health Nutrition, 15(5). [Q2, 2.485]
S. HIEKE; C. R. TAYLOR (2012): A Critical Review of the Literature on Nutritional Labelling: Conceptual and Methodological Directions for Future Research, in: Journal of Consumer Affairs, 46(1). [Q3, 1.860] [A] [2]
S. HIEKE (2010): Effects of Counterfeits on the Image of Luxury Brands - An Empirical Study from the Customer Perspective, in: Journal of Brand Management, 18(2). [Q3, 1.564] [A] [2]
Conference abstracts and Posters
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C. HARTMANN; S. HIEKE; C. TAPER; M. SIEGRIST (2017). Consumer attitudes towards free-from labelling and claims. 12th Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium, Rhode Island.
H. HONDO; E. KAUNISTO; K. TITI OFEI; B. EKBERG MIKKELSEN; S. HIEKE (2017). Small devices for big data – data driven smart technologies to collect data on consumer behaviour. 10th International Conference on Culinary Arts & Science ICCAS, Copenhagen.
S. HIEKE; T. BUCHER (2017). Connecting research laboratories and facilities – comparing the needs and wants of industry research centres and public-private research institutes. 10th International Conference on Culinary Arts & Science ICCAS, Copenhagen.
B. EKBERG MIKKELSEN; T. BUCHER; S. HIEKE; M. CD VERAIN; J. VAN DER PUTTELAAR (2016). Measuring food choice and consumption behaviour with real, fake or virtual food realities. 10th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioural Research, Dublin. Published in: Proceedings (2016: 88-95).
K.A. BROWN; K.H. HART; G. SOMMERS-JONES; B EGAN; GMR FIATES, M. RAATS; S. HIEKE (2016). Do health claims affect consumption, as measured in the laboratory or in the field? Summer Conference of the Nutrition Society, Dublin.
C. HOEFKENS; Y. HUNG; S. HIEKE; K. GRUNERT; W. VERBEKE (2015): Motivation outweighs ability in explaining European consumers' use of health claims. 12th Federation of European Nutrition Science FENS conference, Berlin.
K.A. BROWN; S. HIEKE; N. KULJANIC; I. PRAVST; K. MIKLAVEC; M. RAYNER; A. KAUR; K. PFEIFER; A. GRACIA (2015): Prevalence of health-related claims on pre-packaged foods: a five-country study in Europe. 12th Federation of European Nutrition Science FENS conference, Berlin.
Y. HUNG; C. HOEFKENS; S. HIEKE; K.G. GRUNERT; W. VERBEKE (2015): Determinants of European consumers' motivation and ability to process health claims and symbols. 143rd European Association of Agricultural Economists AAEA-EAAE Seminar, Naples.
S. HIEKE; N. KULJANIC; J.M. WILLS; K. MIKLAVEC; I. PRAVST (2014): Prevalence of nutrition and health claims on baby foods in 5 EU Member States. 24th European Childhood Obesity Group Conference, Salzburg. Published in: Appetite (2015: 89).
K.A. BROWN; S. HIEKE; A. KAUR; N. KULJANIC; I. PRAVST; M. RAYNER (2014): CLYMBOL European survey of nutrient and health claims prevalence – classification issues. 14th World Congress on Public Health Nutrition, Las Palmas.
S. HIEKE; J.M. WILLS; K.G. GRUNERT; A. PALASCHA (2014): Consumers and health claims – how familiarity, positive experience and relevance can shape consumer understanding and attitude. 7th International Society for Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods Conference, Istanbul.
K. GRUNERT; S. HIEKE; J.M. WILLS; A. PALASCHA (2014): European consumers’ response to sustainability labelling on food and drink packaging. 50th International Food Science & Technology Conference, London.
S. HIEKE; A. PALASCHA; M. RAGONA; M. MAZZOCCHI (2014): Toolbox and training activities for improving communication between Food Technologists and Consumer Scientists. 3rd International ISEKI Food Conference, Athens.
M. RAGONA; S. HIEKE; A. PALASCHA; M. MAZZOCCHI (2014): Toolbox for improving communication between Food Technologists and Consumer Scientists. VégéConso Conference, Angers.
K. GRUNERT; S. HIEKE; J.M. WILLS (2013): Sustainability labels on food products: Consumer motivation, understanding and use. 134th European Association of Agricultural Economists EAAE seminar, Paris.
S. HIEKE (2011): How Much Health Literacy Do We Need? An Experimental Study on the Guideline Daily Amounts. AMA Marketing & Public Policy Conference, Washington.
S. HIEKE; C. R. TAYLOR (2010): A Study on the Effectiveness of Nutrition Labelling in Germany. AMA Marketing & Public Policy Conference, Denver.
S. HIEKE; P. WILCZYNSKI (2010): Colour Me In - An Empirical Study of the Traffic Light Signposting Scheme in Nutrition Labelling. Global Marketing Conference GMC, Tokyo.
S. HIEKE (2008): Effects of Counterfeits on the Image of Luxury Brands - An Empirical Study from the Customer Perspective. Global Marketing Conference GMC, Shanghai.
Book chapters
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K. GRUNERT, S. HIEKE (2025): Nudging for more sustainable and healthy food choices: A dual processing approach with a time perspective, in L. REISCH; C. SUNSTEIN (eds): Consumer Behaviour and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Elgar Companion, Cambridge.
K. PURNHAGEN; S. HIEKE; H. SCHEBESTA; K. GRUNERT (2019): Harmonisation of Alcohol labelling in the EU: How much is enough?!, in K. MATHIS (ed): Economic Analysis of Law in European Legal Scholarship, Springer, Berlin (under review).
S. HIEKE; K. GRUNERT (2018): Measuring the effects of health claims and symbols: the CLYMBOL methodological toolbox, in S. ASTLEY (ed): Health Claims and Food Labelling, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge (forthcoming).
S. HIEKE; K. GRUNERT (2018): Introduction: consumers and health claims, in M. SADLER (ed): Food, Nutrients and Food Ingredients with Authorised EU Health Claims Vol. 3, Elsevier, San Diego. ISBN: 978-0-08-100922-2.
S. HIEKE; K. GRUNERT; J.M. WILLS (2014): Nachhaltige Gütesiegel und ihre Rolle im Verbraucherverhalten - Motivation, Verständnis und Anwendung von Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, Animal Welfare und Carbon Footprint Gütesiegeln in sechs Europäischen Ländern, in T. WEBER (ed): CSR und Produktmanagement, Springer-Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden. ISBN: 978-3-662-45573-9.
S. HIEKE (2009): Der Ressourcenorientierte Ansatz, in M. SCHWAIGER; A. MEYER (eds): Theorien und Methoden der Betriebswirtschaft, Vahlen Verlag, München. ISBN-13: 978-3800636136.
Magazine articles and working papers
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S. HIEKE; K. GRUNERT (2020): Wie entscheiden wir, was wir essen?, Ernährungsumschau, 4/2020, M214-M223.
S. HIEKE; I. PRAVST; K.G. GRUNERT (2016): Health claims and symbols: What role is there for health-related information to guide consumer behaviour?, Editorial in: Agro FOOD Hi Tech, 27(3).
S. HIEKE; T. CASCANETTE; I. PRAVST; A. KAUR; H. VAN TRIJP; W. VERBEKE; K.G. GRUNERT (2016): The role of health-related claims and symbols in consumer behaviour: the CLYMBOL project, in: Agro FOOD Hi Tech, 27(3).
A. KAUR; S. HIEKE; M. RAYNER (2016): Do health and nutrition claims meet consumers’ health needs?, in: Agro FOOD Hi Tech, 27(3).
S. HIEKE; M. SARSTEDT; C. RENNHAK (2007). Consumer Generated Advertising: Open-Source-Marketing, in: Munich Business School Working Paper Series, 2007/02, ISSN 2367-3869.
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