Workshop at Thieme in Stuttgart

On July 2, 2025, the Marketing Talents travelled from Siegen to Stuttgart together with Dr. Anne Fota, member of the Chair of Marketing and Commerce, to take part in a full-day workshop at the Thieme Group the following day. The Thieme Group is an internationally active association of scientific publishers, media and service companies that contribute to better medicine and more health in life. The aim of the workshop was to develop practical ideas for the future marketing of Thieme journals - with a particular focus on the topic of customer experience (CX) in the marketing context.

The day began with a joint welcome coffee, where the participants were able to exchange ideas in a relaxed atmosphere with Thieme contacts, including Dr. Gerhard Wagner, a former member of the Chair of Marketing and Commerce. The students were then given an overview of Thieme's specialist journal portfolio and the publisher's current strategic direction. Building on this, the marketing talents presented a concept they had developed themselves for the further development of the marketing CX strategy in the area of specialist journals. The aim was to derive specific recommendations for action to improve the customer experience across the entire customer journey - based on scientific findings, market analyses and a competitive analysis. The focus was on topics such as new customer acquisition, customer loyalty, pricing and subscription models, communication strategies and innovative sales channels - for both print and digital formats. The Thieme products AINS and up2date, among others, served as application examples.

After an intensive discussion round and a lunch break in the in-house canteen, the active workshop phase began: in two groups, the students worked hand in hand with Thieme employees to develop a customer journey mapping - on the one hand for a selected Thieme specialist magazine and on the other for a competitor product. The aim was to identify weak points and potential in the user experience and to derive specific optimization approaches from this. At the end of the workshop, Julia Wasselai from the Human Resources department introduced the students to the wide range of career and entry opportunities at Thieme - from internships to working student jobs and trainee programs. The workshop offered the marketing talents a valuable opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge to a real business case and at the same time gain exciting insights into the media industry and working at Thieme. An insightful and inspiring day with lots of new ideas for everyone involved.

Workshop on 28.05.2025 at the HF Group

On May 28, 2025, the Marketing Talents visited the HF Group in Freudenberg together with employees of the Chair of Marketing and Retailing. As part of a full-day workshop, the participants gained exciting insights into the HF Group. The students were welcomed in the morning by representatives from the HR and Marketing departments, who were on hand to provide advice throughout the day. A brief introduction to the company structure and strategic orientation was followed by a company tour, during which the participants were able to get to know the HF Group's modern working environment up close. The modern and open office concept was particularly impressive. This was followed by the presentation of the practical task: the aim was to develop concrete ideas for the further development of the HF Group's public image - with a particular focus on the topics of HR marketing, event marketing and sustainability. The students were divided into three groups. Group 1 focused on HR marketing and drew up a detailed job advertisement for the position of online marketing manager. Group 2 developed a concept for the organization and implementation of customer events in the area of event marketing. Group 3 focused on sustainability marketing and analyzed how the company's existing and future environmental initiatives could be communicated effectively and integrated into the overall brand image. After an initial intensive working phase and a joint lunch break in the company canteen, the groups continued to develop their concepts in greater depth. In the afternoon, the teams presented their results to HF Group employees. The results included a detailed job advertisement, practice-oriented event concepts and visual designs for sustainability communication. The detailed elaboration of the ideas and the professional, practical approach of the students were particularly emphasized. The workshop not only offered the marketing talents the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to real business issues, but also to gain valuable insights into modern working environments and strategic communication - an insightful and inspiring day for everyone involved.

Workshop on May 8, 2025 at dy-pack Verpackungen Gustav Dyckerhoff GmbH

On May 8, 2025, the Marketing Talents visited the company dy-pack Verpackungen Gustav Dyckerhoff GmbH in Wenden-Gerlingen together with employees of the Chair of Marketing and Retailing. The workshop at the family-owned company, which specializes in industrial paper packaging, offered exciting insights into the innovative strength and market strategy of a true technology leader in the packaging industry. The Talents were welcomed in the morning by Managing Director Wilhelm Dyckerhoff and two other employees who accompanied the event. After a brief introduction to the company and its special market position in the field of industrial paper sacks, the practical task for the day started straight away: the focus was on developing marketing ideas for a special paper packaging for use with soil - a product that dy-pack would like to position more strongly in the future.

The students were divided into three groups. While one group focused on addressing and marketing the product on the large-scale - specifically in DIY stores - the other two groups focused on concepts for sales via e-commerce. After an initial phase of intensive work, the teams took a break together with a lunchtime snack before continuing to work on their strategies. In the afternoon, the groups presented their results to the dy-pack employees and discussed their ideas in a plenary session. The talents provided a wide range of ideas - from target group definitions and creative measures to increase awareness to suggestions for optimizing the current appearance of the product. The discussion was lively and open, characterized by an appreciative exchange between the students and the company representatives. At the end of the day, the participants were given a comprehensive insight into the company's history of innovation. Wilhelm Dyckerhoff presented key developments of recent years with which dy-pack has repeatedly set new standards in the industry - from particularly resource-saving packaging solutions to optimized bag designs for a wide range of applications. The visit to dy-pack was not only a practical challenge for the marketing talents, but also an opportunity to experience the interplay of technology, sustainability and marketing in an industrial context at first hand - an all-round profitable day for everyone involved.

Workshop on April 29, 2025 at WortWechsel

On April 29, 2025, the Marketing Talents had the opportunity to gain an exciting insight into the creative start-up WortWechsel. The company visit took place as part of the cooperation with the Chair of Marketing and Commerce and took the participants into the world of language, performance and cultural events. WortWechsel, a young company from Siegen based in the Startpunkt57 start-up center, was founded by Jessica Fraas and Tobias Beitzel. Both are passionate poetry slammers and cultural organizers whose work extends far beyond the stage - with moderations, workshops for companies and schools as well as individual text concepts for organizations. Their mission: to bring language to life in all its facets.

At the beginning of the event, the two founders not only introduced themselves and the company, but also introduced the marketing talents directly to the topic of the day: the upcoming NRW Poetry Slam Championships, which will take place in Wittgenstein in the fall of 2025. The special challenge: a rural region as the venue - combined with the question of how to mobilize a broad and diverse audience there. As part of an interactive workshop, the Talents worked in small groups to develop concepts for addressing target groups and marketing events in rural areas. They were supported by creative methods for finding ideas, which are typical of WortWechsel's way of working. The open and inspiring atmosphere, in which an intensive exchange between founders and students took place, was particularly noteworthy. Intermediate presentations made it possible to obtain feedback and further develop the concepts before the final ideas were presented and discussed in a final presentation. The variety of results ranged from target group-specific communication strategies and creative event formats to concrete suggestions for local cooperation partners. The visit to WortWechsel was not only an insight into an innovative start-up in the cultural sector, but also a source of inspiration for creative thinking, strategic communication and an understanding of how language can connect and inspire people. The event ended with an open exchange in which both the Talents and the founders benefited from each other's perspectives - an all-round successful day.

Workshop on January 23, 2025 at the Krombacher brewery

On January 23, 2025, the Marketing Talents had the opportunity to gain exciting insights into the Krombacher brewery, accompanied by staff from the Chair of Marketing and Retailing. The first workshop in 2025 thus took place at one of Germany's largest breweries and a company with strong regional roots. First, Sara Schulte introduced the event and presented the day's schedule to the marketing talents. Lars Dammertz, Head of Marketing Beer, then presented the company and the marketing department in general. The morning was supplemented by further, more specific presentations from Digital Marketing by Felix Jahnen and Lisa Katz, from Brand Management by Stephan Offele and from Sustainability by Wolfgang Schötz. These insights into the different areas gave the marketing talents a very varied overview of the marketing activities of the Krombacher brewery. In addition to the presentations, each department presented the students with a current case, which they then had to work on. Three groups were formed for this purpose.

After the various presentations and insights, the groups went to the premises of the marketing department and worked on the three cases in regular consultation with the responsible employees of the Krombacher brewery. The work phase was interrupted by a joint lunch, during which the Managing Director of Marketing, Ralph Zimmerer, among others, exchanged ideas with the students. Strengthened, the Talents started the second work phase before the presentations were scheduled for the afternoon. In addition to Prof. Dr. Hanna Schramm-Klein and Jan-Lukas Selter from the Chair of Business Administration, in particular Marketing and Retail, Sara Schulte, Lars Dammertz, Lisa Katz, Wolfgang Schötz, Stephan Offele and Felix Jahnen from the Krombacher Brewery also took part in the presentations. The students' presentations, which once again highlighted creative approaches and fresh perspectives, were followed by lively discussions and an inspiring exchange, which was also perceived as a real benefit for Krombacher Brauerei. Following the presentations, the Talents were able to take part in a free tour of the brewery if they were interested. For all other participants, the event ended at around 4:30 p.m. and the Talents made their way home after an exciting day and many new insights.

Soft skills seminar on December 04, 2024

On December 4, 2024, the marketing talents were able to take part in a soft skills seminar on the topic of "Relaxed into the exam - relaxed and stress-free through every exam". The seminar was organized in collaboration with Andreas Stracke from Techniker Krankenkasse. Techniker Krankenkasse has been supporting the Talents programme for many years by organizing one soft skills seminar per semester. The topics covered ranged from exam anxiety, balancing body and mind, time management with to-do lists to the ALPEN method and dealing with nervousness.

The seminar was offered by Hesse and Schrader, who train over 8000 participants in seminars and training courses every year. The workshop was conducted by trainer Silvia Wiesner, who encouraged a lively exchange with her empathy, expertise and enthusiasm. All participants received a certificate of attendance from Hesse and Schrader afterwards.

Workshop on November 26, 2024 at the RTL Group

On November 21, 2024, the Marketing Talents once again had the opportunity to gain an exciting insight into the work at RTL in Cologne together with the employees of the Chair of Marketing and Commerce. This time, they were invited by the Social Media department to get to know the "Social Squad" and its work better. The day began with an introduction by André Wlodarczak, Head of Social Media Business, and three of his colleagues. The marketing talents were introduced to various areas of responsibility within the social media department, including, for example, the social media presence around the news and current topics in contrast to the reality TV formats. The overview of the strategic planning and execution of content on the various social media platforms was particularly noteworthy. Another point in the presentation was the introduction of community management. The marketing talents were given an insight into the work process of how RTL manages interactions with users and the active community within the various social media presences of its products and formats. A central topic was also the transfer of the concept of "Owned, Earned and Paid Media" to RTL's channels and in-house productions. The participants were given a look behind the scenes and learned how content is produced and placed on RTL's social media channels. The students were then presented with three specific tasks: 1. the development of guidelines for a community voice on the RTL+ channels on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. 2. the development of a channel strategy for the relaunch of the "Punkt 12" TikTok channel. 3. the development of a concept for a new RTL+ in-house social media production. This input and the presentation of the tasks were followed by a lunch break in the in-house canteen with a view of the Rhine and the Cologne Cathedral spires.

The groups then went to the "Hub", a creative workspace at RTL that is used for both productive work and social interaction. Here, the students developed their concepts and strategies. At the subsequent presentation of the results, the marketing talents were able to arouse great interest on the part of RTL employees. The students presented their creative concepts and ideas, which were discussed in the group. The day concluded with a tour of the studio, during which the marketing talents were given an insight into two large studios. An employee explained the complex technology behind the various recordings, while the first activities of the RTL telethon could be seen in the background. After an informative day and numerous new impressions and experiences, the marketing talents set off on their return journey back to Siegen and the surrounding area by regional express train or car at around 4:30 pm.

Workshop on October 24, 2024 at ontavio GmbH

On October 24, 2024, the Marketing Talents visited ontavio GmbH in Lennestadt together with the staff of the Chair of Marketing and Retailing. The company specializes in the development of regional online portals. The core products of ontavio are the job and training portal Karriere Südwestfalen, the applicant management system Talentstorm and the local news platform LokalPlus. The visit began with a reception and an introduction to the company by Maximillian Müller, Team Leader for Marketing, and Kim Krahn, Online and Social Media Editor. Both gave the students a comprehensive insight into the various products, their respective positioning on the market, departments and the company's premises. During an exciting question and answer session, Mr. Müller and Ms. Krahn shared their experiences and gave the marketing talents an insight into their day-to-day work. The students were also shown and explained programs used to analyze and interpret data collected from content placed on platforms such as TikTok or Meta social networks. Another highlight was the discussion with Phillip Thöne, Managing Director Marketing. He shared his career as an entrepreneur, the challenges of setting up the company and answered the students' specific questions. The marketing talents also gained valuable insights into the day-to-day work of a sales employee and the close links between marketing and sales.

After the tour and the informative exchange, the students fortified themselves with an Italian lunch. They were then split into two groups to work on tasks: One group developed concepts for a possible campaign for the Karriere Südwestfalen job exchange, while the other group worked on the development and sustainable establishment of a suitable app. The day concluded with presentations by the marketing talents, in which they presented the results they had developed. There was a lively discussion and a valuable exchange in which the students' exciting ideas and creative suggestions met with great interest on the part of ontavio GmbH. After an insightful day with numerous new impressions and valuable insights at ontavio GmbH, the marketing talents returned to Siegen by train or car in the late afternoon.

Workshop on July 8, 2024 with the Studierendenwerk Siegen

On July 8, 2024, the Marketing Talents held a joint event with Studierendenwerk Siegen. Around 200 employees work for the Studierendenwerk in the areas of catering, housing, childcare and finance. Managing Director Dr. Insa Deeken began the event by introducing the Studierendenwerk Siegen. Together with her, Katrin Ziegert and Sebastian Deuster led through the day's event, which focused on the broad promotion of the food court at the Lower Castle, both among students and the population of Siegen in general.

For a better insight into the food court and the current situation on site, the head of the catering department, Elmar Köninger, showed the Marketing Talents around. After many interested questions and an intensive assessment of the current situation, the students returned to the seminar room at the Lower Castle and began researching the current application for the food court. After a refreshing lunch together and further intensive work on the question, the Marketing Talents finally presented the results to Dr. Insa Deeken, Katrin Ziegert and Sebastian Deuster. As always, creative and exciting ideas were developed, which were also met with great interest by the Studierendenwerk team. We are excited to see which of the ideas will be implemented locally in Siegen and digitally in the future.

Workshop on June 05, 2024 at RTL+

On June 5, 2024, the Marketing Talents visited the entertainment company RTL in Cologne. The focus was on the cross-media entertainment platform RTL+, which offers music, podcasts, audio books and magazines in addition to live TV and streaming. Nicole Pielorz and Thomas Drexel warmly welcomed the marketing talents from Siegen and gave them a brief insight into the day ahead in Cologne. Thomas Drexel, Creative Executive Producer at RTL+, is responsible for the creative direction, creative control and overall responsibility of format and campaign designs for the platform. With a wealth of experience from his years as one of the first marketing employees at RTL+, Drexel introduced the students to the typical process of a campaign and explained the important content and challenges in this context. He focused in particular on campaigns for the RTL+ product and various formats of the platform. As the Marketing Talents had previously had less contact with this focus, there was a great deal of interest and many questions were asked.

After this informative introduction, Thomas Drexel gave the students the task of defining the target groups for three planned RTL+ formats as part of a campaign. However, before they got to work, they were given a short tour of the Cologne site. This included a tour of the live studios and the control room of the RTL channel, which was met with great interest by the students. Afterwards, everyone had a bite to eat in the company canteen. The Marketing Talents then worked on the task in three groups and presented their results to Thomas Drexel. The target groups presented were professionally developed and well thought out and many parts of the elaborations also corresponded with Thomas Drexel's experience. He discussed the results together with the Marketing Talents. After the presentations, the exciting day at RTL+ came to an end and the students set off on their journey home by train and car towards Siegen. All in all, it was an interesting day for everyone involved and the students were enthusiastic about both the content and the work of the RTL media group.

Workshop on 08.03.2024 at Wilhelm Klein GmbH

On March 8, 2024, the Marketing Talents visited the Wilnsdorf-based company Wilhelm Klein GmbH together with the staff of the Chair of Marketing and Retailing. The local family business is a specialist wholesaler for cleaning and hygiene products and is now run by the third generation of the Klein family. Around 200 employees work for the company, which is also a member of the GVS Group and the international trade association, the DHYS Group. The GVS Group is a nationwide association of specialist wholesalers, of which the Managing Director of Wilhelm Klein, Tilmann Klein, is a member of the Supervisory Board. He also welcomed the marketing talents to Wilnsdorf and introduced the students to the company history, the products and the special features of Wilhelm Klein.

The students were then presented with their task for the day. The focus was on the specialist wholesaler's particular target groups: local authorities and public institutions as well as facility service providers. The students were asked to develop B2B communication strategies and measures to attract attention at a brand launch. The high practical relevance of the topic to the company's current activities and efforts was very exciting. After a refreshment of pizza and coffee, the marketing talents finally presented the results to Managing Director Ricarda Klein and Jessica Moos, Head of Marketing, Innovation and Events. The students' exciting and creative suggestions were discussed intensively and met with great interest on the part of the company. The company visit ended with a long and very interesting company tour by Ricarda Klein and Jessica Moos through the warehouse and buildings of the specialist wholesaler. It was an intensive and exciting day for both the Marketing Talents and Wilhelm Klein GmbH, characterized by interesting and innovative products, creative suggestions and intensive discussions. We are looking forward to further joint projects.

Workshop on 25.01.2024 at Achenbach Buschhütten

On January 25, 2024, the Marketing Talents visited the local family business Achenbach Buschhütten GmbH & Co. KG. The owner-managed company from Buschhütten, Kreuztal was founded in 1452 and thus combines tradition with innovation and ideas for the future. Today, the company is a specialist in rolling and foil cutting technology for the production of aluminum flat rolled products of the highest quality. A major focus here is also on the automation of the various processes. The marketing talents were first warmly welcomed on site in Buschhütten by the Head of Marketing, Dr. Antonia Barten, who also gave a brief introduction to the company.

Markus Cramer, Technical Manager and Executive Director Business Unit OPTIMILL Rolling Mill Technology, then gave the students a tour of the company's production facilities and presented the various production steps and products in detail. The production tour was supplemented by short presentations by various employees about their tasks and work at Achenbach Buschhütten. After a refreshment of bread rolls and cake, the marketing talents were introduced to the company's marketing strategy and marketing measures before they were given the opportunity to complete a task on employer marketing themselves. The results were then presented to Dr. Antonia Barten, Head of Marketing, and Dr. Laura Pütz, Management Consultant, and discussed together. The presentations and the entire day were also accompanied by two other employees from the Achenbach Buschhütten marketing department, Leonie Gerbershagen and Maria Bergmann. In the presentations, the marketing talents came up with exciting ideas and creative suggestions that met with great interest on the part of Achenbach Buschhütten. Overall, the event offered great added value for both the marketing talents and Achenbach Buschhütten and will remain in the minds of all participants for a long time to come.

Workshop on 22.05.2023 at REWE

On May 22, 2023, the Marketing Talents went to the REWE Digital site at Carlswerk in Cologne together with the staff of the Chair of Marketing and Retailing. The REWE Group's well-known retail and tourism companies date back to 1927, when 17 purchasing cooperatives joined forces for the first time to organize the joint purchase of food. Under the REWE Group umbrella, REWE Markt GmbH is the second-largest food retailer in Germany with around 3,600 stores. Following the welcome address, Dr. Gerhard Wagner, a former member of the chair for many years, introduced the marketing talents in his position as Customer Journey Manager to the premises and structures, developments and future visions of REWE, before three groups developed their idea of a customer journey with regard to their touchpoints in the various purchasing phases in an initial work phase. In preparation for the workshop, the marketing talents had already gone through an exemplary purchase at any REWE store so that they could map pain and gain points as well as the course of a purchasing process based on their own experience.

After a lunch picnic in the green Carlsgarten, the first results were presented, evaluated and discussed with Mr. Wagner. The marketing talents provided input and advice as part of their assessment and experience with the retail company's various (digital) touchpoints. During the second working phase, the thematic focus was placed on the upcoming abolition of the paper brochure as a supplement and in the market. The first group dealt with possible action frameworks for the media mix and possible new touchpoints for the future communication of REWE's offers, while a second group illustrated their ideas for impulses for the promotion of the Scan & Go function. During the subsequent presentations and discussion of the results, the marketing talents gained exciting insights into the company's practice and received valuable feedback. At around 4 p.m., they returned to the Siegerland region by regional train or car with many new impressions in their luggage.

Factory tour at Vorwerk on 24.01.2023

On January 24, 2023, the marketing talents and members of the MTV were able to visit Vorwerk Elektrowerke GmbH & Co. KG in Wuppertal together with members of the MTV. The globally active company specializes in direct sales and manufactures both the Kobold vacuum cleaner and the Thermomix, the company's two best-known products, in Wuppertal. The marketing talents traveled from Siegen on a coach together with the staff of the Chair of Marketing and Retailing and first heard a short presentation on the history of the company and the development of the two main products, the Kobold and Thermomix.

Afterwards, tour guide Sebastian Arndt led the group through the various Vorwerk production halls and showed them, among other things, the manufacturing process of the Thermomix motor. This provided an exciting insight into lean production at the Wuppertal site, which consists of both fully automated machines and manual work processes. The factory tour was accompanied by Dr. Michael Kroh, Group Head of Materials Technology, who also shared exciting information about his work and the products. After around two and a half hours, the marketing talents were able to enjoy lunch together in the factory canteen before a presentation from Corporate Marketing on the company's direct sales and the special features associated with this rounded off the event in Wuppertal. With many new insights, the Marketing Talents then returned to Siegen.

Workshop on 23.11.2022 at Busch-Jaeger Elektro GmbH

On 23.11.2022, the participants of the Marketing Talents program went to Busch-Jaeger Elektro GmbH in Lüdenscheid together with the staff of the Chair of Marketing and Retailing. Founded in 1879, the company is part of ABB Ltd. and is the market leader for electrical and installation technology in Germany and is also active in 62 countries worldwide. The marketing talents were first welcomed to Lüdenscheid by the company's Managing Director, Adalbert Neumann, who presented the company's history, developments in recent years and visions for the future. Frederic Nimmermann, Head of Digital Marketing, then presented the company's product portfolio as well as the customer group and the company's external image. The task was then presented to the students. In three groups, concepts were to be developed to increase the company's brand awareness among the target group of 18-25-year-olds.

All workshop participants were then given a tour of the company's production facilities. In around 45 minutes, they were able to gain exciting insights into the daily work, the company's product diversity and the automation in production. After a refreshing lunch together, the marketing talents then worked on the assignment. The subsequent presentations were discussed with Celine Leipold, Julia Völlmecke, Isabel Döpper and Frederic Nimmermann from Busch-Jaeger's marketing department. This revealed many new ideas and suggestions that Busch-Jaeger may wish to discuss further and implement in the future. At the same time, the marketing talents were able to take many new experiences home with them and get to know the work at Busch-Jaeger. After a productive day, they returned to Siegerland at 4 pm.

Workshop at INVERS GmbH in Netphen

The winter semester 2022/2023 started for the participants of the Marketing Talents program with a workshop at INVERS GmbH. INVERS GmbH aims to offer shared mobility services as an affordable and convenient alternative to owning a vehicle and equips shared mobility operators worldwide with the appropriate technology. The company also looks back on a founding history with its origins at the University of Siegen, so that this close connection to the university could also be continued in the event. The event was held on 10.11.2022 at the company headquarters in Netphen by Nadine Fischbach and Fabian Bäumer.

The two welcomed the marketing talents in the "Coffice" with a coffee and then introduced the company INVERS. Michael Blecke and Jonah Stahl then gave an exciting insight into the work of the marketing department. In order to gain a better understanding of the shared mobility software, it was then possible to take a closer look at it during a practical demonstration at the depot. After many in-depth questions and a lively discussion, the marketing talents were presented with the questions for the workshop and formed into two groups to work on them. They were to consider whether the values and corporate culture of INVERS matched the external image and how the external image could be better adapted to the values practiced within the company. After an initial short working phase, the marketing talents were able to fortify themselves in the canteen at lunchtime.

After a second working phase, the interesting ideas and suggestions of the two groups were presented to Nadine Fischbach and Fabian Bäumer. The marketing talents were able to gain a lot of new experience and at the same time provide new input for INVERS GmbH with creative ideas. At the same time, all participants were able to gain valuable feedback from the subsequent discussions. After an interesting day with many new insights into a Siegerland-based company, the event came to an end at around 4 pm.

Marketing Talents workshop on the digitalization of retail at T-Systems

On 28.06.2022, the participants of the Marketing Talent Program went to T-Systems International GmbH together with the staff of the Chair of Marketing and Retailing. T-Systems is an international service provider for information and communication technology and a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG. The event was held at Telekom's headquarters in Bonn in a room called the Creative Space. In addition to Andreas Neundorf and Natalie Secovic from T-Systems, the workshop was also led by Hendrik Rode from T-Systems Multimedia Solutions (MMS), a subsidiary of T-Systems.

First, the workshop was opened by Mr. Neundorf and Ms. Secovic with a brief insight into the activities and portfolio of T-Systems. Hendrik Rode then reported on his work and the portfolio of MMS. In addition to the generally exciting introduction to both companies, Mr. Rode paid particular attention to the digitalization of retail, which was also chosen as the topic of the workshop. Before heading to the Telekom canteen for lunch, the three tasks for the marketing talents were presented, which were then worked on in three groups. As an introduction, the first task was to develop pain points from predetermined customer surveys and derive considerations for a customer-centric omnichannel experience. In a second step, a strategy was to be developed to become a leader in customer centricity in 2030. The sectors specified were fashion, IT and DIY.

After the processing phase, each of the three groups then presented their respective results and their different ideas. The creative ideas were presented by the marketing talents on flipcharts and then discussed with the employees of T-Systems and MMS. The marketing talents were able to gain exciting practical insights and valuable feedback, while T-Systems and MMS were able to gain creative ideas and insights from Generation Z. With new insights into the digitalization of the retail trade, it was then back to Siegen via the freeway or on the regional train.

Marketing talents at Hailo

On 17.11.2021, after the contact restrictions imposed by the pandemic, a workshop for the Marketing Talents could finally be held in person again. The Marketing Talents traveled with the staff of the Chair of Marketing and Retailing to Hailo-Werk Rudolf Loh GmbH & Co. KG in Flammersbach. The company specializes in the production of ladders and waste garbage cans for both the B2C and B2B sectors and is part of the Joachim Loh Group.

Tanja Stahl, Technical Training and Support employee, and Caroline Heins, Head of the Innovation Center, welcomed the marketing talents to the Hailo world and gave a brief introduction to the company and its portfolio. This was followed by a short tour of the company despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. The visit to Hailo was designed to be very interactive, so the marketing talents were then divided into three groups. The groups were also supported by Hailo employees from various departments. The final task was to develop a concept for a new business model. According to this, customers should have the option of not only buying certain products (e.g. oversized ladders) from Hailo, but also being able to rent them.

Over the course of the day, creative ideas were used to develop a concrete version of the potential business model from the three initial ideas. The interactive collaboration between the marketing talents and the Hailo employees, especially Tanja Stahl and Caroline Heins, was great fun for everyone involved. The event was therefore a great success for both sides.

Workshop at GAYKO Fenster-Türenwerke GmbH

The new year started for the Marketing Talents on 15.01.2020 with a workshop at the local company GAYKO in Wilnsdorf. GAYKO is one of the leading suppliers of PVC and aluminum windows and doors in Germany and thus offers the participants of the Marketing Talent program an insight into a mostly unknown industry. Mr. Klaus Gayko founded the company almost 40 years ago and has since expanded continuously, so that more than 200 employees now manufacture windows and doors every day on a production area of over 18,000 m².

Mr. Gayko himself, together with Mr. Beusker, Head of Business Development, welcomed the employees of the Chair of Marketing and Trade and the participants of the Marketing Talent Program and told them about his own career and the history of founding the company in a very entertaining and amusing way. He also spoke very honestly about the challenges of the last decades and presented the development. Afterwards, the team from Siegen went with Mr. Beusker to the security center, where windows are tested, among other things. Here, the participants were able to try breaking in through a window and smashing it themselves, which was great fun for everyone and caused astonished looks. Thanks to a patented GAYKO technique, it was only possible to defeat the security measures with the help of a trained employee. In this context, the group also learned some interesting facts about the construction of the windows. They then went to the production area and were shown the various stages of production in the huge hall. Finally, some questions were clarified and Mr. Beusker presented the question that the students were to deal with.

The results were then presented to those responsible at a follow-up meeting on 29.01.2020. Based on the information from the presentation by Mr Gayko and Mr Beusker, the students were asked to look at the changing customer journey in the window construction industry due to digitalization. The ideas of the participants were very well received, so that Mr. Beusker expressed himself very positively in a final discussion and feedback round. The event was therefore a complete success for both sides and the participants were able to gain exciting insights into an industry that will certainly remain in the back of some people's minds.

Marketing Talents as guests at Heinrich GEORG

On 29.11.2019, the participants of the Marketing Talent Program and the staff of the Chair of Marketing and Trade visited Heinrich GEORG to learn more about the mechanical engineering industry. The globally active company based in Siegen-Kreuztal can look back on over 70 years of success, with the family business now being run by the third generation. Mr. Kleb, Head of Marketing and HR, greeted everyone personally before introducing GEORG in more detail. This gave the students an insight into exactly what Heinrich GEORG GmbH manufactures, how it is set up and which markets it operates in. To round off the whole experience, the students were then taken on a tour of the factory halls. There, a local engineer explained the different machines and their special features, so that everyone was able to gain a good insight into the subject matter.

With these exciting impressions, the group from Siegen then set off on foot towards GEORG's founder's house, as their workshop task in the area of personnel marketing was waiting for them there. Mr. Kleb and another member of the marketing team explained to the students the challenge of recruiting specialists who are sent all over the world. Based on this information, the marketing talents had to develop a recruiting campaign for the relevant skilled workers, not only segmenting the target group but also proposing corresponding incentive ideas.

After the processing phase, the individual groups then presented their respective results with a wide variety of ideas. In the concluding discussion and feedback round, Mr. Kleb summed up the results and was pleased to receive some new suggestions. This brought the day to a successful conclusion for both the company and the participants. With new insights into how marketing works in a classic industrial company, the participants returned to Siegen.

Marketing Talents visit Fahrrad XXL in Frankfurt

In the early morning of 26.06.2019, the participants of the Marketing Talents program and employees of the Chair of Marketing and Retailing set off for Frankfurt to Fahrrad XXL, a company with the largest selection of bicycles in Germany in the stationary retail and online market. First on the agenda was a tour of the warehouse, where bicycles of different sizes and types not only arrive, are stored and picked, but are also assembled and dispatched. Guided by the warehouse manager, the group from the University of Siegen learned about the processes and day-to-day work in a large warehouse.

They then took the bus to the Fahrrad XXL offices, where Ms. Meiß, a member of the Fahrrad XXL human resources team, briefly introduced the participants to the online marketing team and their tasks before the actual task began. The students were to work in groups to develop a concept for the company's own brands Carver Bikes and Govital fitness equipment, paying particular attention to the holistic design of online marketing.

In subsequent final presentations, the results were presented to two representatives of the Fahrrad XXL online marketing team and discussed together, creating a win-win situation for both the company and the excursion participants. After this very sunny and hot day, we returned to the Siegerland with many new impressions.