OPUS documents https://opus.campus02.at/index/index/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:31:30 +0200 Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:31:30 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1324 N.at is a full-line mail-order and e-commerce company based in Graz, Austria. The company experiences saturation in the home market AT and expects further growth by expanding the online shopping club to CZ. The company aims to enter the market by the end of 2017, reaching a market share of 10% (5,54 Million Euro) in 2019. The break down of borders, increase of competition and customer empowerment forces SME companies with internationalisation ambitions to particularly evaluate e-market specifics: customer behaviour within the Age of You, established quasi standards, initial investments to meet standards and long-term investment to remain competitive.CZ is the most well developed e-commerce market in CEE and does not obtain any e-business specific barriers or limitations. Due to market size, country specific substitutes and competitive situation CZ is promising, but also challenging. Thus entrants shall evaluate current competitiveness in order to detect insufficiencies. Experts rated shop-attraction and selling-proposition (USP definition, branding and positioning), as well as social targeting and societing as the most important success factors for online shopping clubs. Within the internal analysis of neckermann.at sever insufficiencies in these success factors have been detected. Thus the company shall revise the social media strategy, community orientation, USP definition, positioning and branding before internationalising. The market entry mode for n.at shall be direct export, as the company requests to obtain high power level, low investment intensity and easy withdrawal possibilities. After establishing competitive USPs the company shall obtain the cost leadership strategy with added value along the process chain, to decrease transactional costs for customers and define differentiation potential to competitors. Due to centralisation concerns of the company, the distributional setup shall be built along the warehouse in Graz, which handles orders and returns, delivered to CZ with logistic partners. In communication the company shall stick to three channels max: SEA/SEO, Facebook and newsletter. The investment shall be spread onto the channels according to the sequence the company is in. Finally Slovenia, Poland and Slovakia could be additional markets to enter if CZ was successful. Anja Hiebler masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1324 Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:31:30 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1320 AVL is the world's largest independent company for the development of powertrain systems with internal combustion engines as well as instrumentation and test systems. It is a notable supplier in the automotive industry and an important research partner, nationally as well as internationally. The success of the company is driven by numerous innovations and product developments of the AVL workforce. This pioneering spirit already goes back to the founder Prof. Dr. Hans List and is today conveyed by the CEO Prof. Dr. h.c. Helmut List too. The company states corporate values - pioneering spirit, customer orientation, problem solving competence, responsibility and independence- to master daily challenges and to provide optimum solutions for customers. The AVL brand grew with the success and global expansion of the company, which entailed deficits in consistent global branding. Branding gains more and more importance among B2B companies in order to remain or become market leader, which is challenging under the current dynamic market conditions. An important key to success is the commitment to the brand by employees. Therefore, this master thesis deals with the development of a clearly stated brand identity for AVL and further the internal anchoring of brand identity values. The theoretical part, firstly, outlines definitions and fundamentals of identity based brand management in B2B and related challenges for globally operating companies. Further, a brand identity development chapter provides an overview of applicable brand identity approaches and the deduction process that is based on the brand steering wheel by Esch. Lastly, internal implementation of a target identity is covered with regard to ways of internal communication, implementation process steps, measures and the importance of the commitment by the board and executive managers of all levels. The practical part of the thesis, containing secondary and primary research, provides an overview of current market situation and actual perceptions of the AVL brand from internal and external perspective. Based on the research results and on the basis of the deduction process by Esch a target AVL brand identity is deduced. An internal implementation guideline for AVL, including recommended measures, a budget proposal and controlling measures complete the master thesis. Christina Roth masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1320 Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:26:51 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1325 “The success of a company is the sum of the successes achieved by its employees.” This is the first sentence of XAL’s career webpage and moreover, summarizes the main reason for this master thesis. This thesis investigates the challenges organizations are confronted with when addressing its target groups like highly educated employees in this case. Companies need to understand changing environment in terms of “war for talent”. The topic of employer branding is still in its early stage since many companies underestimate the importance of the appreciation of all employees. Hereby, firms need to move the focus from the customer to its own employees – only if my employees are happy, they will do a great job and as a result, the customers will be happy as well. Additionally, when doing business abroad, the cultural differences are a main part of the right employer branding strategy. This thesis provides an overview of status-quo of this important topic and creates comprehension for the employer branding employees responsible in future. Moreover, due to the importance of digital and social media, the thesis also highlights theoretical insights into employer branding 3.0 and its online appearance. An important focus of this thesis lies on the elaboration of an employer value proposition and how to become an employer of choice. This is already included into the development of an employer branding concept which is described in detail. Furthermore, this thesis deals with the essential impacts of internationalization and culture and explains how to implement tailored messages into a global employer branding concept. In the practical part of this thesis, the employer branding concept for XAL for high potentials in the UAE is analyzed and developed. The secondary research about the target group and market and the outcome of the primary market research which was done by an online questionnaire, build the main basis for the tailor-made employer branding concept for XAL. The survey offers valuable insights into the important factors of employer attractiveness, characteristics of an ideal company and the image of Austrian companies as an employer. Based on the literature and the main conclusions of the market research, the thesis provides tailored external and internal employer branding measures, specific recommendations and suggestions of implementation planning. This will help XAL to formulate a well-fitting EVP and moreover, to develop a glocal employer branding concept to become an employer of choice for high potentials in the UAE. Lisa Schöberl masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1325 Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:35:06 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1196 NXP is a globally operating semiconductor company. MIFARE is NXP‘s leading brand for contactless solutions, augmented by a service offering with MIFARE 2GO, and AppXplorer. In the transit sector, MIFARE is used in over 750 cities worldwide, serving the majority of the market. The market for fare ticketing sees disruptions and changes in customer behavior. While NXP has acted on these trends by bringing MIFARE 2GO, it has not (re)positioned it’s brand accordingly yet – at least, not purposefully. This thesis develops a variety of positioning concepts for MIFARE and presents one that will allow MIFARE to remain the leading brand for fare ticketing solutions.The first part of the master thesis focusses on the theory of international B2B marketing in high-tech markets, and that of brand repositioning and communication (of brand repositioning) in international B2B markets. In these chapters, the first followed definitions are provided, followed by the imperatives, aims, models, and strategies. The findings of this theoretical section provide the basis for the empirical implications.The secondary and primary market research follows. An in-depth market analysis is conducted and sixteen, of which eight internally at NXP, one-hour interviews are conducted and analyzed. Based on the findings from the literature in combination with the market analysis and expert interviews, five repositioning alternatives are developed, of which, via a scoring model, one is selected. The recommended repositioning alternative and concept is that of leading the market with the complete portfolio.The implementation of this repositioning alternative is done via integrated marketing communication. In the last part of this work, all the considerations, challenges, and other factors required for success – including an in-depth analysis of the communication tools – are provided. The entire communication plan is supported by event-specific activities, a proposed budget, and control measures.The entire work is further summarized in a ‘one-pager’ displaying the repositioning concept in a visually appealing way. Lastly, some further conclusions and recommendations are provided based on the completion of this work. Johannes-Martijn Schröder masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1196 Fri, 28 Nov 2025 14:12:06 +0100 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1195 Wever & Ducré BVBA was founded in Belgium in 1984 and was acquired by XAL Holding GmbH in 2011. The company’s product range focuses on indoor, outdoor, and decorative (architectural) lighting. Wever & Ducré is currently only active in the B2B lighting industry but strives to enter the B2C market in Belgium and Northern Germany by 2021. The main objective of the present master’s thesis is to elaborate an online marketing concept for the regions Belgium and Northern Germany, with the subsequent implementation of which B2C customers can be generated for a company currently only active in the B2B industry.The present thesis is divided into two main parts: Part I aims to provide a theoretical basis by defining terms, techniques, and constructs used in the course of an online marketing concept creation process. The result of the comprehensive literature research is a seven-step concept structure that serves as the starting point for part II of the elaboration. Part II of the thesis deals with the company-specific development of an online marketing concept that should contribute to achieving the predefined company objective to tap a new customer group. The starting point for the empirical concept creation is the definition of a B2C customer group: For this purpose, a mixed-method approach is used to define personas, in which both secondary and primary research are combined: A market segmentation (secondary research) was carried out for Belgium and Northern Germany. By defining knock-out and attractiveness criteria, one promising segment could be identified for each market. With the help of 10 qualitative interviews from Belgium and 5 from Northern Germany, two personas could be defined. Persona characteristics served as the basis for selecting marketing strategies.Literature sources indicate that it is not expedient to exchange online marketing strategies with each other, but that they should be used in parallel – however, prioritised in order. The following priorities were determined based on the research results, industry experience, and a cost-utility-analysis (incl. preference analysis) for weighting: SEO, content marketing, SMM, affiliate marketing, EMM. A two-year budget plan, as well as a dynamic action plan, were drawn up with the resources available. Barbara Lindschinger masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1195 Fri, 28 Nov 2025 14:05:07 +0100 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1197 This master thesis deals with the highlighting of companies as employers through targeted Employer Branding measures. The recruitment of suitable employees has changed significantly in recent years.Whereas in the past the employees were the ones who applied to an employer, nowadays entrepreneurs have to actively look for qualified employees. This requires well thought-out strategies to be perceived as an Employer of Choice in times of shortage of skilled workers and to attract the best talents.Far too often, companies view Employer Branding only from a Personnel Marketing perspective and want to sell themselves well to the external market. The real essence, however, is to live the true values within the company and to build on this foundation of values. The activities have to fit the corporate culture and the employees should feel connected to the values so that they are loyal and motivated to work in a long-term manner. The Employer Branding strategy is needed to increase the awareness and attractiveness of the employer, to convey the values of the company both internally and externally and to attract the right applicants.The theoretical part of this work forms the basis for the successful practical development of an Employer Branding concept. The core of this work is the development of the Employer Value Proposition (EVP) - the unique selling point of an employer brand. The theoretical steps for the development of the employer brand are defined in such a way that they can be applied to any company.The practical part of this thesis deals primarily with the development of an Employer Branding concept for ALDI in Italy. The elaboration of the EVP is especially directed at potential candidates for the position of Area Manager. In the context of this concept development, the image of ALDI as an employer in Italy is discussed and analyzed by means of primary research, taking into account the target group. The results of this primary research together with a preceding secondary research serve as a foundation for the defined measures which support the perception of ALDI as an Employer of Choice. Nadine Paar masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1197 Fri, 10 Oct 2025 09:48:53 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1173 This master thesis is written in cooperation with the startup studio trive from Vienna. Startup studios produce startups systematically with a core team, to gain startup equity in exchange for time, effort, and experience.In order to increase the profitability and survival rate of the startups they produce, startup studios want to standardize as many processes related to the creation of startups as possible.A crucial point in the development of a startup is to show traction for the venture after a certain period of time, which means that quantitative evidence for the success of a venture is available. If this is the case, a startup has found product-market fit. If this does not happen after 12-18 months, doubts about the success of the venture arise and it is at increased risk of failing. To avoid this, the goal of this master thesis was to develop a model that allows trive to achieve product-market fit regardless of the industry the startup is in.The work includes a detailed discussion of the term product-market fit, which indicates that a certain product satisfies the needs of a market that can be served in a profitable way. In addition, the two main components of the term were each elaborated before discussing methods of creating the "fit" between them. Startup studios can use plan-driven methods or agile methods, whereby agile methods are particularly suitable in the face of uncertainty.From the approaches described in the literature a model was then developed, which was then subjected to a review by expert interviews. Through the interviews, the model could be examined from a practical point of view, and standardizable and non-standardizable process steps could be identified. Through this, a first draft of a model for achieving product-market fit for startup studio-born startups could be elaborated. This first draft of the elaborated model comprises an iterative, customer-centric, and hypothesis-driven approach including all relevant process steps and tasks, which could meet the requirements of a startup studio by basing the model operatively on a Scrum-like procedure. Konrad Maier masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1173 Tue, 15 Jul 2025 11:37:29 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1171 The achievement and sustainable maintenance of a competitive advantage is one ofthe most important strategic objectives of companies. Especially, in the Software-as-a-Service industry where global becomes local, the internationalization of companies is indispensible in order to obtain a competitive advantage. The Intact GmbH is an Austrian based software company founded in 2001 by four friends with a shared vision to increase quality in the food safety industry. The offered software solution is a modular based Enterprise Resource Planning system with a full solution approach. Since the acquisition of its first customer outside of Europe in 2005,the Intact GmbH operates internationally.Today the company has built up a large international customer base with customers allaround the globe. Furthermore, the company focused in the recent years predominantly on a growth strategy and in 2018 sold 51% of their shares to the investment group named IMCAP GmbH. Therefore, the Intact GmbH strives to enter new markets and continue to grow its international customer base.In this respect, the master thesis aims to develop a market entry concept for Croatia and Slovenia to enter the new markets between July 2022 and May 2023. The concept serves to support the Intact GmbH in the market entry process.The main aspects of the theoretical section focus on the market entry in the Softwareas-a-Service industry for companies operating in a niche market. First, the terminology of is clarified in detail for the reader to understand the environment. Furthermore,marketing strategies for internationalization are provided with a strong focus on the digital toolset available for marketers such as lead management and Search EngineOptimization. Based on this the different modes of entry for SaaS companies are discussed and aligned with the prior theoretical input. The conclusion of the theoretical section is an overview of the market entry concept with the recommended market entrymode suitable for an Austrian software vendor entering new international markets with a strong focus on digital marketing activities.For further insights and information retrieval, secondary and primary market research is conducted in the practical section of this master thesis. Within the primary market research, fifteen experts have been interviewed with expertise in the Testing,Inspection and Certification market of Croatia, Slovenia and Austria. To gain further insights into the differences and similarities of the markets and the market view, additionally three experts from Austria have been interviewed. Lastly the conclusion, findings and results of the primary market research are combined for the development of the market entry concept for the Intact GmbH consisting the market entry mode, action plan and recommendations for digital marketing activities. The last part of this master thesis provides further recommendations of action for the Intact GmbH on the adaption of the SaaS marketing mix. Lisa Marie Orlitsch masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1171 Tue, 15 Jul 2025 11:34:45 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1172 With the increasing importance of social media in all areas of our lives, companies are forced to take on this challenge. Not only in order to maintain their presence on social media and to provide customers with information on products but also in the human resources sector it is necessary to think digitally. This thesis aims to find out what a suitable job advertisement for the various platforms should look like and which factors play a relevant role. This master’s thesis with the title “Influencing factors for successful social recruiting in the pharma industry in Austria, Germany, and Italy using Institut AllergoSan as an example” is composed of a theoretical and an empirical part.The theoretical part is based on the main topics of social media and recruiting. After a definition and delimitation of the term, the most important social media forms are presented and examined in detail. The focus is primarily on the different perspectives of the individual user and the company. To conclude the theoretical part, the connection, and importance of social media and recruiting are summarized according to literature around the topic. This content serves as the basis for the subsequent empirical research. In order to conduct research on this topic in an effective way, guideline-based expert interviews were conducted, recorded, and subsequently analyzed. The content oft he research is therefore discussions about job advertisements on the various socialmedia platforms in the different markets (Austria, Germany, Italy), which should provide information about successful social recruiting. These results help to answer the research questions and to make recommendations for the company InstitutAllergoSan regarding implementing social recruiting successfully.The goal is to create a comprehensive concept for the company. The concept includes detailed instructions on how to implement social recruiting in the company as well as a time and budget plan. The discussion further provides a good overview of the common ality of literature and expert interviews as well as an outlook on furthersocial recruiting opportunities. Tatjana Fasch masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1172 Tue, 15 Jul 2025 11:31:45 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1167 The competition in the food market is becoming increasingly intense, not only interms of market distribution and customers, but also in terms of labor. Workforce ismore demanding than in the past, as there is a broad offer at the labor market forthem. In addition, people nowadays are well informed about their opportunities,which leads to the fact that the choice for an employer is made consciously andincreasingly critical. Due to these reasons, organizations are forced to rethink theirpositions as employers and adapt all activities of human resource management tobe perceived as an attractive employer, who provides a desirable working place.When looking at this challenge from a marketing perspective, the appropriateapproach to deal with this topic is employer branding. This discipline connectshuman resource management and marketing, focusing on the positioning of theemployer. Concerned activities therefore are the positioning itself and afterwardsthe right communication of all defined aspects of the employer brand.The country organization of grocery retailer SPAR in Slovenia is increasinglyaddressing this topic and perceiving it more and more as a challenge that they musttake on. Due to this reason, they plan to implement an employer branding concept,that especially focuses on the initial steps of employer branding activities, followedby concrete first measures as an attractive employer.The theoretical part of this thesis builds the basis and highlights employer brandingitself, characteristics of the market and finally describes how a concept can bedeveloped, in a company that has no experience in this topic.Whereas in the practical part, the concept development for SPAR Slovenia is carriedout very detailed, after a comprehensive situation analysis. This situation analysisis fundamental for the conception and includes an empirical study as well as amarket analysis of Slovenia, concerning different aspects. The concept development itself has a step-by-step structure, starting with the analysis, followed with the positioning and ending with the operational planning for the measures at the Slovenian market.Finally, the thesis is concluded with personal recommendations for the company,based on the knowledge gained from the theoretical part associated with the findings from the analysis. These recommendations include the main aspects that employees wish from an employer, for example activities to support relationships between people at the working space or the introduction of a discount system for employees in the organization. Viktoria Hirtl masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1167 Tue, 15 Jul 2025 11:22:29 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1153 The information demands of external stakeholders of organizations concerning compliance management increased within the last years. Effective communication about implemented compliance processes has the potential to increase or maintain a positive image and a good reputation of a corporation. The aim of this master thesis is to develop an external compliance communication concept for Energie Steiermark AG, based in Austria, including recommendations for action for the implementation of the communication concept in the subsidiary STEFE SK which is located in Slovakia. For this purpose, a thorough analysis of existing literature about compliance management, external compliance communication, and the legal framework of compliance management and non-financial reporting of Austria and Slovakia has been conducted to identify the planning steps that have to be considered in the development of an external compliance communication concept. Based on the findings of the literature review, a theoretically valid external compliance communication concept has been crafted. Furthermore, a primary and secondary market research based on a qualitative approach have been conducted to investigate the current state of external compliance communication of stock-listed Austrian organizations with subsidiaries in Slovakia or other Central and Eastern European Countries. In the practical section of this master thesis, the external compliance communication concept for Energie Steiermark has been developed based on the findings of the literature review and the findings of the market research. The communication concept involves the following planning phases: situation analysis, communication objectives, target group segmentation, communication strategy, positioning, communication tactics and controlling. The last chapter provides recommendations for action for the implementation of the concept in the Slovakian subsidiary. Philipp Greiner masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1153 Mon, 30 Jun 2025 14:13:55 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1139 Nowadays, companies are facing an increasingly competitive landscape forrecruiting and retaining talented employees. Workforce demographics paired withage- and value-diverse workplaces make effective talent management a competitive necessity. Consequently, the establishment of an employer brand positioning has become a critical success factor for the continued existence of a company and to increase the attractiveness as an employer to achieve the ultimate aim of becoming an employer of choice.The present master thesis deals with the development of an employer branding positioning concept to attract blue-collar workers and apprentices in the packaging industry. The outcomes of the thesis are supposed to provide Mondi’s two production plants, located in Zeltweg, Styria, with a positioning concept as well as corresponding measures to increase the number of applicants and to properly fill vacancies. Furthermore, the objective to increase the brand awareness among the targeted groups is followed and it is aimed at achieving a clearly defined positioning of the company within the regional employment market.The thesis is divided into three major sections, namely introduction, theoretical part and practical part. Within the introduction section the initial situation is investigated,followed by an examination of the company objectives and the definition of the master thesis objective. Thereafter, a framework defining relevant theories and the structure of the work is provided. The theoretical part provides an introduction to the topic employer choice followed by exploring the challenges of addressing the two targeted groups before examining the principles of employer branding. The final partof the theory covers the process of developing an employer branding positioning concept, which is used as a base for Mondi’ positioning strategy. The practical part of the present thesis is devoted to a detailed internal and external analyses. The former investigates the strengths and weaknesses of the firm as an employer andexamines current employer branding measures, whereas the later not only investigates the company’s environment but also ascertains the needs and demands of the target groups towards an employer as well as their behavior during the employer choice process. The research results are then consolidated in the developed positioning concept and the corresponding measures which serve as an orientation guide for Mondi in order to become an employer choice in the long run. Katharina Sorger masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1139 Mon, 30 Jun 2025 13:56:01 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1137 Nowadays, companies find themselves in a rapidly changing environment. Especially the emergence of e-commerce has changed businesses significantly. While retailers have started to take advantage of those developments, also consumers have adapted their shopping behaviour. They want to benefit from the advantages of e-commerce. However, they still do not want to miss the social aspects and entertainment of shopping. Customer experience therefore became an im-portant topic in e-business. With online customer journey management, companies try to find the right set of communication touchpoints including an appropriate content strategy for each of them. This set is then put into customer communication journey maps, which build the base for a holistic communication strategy. The elaboration of such communication journey maps is also highly relevant for the online retailer TOPPERZ. For this reason, the main objective of this master thesis is to elaborate customer communication journey maps for the e-commerce company. The theoretical part of the thesis is based on literature research and focuses on e-commerce in the B2C fashion industry including relevant trends for communication purposes. Furthermore, online customer ex-perience management and online consumer behaviour are discussed. The focus of the theoretical section is put on customer journey management. This includes the definition of customer journeys and the presentation of three relevant customer journey models. Furthermore, criteria for the selection of the most appropriate model are given, followed by the introduction of possible touchpoints within the digital communication journey. Also, supporting tools for customer journey management as well as its limitations are outlined. Finally, a process for the elaboration of customer communication journey maps is presented. The practical part of the thesis consists of a company presentation and the analysis of its external and internal environment based on secondary research. The primary research mainly aims at the identification of TOPPERZ’ potential customers’ shopping behaviour, channel preferences and related content preferences. Based on the results of the research, customer communication journey maps were elaborated for the company’s two most relevant user personas. Sophie Oppacher masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1137 Mon, 30 Jun 2025 13:50:15 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1057 This master thesis deals with the development of an international employerbranding concept for Generation Z as well as external communication measures inorder to increase the attractiveness of ARIAN among Austrians and Slovenes andto fulfil their personnel requirement regarding apprentices in the printing area.Furthermore, this thesis aims to make sure that ARIAN is known by relevant educational institutions in order to already reach Generation Z during their compulsory education.The first chapter concentrates on the topic international employer branding and starts with common definitions of employer branding, the interrelation of the corporate brand and employer brand as well as objectives of employer branding. Topics such as the different levels of attractiveness, challenges in international employer branding and generational differences provide a framework for the subsequent employer brand positioning concept. The basis for the employer branding positioning concept forms the analysis of the internal and external influencing factors, the employer brand identity, the objectives of the employer brand positioning and the requirement profile for the EVP. After the definition and selection of an EVP alternative, a suitable slogan can be defined, and the EVP can be implemented with external communication measures. The communication measures depend on the communication objectives and the respective targetgroup. Within the communication channels, different ways to reach Generation Zare presented. Furthermore, a distinction between the recurring measures of abasic programme and campaigns with a special focus is made. Moreover, the most important aspects of a communication plan as well as different methods for choosing a communication budget are described. Finally, the importance of EB controlling as well as suitable strategic and operative KPIs are shown.At the beginning of the practical part, an analysis of the initial situation as well as aquantitative market research with pupils in Austria and Slovenia was conducted in order to get representative knowledge about the expectations of Generation Z regarding their first employer. In consideration of the consequential implications,an employer brand positioning concept for ARIAN was developed and recommendations for the external communication as well as the EB controlling are given. Kerstin Wagner masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1057 Wed, 18 Jun 2025 14:20:14 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1081 RETTER Sports is a Graz-based travel agency specialized in selling active andadventure vacations. The travel agency on Conrad-von-Hötzendorf-Straße hasbeen existing since 2002 and was not only renamed during a complete restructuringin 2021, but also expanded to include additional types of sports and thus, new targetgroups. This undertaking is a challenge, because it is necessary to reposition thecompany and establish the new brand RETTER Sports in the niche of active andadventure travel. In order to achieve this goal, a strategic and target group-orientedcommunication is required, that reaches the target group exactly then, when theyare looking for vacation inspiration. One communication tool that has become as animportant platform for travel content in recent years is social media. Hence, this thesis focuses on the development of a social media communication concept to increase the brand awareness of RETTER Sports in the active and adventure travel niche.The first part of this thesis provides a theoretical basis. After giving insight into the niche and the target group, theoretical definitions of social media platforms, their interaction with tourism, social media marketing, as well as opportunities and risks for companies are presented. Subsequently, the concept of brand awareness is discussed in more detail. The theoretical part of this thesis concludes with a chapter on the development of communication concepts, which includes the strategic and operational content of the concept as well as areas of application.The second, practical part opens with an analysis of the RETTER Sports company, which not only evaluates its current social media presence, but also takes a closer look at its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and current challenges. The primary study shows that the target group has a strong preference towards active and adventure vacations, but also harbors prejudices against travel agencies, which the company must counteract through the right communication in order to achieve sustainable brand awareness. After developing the strategy for the concept, further measures, content and budget planning as well as key figures for controlling are proposed. The concluding chapter provides recommendations for the company. Sophia Edler-Retter masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1081 Wed, 18 Jun 2025 13:22:46 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1080 Saturated markets, especially in the food industry with a large number of competitorsand big players make it a highly competitive environment, particularly for start-ups. In order to be able to settle within the market and gain strength, it is necessary to have a unique selling proposition and competitive advantages to differentiate. Ingredient Branding offers this kind of advantage and is defined as the targeted marketing of aparticular component/ingredient of an end product. The aim of this thesis is to provide a guideline for the food start-up Spirulix to use ingredient branding to their advantage together with the already existing branding strategy. It should therefore identify success factors, possible risks, and general effects of the concept on the brand image. To answer the research questions qualitative research was carried out, interviewing food start-ups already using ingredient branding as a strategy. In total eleven interviews have been conducted with persons in charge of ingredient branding resulting in the position of either head of marketing, CEO, or founder. The research results revealed the following success factors: choice of partners, quality, competitive advantages, communication, and brand orientation. Furthermore, the risks for the ingredient brand described in the literature have been confirmed throughout the interviews, namely loss of control and negative spillover effects. Anyways, theinterviews could not prove the effects on the brand, as nearly no start-up made a market research or panel survey due to low budgets and a lack in personnel resources. In summary the literature research and the interviews point out the potential of ingredient branding for food start-ups and highlighted the positive impact it offers for start-ups in a highly competitive market. Annika Donner masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1080 Wed, 18 Jun 2025 13:19:24 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1082 SMEs are the backbone of the Austrian economy, and most startups are SMEs. The European Commission strives to support SMEs to establish and do business cross-borders since it generates a direct impact on the GDP, value chain, and economic growth. Likewise, important Austrian players in the business ecosystem, such as the Science Park Graz, endeavor with the shared goal of supporting the national companies to grow and thrive. However, the SPG does not have a defined model for supporting the incubated startups to grow into foreign markets, which justifies this master’s thesis objective: to develop a model for a high-technology incubator company to adopt and provide consulting services to startups aiming to do business abroad. First, is executed intense theoretical research to obtain a literature basis and to de-velop a theoretical service design model based on the key factors raised. Second, the theoretical model proposed and the key factors found are utilized as guides to the practical research, in which 14 semi-structured individual interviews were real-ised. The information requirement was to analyse the needs of Austrian startups growing cross-borders that could be addressed by the SPG’s service model, and this outcome is reached through the qualitative research, in addition to understand-ing the services provided by each one of the four main institutions in Austrian eco-system, along the international market development process studied. In conclusion, the service design model proposed is appropriate and covers the main facts that emerged from literature research and the needs of startups inter-viewed. Moreover, it is emphasised the proposal that SPG should be positioning itself as the expert in startups development, supporting the incubated startups to find and validate product-market fit into foreign markets. Besides this, it is recom-mended to invest in the internal and external network, to be able to provide services related to Legal, Talent hiring, and lessons learned from Austrian startups doing business abroad. Nayara Fernanda Silva Custódio masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1082 Tue, 17 Jun 2025 16:33:59 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1138 The Austrian company B&R Industrial Automation GmbH, which is internationally doing business in the industrial goods sector, faces the problem that lead generation and qualification do not follow a strategically predefined process. In order to solve this challenge, an internationally integrated mar-keting communications concept for improving qualified lead generation was created within the framework of this master thesis. Firstly, an extensive literature review was conducted, focussing on gathering state-of-the-art information about the theme areas connected to that overall topic. Complementing the findings and insights from the current literature status quo, the implementation by comparable companies in reality was reviewed by conducting expert interviews in terms of the field research. With experienced employees from the marketing department in international industrial goods companies being the target group, insights indicated that integrated omnichannel communications and optimized lead management are considered to very different degrees in the sector. Ranging from best case companies to late developer firms, the sector is still rather conservative, which underlines the relevance of this topic for generating competitive advantages on the market. Based on the findings, the concept was then developed. Starting off with a secondary analysis of the marketing communications channels of B&R and three main competitors, improving the qualification of generated leads was defined as the main goal. With the target groups being clustered by subsector and position in the buying centre, campaigning as the central strategy for the channel deployment was selected. As research indicated the importance of trade fairs, the approach is putting these events in the centre of the campaign arrangement. By intensifying the usage of already existing channels as well as introducing new instruments and measures, all being aligned and coordinated through the integrated omnichannel approach, existing potential may be exploited profoundly. Against this backdrop, marketing automation builds the connection between communications and lead management. Additionally, a mixture of lead grading and scoring was planned in order to track the position of the generated leads in the funnel and highlight the perfect handover point. With KPIs being defined for each channel and measure specifically, comprehensive success monitoring was established. In the first phase, the concept focusses on the main fairs for B&R throughout the year due to the time horizon for adop-tion and set up of alterations, but after an amortisation phase, the concept may be implemented full-scale and for each international fair. David Reichhartinger masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1138 Tue, 17 Jun 2025 16:16:34 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1078 Appropriately addressing qualified graduates and young professionals of Generation Z and retaining them is a vital competitive advantage of personnel intensive organizations. Due to demographic change and the declining attractiveness of the financial sector, it is becoming increasingly difficult for financial institutions to attract these urgently needed young professionals. This thesis therefore addresses the composition of an employer branding concept for Steiermärkische Bank und Sparkassen AG. The concept focuses in particular on social media communication for Generation Z. The theory part discusses the generations, with a special focus on external employer branding communication for Generation Z. This is followed by a presentation of social media employer branding communication for Generation Z, and a discussion of the general fundamentals of an employer branding concept. Various arguments for a digitally based social media employer branding concept for Generation Z are outlined. In addition, Generation Z is specifically addressed as workforce in the banking sector. In the practical part, social media communication measures of Steiermärkische Bank und Sparkassen AG are analyzed. Moreover, a primary scientific study delivered valuable insights into the employer preferences, the perception, as well as the communication behavior of Generation Z. The findings from literature and the individual analyses have formed the basis for a unified communication concept. Besides concrete measures, the concept also contains recommendations for implementation and monitoring. Ultimately, the concept is intended to support Steiermärkische Bank und Sparkassen AG in presenting itself as an attractive employer for Generation Z on social media. Sabrina Pospichal masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1078 Wed, 30 Apr 2025 14:42:12 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1056 This master’s thesis deals with the development of a social media marketing concept for Vossen in order to increase Vossen’s brand awareness and online-turnover in the United Kingdom. The first chapter describes the characteristics of the home-textile industry by giving insights into the market size and trends.Afterwards, the customer journey is at the centre of the focus. Within this chapter,the term is defined, several customer journey models are presented, and theprocess of customer journey mapping is described. Subsequently, social media marketing is explained in detail. The chapter starts with the definition of social media and social media marketing, provides an overview of the most important objectives that can be achieved with social media marketing and clarifies the importance of content marketing within social media. Afterwards, the different kinds of social media channels such as social networks, media sharing platforms and blogs are explained, and channel selection criteria are presented. The chapter also provides a few insights into social media marketing in the UK and highlights the role of social media within the customer journey. Finally, the challenges and limitations and the controlling of social media activities conclude this chapter.The final chapter within the theoretical part of this thesis is the basis for the socialmedia marketing concept. It explains the most important elements of the analysisof the initial situation, deepens the understanding of social media objectives andexplains the analysis of the target group. Based on this knowledge, strategicdecisions are made, and the action plan is created. The required budget iscalculated based on the measures defined in the action plan and finally, controllingmeasures are implemented to control the success of the company’s social mediaactivities. The practical part starts with the analysis of the initial situation and a qualitative research where the author conducted interviews with 15 experts. Based on these insights and the author’s theoretical knowledge, the social media marketingconcept for Vossen was created. Christoph Haiderer masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1056 Fri, 25 Apr 2025 09:06:52 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/960 The world is constantly changing. Companies are forced to be innovative in order to keep up with this continuous evolution and to satisfy customers. AVL List GmbH recognized their customer’s needs and developed a radical innovation. The core business of the company, which operates within the B2B automotive industry, are engine test beds. In order to support the sales of those test beds, AVL invented AVL VR Technology™. It is a radical innovation which allows former 2D plans of a product to be shown in a virtual world. However, the technology as well as the related process is new to this market. Thus, the company does not know how much the customers are willing to pay for the added value of virtual reality. From AVL’s point of view, the project should at least finance itself. Therefore, the aim of the master thesis is the assessment of the customers’ willingness to pay for AVL VR Technology™. This process involves several steps including the measurement of preferences. The result is a customer value map. It depicts the offers of the three main competitors, as well as AVL’s own offer with and without AVL VR Technology™. By means of this map it is possible to identify how much more the customers are willing to pay for the added value of virtual reality. The results of the customer survey indicate a relative quality difference of around 10 percent to the benefit of AVL VR Technology™. Thus, customers perceive a better quality due to the added value of virtual reality. This has an impact on the pricing as well. By means of customer value map it is clearly recognizable that the customers’ willingness to pay for the offer with AVL VR Technology™ increases around 30 percent compared to AVL’s basic offer. Based on those results, three possible price options are determined and discussed. Due to the recommended price structure the company goals can be achieved, and are compliant with the price framework. Furthermore, it is suggested to monitor the three stated KPIs in order to observe the success of AVL VR Technology™ closely. Katharina Lastin masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/960 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 15:32:36 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/958 In times of shortages of qualified and skilled employees, companies are required to position themselves attractively on the labour market in order to address relevant talents. Especially, when it comes to technical key positions, companies are experiencing a major challenge. The eagerness of today’s employees to build resumes and their confidence in their abilities lead to the situation of having applicants choosing their employer instead of vice versa. The increasing level of competition among companies results in the necessity of branding not only the company and its products and services but also the firm as an employer. Energie Steiermark AG is among Austria’s biggest energy and service suppliers and finds itself right in the middle of the war for talents. Hence, the business decided to set a focus on the elaboration of an employer brand and the attractive positioning of the company on the labour market. In order to do so, Energie Steiermark AG needs an employer branding concept with a clearly defined employer value proposition. Hence, the objectives of this thesis are to develop an employer branding concept for Energie Steiermark AG and to recommend target-group oriented measures. The first part of this thesis provides the theoretical base for the development of an employer branding concept and discusses relevant terms, different models and strategies. In order to develop an employer branding concept addressing the company’s proposed target group, a quantitative online questionnaire was conducted. It was aimed to investigate in the target groups expectations regarding employer attributes as well as their preferred channels for information-seeking activities. Within the practical section, the focus was set on the development of the employer branding concept for Energie Steiermark AG. Relevant recommendations for action and measures to strengthen their position as a preferred employer are proposed. Hence, strategic, internal and external measures are provided in order to increase the number of qualitative and initiative applications. The results lead to the assumption that Energie Steiermark AG satisfies all relevant desires of its target group concerning employer attributes and is therefore, situated well for the elaboration of an attractive employer brand. Vanessa Groß masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/958 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 15:30:09 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/962 Contentpepper was founded in 2013 in Germany. Initially, it was dedicated to the digital transformation of publishing houses; however, their focus changed in 2016 when they developed the Contentpepper software as a multi-channel publishing platform. This software evolved into a digital experience platform, and currently, Contentpepper is implementing a Software as a Service (SaaS) realization of this application. Until now, Contentpepper has been operating exclusively in German-speaking countries, but now they are looking to expand their market. This master thesis presents the first steps for Contentpepper’s entry into the English-speaking market by elaborating a market entry concept for the United Kingdom (UK), planned for 2021. This thesis is divided into two parts: theoretical fundamentals and their practical application. The first part offers a theoretical basis for the internationalization of a business-to-business (B2B) service company, the main characteristics of the SaaS industry, and the different elements that build a market entry concept. This last part includes the theoretical context for the internal and external analysis, selection of the market entry mode, and international marketing strategy. The practical part represents an empirical application based on the outcome of the theoretical part, a primary market research and a detailed market entry concept, with a focus on the promotion strategy. The market research is of qualitative nature; fifteen interviews were conducted to understand the British SaaS industry and to gain insights from experts and professionals of this industry about how to enter this market. The information obtained from this research, in combination with an analysis of the industry, the firm and its capabilities, build the basis for the development of the market entry concept. The practical application includes a detailed selection process for the market entry mode, recommended actions for entering the market, a promotion strategy and a full action plan from December 2020 to December 2021. Additionally, this thesis presents a budget for the described market entry, and recommendations to control the process and to measure the success of the market entry. Myriam López Navas masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/962 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 15:21:41 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/956 The present Master Thesis deals with the development of a brand identity concept and a guideline for the external brand identity implementation for the market-leading telecommunication company Commend International GmbH, based in Salzburg, Austria. The aim of the company is to get a clearly stated brand identity based on the perception of the strongest corporate markets Austria, Germany and United Kingdom. A sub goal is to anchor this brand identity in the minds of existing and new customers. The aim of the Master Thesis is to develop this brand identity as well as an external implementation guideline. The present work is divided into three segments. The first segment presents the initial situation, the problems and challenges, the goals and the literary frame of reference of the work. The second segment is the theoretical background of the work. It provides the basis for the third, practical part and focuses on brand management, brand identity and external communication. Here, the terminology is defined, the high-tech sector is presented, and the effects and challenges of international identity-based brand management are presented. The third chapter deals with the presentation of relevant brand identity approaches, the critical comparison of these and the decision for the most suitable concept for the further course of the present work. External communications and brand controlling are presented and discussed in the last chapters of the theoretical part. After a detailed analysis of the global intercom market and the initial situation, the conducted market research is presented in the practical section. Taking the re-search results into account, an identity-based brand steering wheel was developed in a joint workshop with the company management and the author of the present work. The way in which this developed brand identity can be implemented and controlled across selected communication channels, is finally presented in the external communication guideline as practical recommendations for Commend International’s management. Martin Buchegger masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/956 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 15:19:21 +0200 https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/957 Today’s fashion e-commerce is becoming increasingly challenging, due to online pure players and international fashion brands that dominate the market. This situation is further intensified by the changing consumer behavior, as fashion customers interact with brands through myriad touchpoints and demand an individual address. Therefore, it is not sufficient anymore to distinguish from competition through quality or price – a greater differentiator is needed nowadays. Customer experience management is seen as the future key to customers, as the approach’s aim is it to provide emotional and personalized shopping experiences at single touchpoints and throughout the entire customer journey.To obtain a comprehensive knowledge of how to create holistic online customer experiences in online fashion retail, insights into the market’s specific characteristics and future developments are given first. After investigating the online fashion consumer behavior, the online customer experience construct is presented. This includes various dimensions by which experiences can be created, as well as digital touchpoint and journey analysis. Based on this input, the theoretical part cumulates in an online customer experience concept for international fashion retailers. In the practical part, this concept is applied on the example of HUMANIC. The Austrian footwear retailer is lacking knowledge about how to create seamless online customer experiences in its target markets Austria and Czech Republic. Therefore, a qualitative market research was conducted. The interviews with Austrian and Czech online customers disclosed the critical experience requirements towards the digital touchpoints and revealed the homogeneity of both markets. Based on these findings, the elaboration of HUMANIC’s concept was possible, which is tailored to the persona-specific requirements. Although theory presented numerous experience creating factors, both cultures can be addressed best with sensory and affective factors, such as multisensory and emotionalized inspirations. Moreover, HUMANIC online customers seem to be highly utilitarian driven. Convenience and the ease of use throughout the entire shopping journey is the key and is therefore a crucial prerequisite for increased experiences. Based on these insights, measures of how to optimize the brand’s digital touchpoints are derived, by which a personaspecific addressing is fostered. This elaborated online customer experience concept makes an essential contribution to the creation of holistic and customer-centered online customer experiences with the brand HUMANIC – the key to customers in this highly competitive market environment. Birgit Fürnschuß masterthesis https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/index/index/docId/957 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 14:51:10 +0200