Marketing & Communication Management

Under the guidance of the lecturer, the students find out about potential study destinations, research relevant data and facts about the destination country and organize the program:
The week in an international environment includes visits to companies, lectures at partner universities as well as lectures and events in the field of Social Competences.
The aim is to ensure that students acquire an understanding of the cultural main-stream of the country in question.
Discussions with specialists and executives, visits to Austrian foreign trade centers, economic and social associations round off the international and personality-building experiences of the study trip.

In this introductory course in media studies, emphasis is placed on the historical development, evolution, and impact of media. Drawing on works of media theory, the course examines both individual and mass media. The subject matter is structured around key theoretical positions of influential media scholars and encompasses academic approaches to media theory, analytical methodologies, and the critical examination of media developments. Furthermore, the course addresses the application of media-theoretical concepts within the contexts of corporate communication and marketing. The following categories are the main teaching contents:
• Media history and definitions
• Significance of technology-based media (new/digital media)
• Media theories according to Marschall McLuhan, Lev Manovich, Niklas Luhmann

The comprehensive field of communication is tackled in the course Communication Theory and prepared as a foundation for further studies. In addition to definitions of terms, the following are also used in particular
• Communication models (e.g. stimulus response, Maletzke, Lasswell formula), communication square etc.)
• Communication theories (e.g. agenda setting, gatekeeper, news factors, spiral of silence etc.)
• The book deals with the effects of communication and the ways of thinking of Luh-mann, Habermas and Watzlawick.
The theoretical preparation and subsequent exercises ensure an understanding of communication in practice.

An important part of the course is the influence of the media on social and cultural self-understanding. The interplay of sensory perception and the formation of taste plays just as central a role as technical reproducibility and the concept of representation. The reciprocal relationship between technology and media is also reflected in the context of style and sensory perception. Specific topics such as the reciprocal influence of the esthetic, material and formal composition of media or both the design and effect of media artefacts are to be developed within the framework of the course through literature studies and practical exercises by the students.

Detailed knowledge of the national and international media landscape is essential for students of the Marketing & Communications Management program. Covering topics ranging from media economics and media society to media transformation and media policy, the course Media Landscape provides a comprehensive overview of the benefits, processes, and structures of mass media. This course is closely linked to the Media Literacy course.

The course Media Literacy is the basis for students to critically examine topics that play a role in current public discourse. The aim is to create a critical autonomy in the field of media use. The students deal both with the question of the orientation of correct action and with its analysis.
The interdependencies between journalism, marketing, media and society are examined in detail.

This module focuses on selected disciplines of corporate communication. Thus, the areas of Issues Management or Communication Controlling are deepened and later find their way into a strategic communication concept.

In this course the students get an overview of the different disciplines of corporate communication. In particular the new challenges of traditional organizational structures through digital channels. Based on this, the students learn that consistent communication requires an integrated and harmonized approach in all areas of the company. The strategic conception of corporate communication processes becomes the focus of attention.

To successfully adapt to and actively shape this transformation, students acquire the skills and tools of effective media and press relations, including the use of AI-based instruments. How do journalists work, what role do social media and influencers play, how can target groups be reached with key messages, and how can content be placed in relevant media channels? In addition, students analyze the media usage behavior of different stakeholder groups and develop corresponding external and internal communication strategies. Knowledge of suitable evaluation and monitoring tools for corporate communications completes the course.

Within a given period of time, the students should academically research a question relevant to their studies and education within the framework of a Bachelor thesis. Using academic methods, the topic is to be worked on and discussed independently – this takes place in an interdisciplinary context and in the form of a theoretical examination of an academic question. The Bachelor thesis can be written with a practical reference from the internship and thus academically and practically deal with a current and tangible problem.

The course Content Creation introduces fundamental terms, theories, and concepts of content creation and content strategy. It covers basic instruments of strategic content planning as well as principles for creating and structuring digital content. Students learn core concepts of content marketing, with a particular focus on graphic and visual design as well as photo and video content for relevant channels. In addition, the course addresses basic content strategies, editorial planning, fundamental quality criteria, selected metrics, and the legal and ethical foundations of content creation.

The course provides an introduction and background to strategic brand management from a marketing and business perspective. Fundamental concepts such as brand development, brand building, brand management, the developments of a brand value are discussed theoretically and on the basis of case studies. The importance of differentiation for the brand and the subsequent brand management is also discussed. Through practical examples, the students learn how brands are built and designed.

The course Advertising Psychology focuses on aspects of consumer psychology that form the basis for understanding consumer behavior. The focus here is on theories of consumer behavior that originate, for example, from the areas of activating processes (emotion, motivation, attitude), cognitive processes (reception, processing, and storage of information), or decision behavior as an interaction. During the course, methods for researching market experience and behavior are presented and a cornerstone is laid for understanding the effects of communication measures. Stu-dents are familiarized with important terms such as motivation, image, emotion, cognition or activation within the framework of this course and develop various theoretical approaches (e.g. perception, emotion, learning or attitude theory) on the basis of concrete tasks. This provides a basis for the analysis of the practical im-plementation (e.g. color and shape effect in print advertising).
In this way, students are prepared to understand consumer behavior, to recognize connections between communication, marketing and consumer behavior, and to apply and implement these findings in practice.

The course Strategic Marketing and Marketing Planning introduces fundamental terms, theories, and concepts and further develops them through practice-oriented applications. In the online phases, students are introduced to the core concepts of marketing such as needs, desire, demand, and value proposition. By incorporating the STP model (Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning), the marketing management process is completed. To provide a solid foundation, the course also covers the marketing mix, the customer journey, social media, and the use of artificial intelligence as key elements of contemporary marketing practice. Particular emphasis is placed on designing a consistent customer experience as well as on current trends in sustainable and responsible marketing. Strategies for successful positioning, growth opportunities, and the implementation of market positioning are integrated into the overall framework, with essential tools such as SWOT analysis, portfolio models, and the Ansoff matrix explored in greater depth. An additional focus is placed on services marketing, with its specific challenges and instruments.

This course addresses the challenges companies face in creating and delivering high-quality and highly emotional services, as their consumption is often associated with certain risks. To design and provide customer-oriented and excellent services, students learn to apply concepts and methods necessary for developing marketing strategies in practice. The course highlights opportunities for differentiation of offerings, for the standardization of services, for quality improvement, and for increasing productivity. In addition, the impact of generative AI on services is illustrated.

In this course, students engage with the fundamental principles of market-oriented management as well as the effectiveness and efficiency of market-oriented business practices. They learn about the use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across different areas of a company and analyze their possible applications. The course also covers market analysis and models for brand and customer value. Additional topics include product management and pricing strategies, as well as marketing management and controlling models in various situational contexts. Furthermore, students work on practical assignments to link theoretical models with real-world business applications.

This course introduces the fundamentals of mindfulness, individual resilience, and self-care, highlighting their relevance for academic and professional contexts in marketing. Students engage in practical exercises, e.g. meditation, breathing techniques, and nature-based practices. In addition, strategies for digital wellbeing are discussed to promote a conscious and healthy lifestyle. Through reflective exercises, students explore the impact of these methods on wellbeing, concentration, creativity, and stress levels.

In this course, students become familiar with the fundamental principles and practices of product development, design, as well as marketing and the introduction of new products and services. The course covers the integration of customers into the product development process and introduces concepts and tools that support successful product development. Another focus is on the role and significance of the product lifecycle and the marketing strategies that can be applied in its various phases. Additionally, the course addresses the differences between products and services, taking into account the potential and challenges associated with the use of generative artificial intelligence

Online marketing measures are presented. From search engine marketing and e-mail marketing to marketing on one’s own and other websites. Special features of these forms of marketing are addressed as well as target group approach, costs and impact measurement.

Based on the contents of the previous semesters, which dealt with both classical and new media and communication channels of internal and external corporate communication and the underlying marketing strategies, in this course the students learn the integrative combination of the different communication measures (thus also the interweaving of monological and dialogical) in theory and through case studies.
Whereas the focus in the course Advertising and Media Planning was on classical media, the more complex dialogical media are in the foreground here.

The course in Market Research deals with the reappraisal of one’s own fundamental principles and approaches of a research process. In addition to the definition of market research, fundamental areas such as tasks, areas of application and significance are theoretically prepared. Subsequently, the comprehensive research process is treated in its individual aspects theoretically and on the basis of a project: Prob-lem definition, research design, planning and implementation (pilot studies, pre-tests, sampling, briefings), data collection; data entry and cleansing, evaluation; interpretation, final report.

In the course on research, the main aim is to familiarize students with the special features, rules and principles of academic and research work.
Students are prepared to write seminar papers independently and at an academic level. This preparation includes a focus on dealing with literature as well as discussions about the quality of academic research - especially the concepts of intellectual honesty and intersubjective comprehensibility.
Supplementary teaching content may include topics such as types of literature, types of use and citation, as well as definitions of terms, theses and hypotheses, and the derivation and limitation of topics.

Based on the fundamentals of strategic marketing planning, the students gain knowledge for the efficient and effective handling of marketing problems. This is done among other things, the organization, implementation and reflection of academic and application-oriented, comprehensive tasks in the field of marketing.

In the bachelor thesis seminar, students work on a study- and education-related research question at an academic level within a given timeframe. They systematically apply scientific methods, engage with the topic from theoretical and interdisciplinary perspectives, and critically discuss their results. The bachelor thesis may also be linked to the professional internship, allowing current and concrete problems to be examined both with academic rigor and in a practice-oriented manner.

• Supplementing the theoretical knowledge of the students with practical activities and questions of commercial law in practice.
• At least 200 working hours at an external company with full employment.
• The internship ensures that the students are able to find their way around when they start their professional life and gain confidence in the implementation of their acquired knowledge through the experience they have already gained.
• Processes, workflows and situations in the professional environment should be learned and understood.
• Support of the students during their internship: Reflection, discussion of problems and success stories.

After the basic definition of the project management functions in the context of a marketing and communication project, the students are introduced to their practical use. In particular, the tasks of the project manager and the most important project management tools and methods are discussed. The course content includes the project concept and project types as well as performance planning, resource and cost planning, project organization, IT-supported project documentation and the concluding project manual.

B2 – Independent Language Use
Express themselves on the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics in academic and business contexts and participate in technical discussions in their own field of specialization. Communicate with such a degree of fluency and spontaneity that normal conversation with native speakers is quite possible without strain for either party. Express themselves clearly and in detail on a wide range of subjects, explain a viewpoint on a topical issue, and outline the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

C1 – Advanced Language Proficiency
Understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts and recognize implicit meanings. Use the language effectively and flexibly in academic and business contexts and express themselves fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for words. Produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors, and cohesive devices.

C2 – Near-Native Proficiency
Communicate effortlessly in all language situations. Summarize information from various written and spoken sources and reconstruct arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Express themselves spontaneously, very fluently, and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.

Under the supervision of the instructors, students are systematically introduced to the new context of higher education as well as to the organizational, social, and communicative framework conditions of their studies. The following topics are addressed in particular:
- Orientation within the higher education environment and institutional structures
- Foundations of collaboration in study groups
- Fundamentals of communicative action
- Introduction to theories of team building

B2 – Independent Language Use
Express themselves on the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics in academic and business contexts and participate in technical discussions in their own field of specialization. Communicate with such a degree of fluency and spontaneity that normal conversation with native speakers is quite possible without strain for either party. Express themselves clearly and in detail on a wide range of subjects, explain a viewpoint on a topical issue, and outline the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

C1 – Advanced Language Proficiency
Understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts and recognize implicit meanings. Use the language effectively and flexibly in academic and business contexts and express themselves fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for words. Produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors, and cohesive devices.

C2 – Near-Native Proficiency
Communicate effortlessly in all language situations. Summarize information from various written and spoken sources and reconstruct arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Express themselves spontaneously, very fluently, and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.

To prepare the students optimally for problems in working life, practical tasks are worked on in groups, or field experiences are obtained under the guidance of the course instructors. The students contribute their acquired knowledge and compare it with observations and experiences in the context of the integrative case studies.
Based on a client briefing (by the course instructors or external partners such as associations and companies), the students work on the presented projects inde-pendently, only guided by the course instructors if necessary: Planning, coordina-tion, budgeting, control, evaluation and final reporting are in the hands of the stu-dents.

To prepare the students optimally for problems in working life, practical tasks are worked on in groups, or field experiences are obtained under the guidance of the course instructors. The students contribute their acquired knowledge and compare it with observations and experiences in the context of the integrative case studies.
Based on a client briefing (by the course instructors or external partners such as associations and companies), the students work on the presented projects inde-pendently, only guided by the course instructors if necessary: Planning, coordina-tion, budgeting, control, evaluation and final reporting are in the hands of the stu-dents.

The students acquire a background knowledge for the assessment of social situa-tions, which should help them in their daily work to gain a greater communicative room for maneuver. The thematic framework includes:
• Fundamentals of interpersonal communication
• Special features of teamwork
• Conflicts as social situations
• Ability to deal with conflict
• Employee leadership in conflicts

To prepare students for professional challenges in interpersonal communication, the course Leadership Techniques provides fundamental knowledge from the fields of leadership and human resource management.
Students will acquire knowledge in the following areas:
• Interrelations and dependencies between strategic corporate management and strategic human resource management
• Human resource planning, recruitment, development, release, controlling, and evaluation, as well as the various problem areas of corporate management
• Leadership understood as both management and leadership, including an introduction to different leadership styles
• Selection of typical leadership tasks / requirements and challenges of leadership
• Leadership communication, with a particular focus on communication in conflict situations

External accounting:
• Structure of the accounting system
• Fundamentals of operational accounting: Tasks, sub-areas and basic concepts
• Commercial accounting system: From inventory to opening balance sheet
• Double-entry accounting system: Posting business cases to inventory and profit and loss accounts
• Organization of bookkeeping (chart of accounts, sales tax etc.)
• Principle of period purity and accruals and deferrals
Internal accounting:
• Objectives and basic concepts of cost and revenue accounting
• Fundamentals of cost and revenue accounting: Tasks, components and subareas
• Structure of cost accounting (cost elements, cost centers, cost objects)
• Contribution margin accounting

Core topics:
• Economic thinking and marginal analysis
• Efficient allocation of scarce resources
• The market model and market equilibrium
• Macroeconomic variables (GDP, inflation, and unemployment) and their interrelationships

Selected macroeconomics issues:
• Elasticity and welfare
• Cost functions and optimal corporate production
• Price setting and market structures
• Short-term macroeconomic fluctuations: The business cycle
• Money, the ECB, and inflation
• Long-term economic growth
• International relations and trade

The introductory lecture from the legal field imparts knowledge of the Austrian legal system to the students. Basic knowledge that is relevant for business economists is taught in a way that is adapted to the course of study and implemented in a practical manner. Above all, sub-areas of private, corporate and company law are worked on. Constitution and principles, organs, functions, system of legal protection, liability provisions and contract law are only some of the terms defined, explained and discussed in the course. Students also gain an initial insight into the areas of commercial, corporate and competition law. The curriculum should also enable students to acquire knowledge about relevant areas of law for integrative case studies within the framework of this course - this includes individual areas from the areas of copyright and event law and selected areas of commercial and corporate law.

In order to provide students with in-depth and relevant legal knowledge, special areas of law for marketing specialists are selected. Examples of the individual areas would be:
• Internet law
• Copyright
• Trademark law (intellectual property law)
• Event law (including public law framework regulations)

• Overview and context analysis of the most important subareas in business administration
• Subject and principles of business administration:
• Operational functional areas
- Business decision theory
- Fundamentals of Management and Ethics
- Fundamentals of Human Resources and Organization
- Marketing Fundamentals
• Fundamentals of:
- Constitutive company decisions such as legal forms, location decisions, types of mergers and acquisitions and choice of business segment
- Functional company decisions: Materials management, production management, marketing
• Fundamentals of business value creation processes and functions (value creation architecture and structure)
• Fundamentals of market-oriented, process-oriented and strategy-oriented management

In this course, key approaches of strategic management are systematically linked with management models as well as organizational and innovation management. The focus is on the integrated analysis of strategic decision-making processes, taking into account organizational theory and management-oriented perspectives. Central questions such as the definition of long-term objectives, the selection of business fields, and measures to sustain competitiveness are jointly developed and discussed on the basis of comprehensive foundational knowledge. In addition, the subject areas of the market and competition, organization and creativity/innovation, as well as the development of business models, are covered as core course content.