Consumer’s cultural background has a significant influence on how they consume branded content, products and services. Lately, changes to Germany’s cultural landscape have made study of the “multicultural effect” relevant not only for businesses expanding globally but also for businesses operating within Germany. The Multicultural Marketing and Branding course offered in the MBA and MSc Marketing Intelligence programs trains students to understand these influences by considering the target segments’ traditions, beliefs, languages and experiences while crafting messages. Thus, improving communications with the target audience.

The course is delivered by Prof. Fernando Fastoso, who has recently taken over the University’s newly founded endowed professorship for High Class and Luxury Brands since the winter semester 20/21. A native of Uruguay, Prof. Fastoso has studied and worked both in Germany and the UK. He completed his PhD from the University of Bradford in the UK and before joining Pforzheim was as a Professor for Marketing at the Universities of York and Bradford for 15 years. In his research, Prof. Fastoso deals with questions concerning global brands and international consumer psychology.

Every lecture is divided into two parts. Given the multidimensionality and subjective nature of the topics, the students are first introduced to different frameworks and concepts that help them structure their thought process and approach. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, types of Market entry modes, consumer culture positioning and branding and different approaches to pricing the product are some of the topics covered at the beginning of the lecture. The second part of the lecture is more hands-on, in which students apply the concepts to create an international market entry strategy for a traditional German brand and foreign market of their choice. Haribo, Astra, Ritter Sport, True fruits, Hornbach, Kneipp are some the many brands that our students have chosen to work on. The final hour of the lecture is when students present their work to their colleagues and receive valuable feedback from Prof. Fastoso.
 

To learn more about the luxury topic and Prof. Fastoso´s expertise check out the links below:

https://www.swrfernsehen.de/landesschau-bw/tipps/luxus-erlaubt-zu-corona-zeiten-100.html

https://www.puls24.at/video/corona-zwingt-luxus-branche-in-die-knie/short

Text: Shvetang Pai Angle, Class of 2021
Screenshots: Shvetang Pai Angle, Class of 2021