Courses winter semester 2025/26

Planning status: July 2025 (to be updated)

Business simulation game (Bachelor course)
Lecture 2 SWS + 2 SWS exercise

Acquisition of 6 credit points, Henrik Sattler, Philip Sander

The event takes place in block form:

Introductory event: October 2025

Interim presentation: November 2025

Final presentation: January 2026

The business simulation game is a simulation in which students act as managers in a fictional market and regularly make company decisions on brand portfolio, production, pricing, advertising, sales force, and distribution. As groups are formed during the preliminary meeting, attendance is mandatory for this session, as well as for the presentation dates (full day).

Seminar Marketing "Brand Policy"  (Updated 2nd July 2025)

Topic: Challenges of Value-Oriented Brand Management 

(Winter Semester 2025/26) 

Goals and Content of the Seminar: 

Brands can be among the most valuable assets of a company. Annual rankings of brand values, such as Interbrand’s Best Global Brands, show monetary values of several hundred billion US dollars for the strongest brands. Behind this success are not only loyal consumers with high willingness to pay but also, among others, investment-minded investors and easier access to high-performing employees. 

However, brands also face significant challenges: building and maintaining brands require substantial investments, and brands must also be able to adapt to changing conditions, such as the increasing importance of sustainability, in order to remain relevant for consumers and other target groups and to compete effectively. 

 

The aim of the seminar is, against this backdrop, to develop a deep understanding of approaches and methods of value-oriented brand management. This includes examining aspects related to the development and (re-)positioning, strategic design of brands, as well as methods for measuring brand value. By applying these concepts to practical examples from various industries (e.g., retail), the complexity of brand-policy challenges will be emphasized. 

 

Depending on the specific topic, the goal of the term papers is to provide an overview of the current research status on the respective topics or to apply learned concepts and methods. This will require an analysis of current international scientific contributions. Participants may also be asked to research practical examples or conduct small-scale data collection. More details on the individual topics will be announced during the preliminary meeting on 07th of July 2025. 

 

The allocation of topics will also take place during the introductory session. Depending on the number of participants, the coursework may be completed in teams of 2–3 persons. All seminar dates will be held in person. 

 

Examples of possible topics for the term papers include: 

• Adaptation of brand positioning over time 
• Relevance of brands for personal well-being 
• Challenges in international brand management 
• Development and establishment of store brands 
• Approaches to quantifying brand value 

 

Contact person: Prof. Dr. Henrik Sattler (henrik.sattler@uni-hamburg.de) 

 

Schedule: 

• Preliminary discussion and fundamentals of academic work: Monday, 07.07.25, 6–8 PM, Room 0029 (Mo 18) 
• Basics of presentation techniques: Monday, 13.10.25, 6–8 PM, Room 0005.1 (Mo 18) 
• Submission of the term paper: Thursday, 06.11.25 by 12 PM, digital submission 
• Block seminar with presentations: Friday, 21.11.25 (4–8 PM), Saturday, 22.11.25 (9 AM – 6 PM), Sunday, 23.11.25 (9 AM – 6 PM), Room 0005.1 (Mo 18) 

Additionally, individual advising sessions will be scheduled between the submission of the paper and the presentation dates. 

 

Scope and Credits: 6 ECTS-Points 

 

Applicable Area: Seminar within the specialization “Marketing” 

 

Participation Requirements: High motivation, interest in quantitative methods, and team orientation are required (possibly group work with a maximum of 3 persons). Prior participation in the lecture “Brand Management” is strongly recommended. Attendance at all seminar dates is mandatory. 

 

Assessment Components: 

• Term paper 
• Presentation

All assessments must be passed and may be completed either individually or in teams of 2–3 persons. Both components can be submitted in either German or English.