From TikTok to chat forums
Working in teams, the students not only analyzed the information behavior of high school students and conducted interviews with them, but also used consumer research methods and the design thinking approach to develop sound marketing strategies for addressing prospective students. The ideas ranged from a podcast for students to a TikTok strategy, a mobile “marketing on wheels” concept, a chat forum for study counseling, and a StudyFinder test.
"I was thrilled to see how intensively the students engaged with the target group and, based on the insights they gained, developed initial abstract ideas and, over the course of the semester, worked out concrete solutions for university marketing. Such projects are particularly valuable because they not only show how relevant consumer psychology is in practice, but also how versatile it can be," summarizes Sandra Zscharnack, lecturer for the module.
From kick-off to final pitch in nine weeks
At the start of the project at the beginning of the semester, Julia Liebhardt, Head of Marketing and Communications at HNU, introduced the students to the central issues and framework conditions of the challenge.
The final presentation on May 24, 2025 marked the culmination of the project. The students presented their concepts in 15-minute pitches to their lecturers Prof. Dr. Michaela Eßbach and Sandra Zscharnack, as well as Lara Leicher, Deputy Head of Marketing & Communications and Social Media Manager at HNU. "The ideas are full of potential! I was particularly impressed by the diversity of the concepts – from analog to digital. That's exactly what we need to reach young people," reports Lara Leicher.
HNU places great emphasis on practical orientation
Projects with practical partners such as this one underscore the high value placed on application-oriented teaching at HNU – some of the ideas developed will be incorporated into university communications in the future.
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