History

The Department of Marketing was founded in 1968 as the second marketing department in the German-speaking world under the name Department for Trade and Marketing Research by Prof. Dr. Johannes Bidlingmeier. From 1974 to 2008, Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Liebmann headed the department, which was later renamed the Department for Trade, Sales and Marketing. Since January 1, 2009, the department has been headed by Prof. Dr. Thomas Foscht. At the same time, it was renamed the Department of Marketing. In 2010, the department was expanded and the first professorship in Austria with a focus on business-to-business management was added. The department now also has professorships focusing on marketing and digitalization as well as marketing and business analytics. Four people have habilitated at the department since it was founded in 1968. It is also worth mentioning that in recent years, two graduates of the Department of Marketing have made the leap as assistant professors to the internationally influential Leeds University Business School and Nanjing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics (College of Economics and Management).

The understanding of marketing as market-oriented corporate management is at the center of all research and teaching activities. Research has a strong international focus, as documented by numerous international collaborations (e.g. Imperial College London, California State East Bay, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Melbourne, Peking University) and publications. It provides the basis for research-led teaching, which prepares students for future management tasks, but also for activities in the scientific field. The department is also committed to the economy of the region, which is reflected in numerous cooperation projects with local companies.