There are many application-oriented research institutions in Hamburg that can support you with your projects. IKS introduces: Dr Dennis Arholdt, Professor of Digital Marketing and E-Business at the Hamburg School of Business Administration.

According to Prof. Ahrholdt, practical application is of the utmost importance. Data treasures often remain untapped within companies. This is why he specialises in the innovative analysis of extensive data in both e-business and management. Current trends in psychological success factors (e.g. quality perception, customer enthusiasm and trust) are incorporated to provide specific recommendations. His successful textbook on practical applications, Ahrholdt, Greve & Hopf (2023), Online Marketing Intelligence, published by SpringerGabler, is already in its second edition.

Accordingly, Prof. Ahrholdt’s research focuses on:

• Identifying success factors in e-business and service management
• (Online) marketing and optimisation of e-commerce websites
• Customer satisfaction and customer loyalty analyses.

The following topics have been addressed in consulting projects for companies:

• Empirical identification of product and service success factors for customer satisfaction and loyalty at EnviTec Biogas AG.
• B2B customer satisfaction and potential analysis for municipal property management in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg by IMPF (now Sprinkenhof).
• Market and competition analysis (quantitative and qualitative media performance) of interactive and interactive outdoor advertising (LOGOPEAK).

Collaborations with companies have resulted in the following research contributions:

• Ahrholdt and Knuth (2022), ‘Consumer Fraud in Online Shopping: Detecting Risk Indicators through Data Mining’, International Journal of Electronic Commerce. International Journal of Electronic Commerce.
• Ahrholdt et al. (2021), ‘Multimedia Guides and Word-of-Mouth in Nostalgic Visitor Attractions: The Case for a German Wax Museum’. Leisure Studies.
• Ahrholdt et al. (2019), ‘Enhancing Loyalty: When Improving Consumer Satisfaction and Delight Matters’. Journal of Business Research.
• Ahrholdt et al. (2017), ‘Enhancing Service Loyalty: The Role of Delight, Satisfaction, and Service Quality”. Journal of Travel Research.
• Ahrholdt et al. (2015): ‘Assessing customers’ perceived value of the online channel of multichannel retailers: A Two-Country Assessment’. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services.

Practical projects can be designed in various ways:

• Consulting projects or contract research
• Conducting studies and analyses
• Expert discussions
• Lectures at companies
• Method and knowledge transfer through workshops
• Participation in research projects

Further information about the author and their publications can be found on the HSBA website.