**Where do I come from?**

From Munich to Bath in England, via Vienna to Berlin. That's the short version. To be more precise, I studied business administration at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, followed by market research and consulting in England, then a PhD in management at the University of Vienna, and now a partner at K'UP. As soon as I arrived in Vienna, I fell in love with research and method development with a focus on branding, destination image and psychology. I have been writing scientific articles and teaching at various international universities for years. I am attracted by research on social developments and the bridge between academia and practice. I am driven to work with exciting people from different backgrounds and corners of the world to come to new, relevant insights.


**What drives me?**

I believe that good strategy must be built on real knowledge. It drives me to always create new approaches, try new methods and find approaches to get real insights from them. At K'UP, I've been leading a team since 2021 that explicitly cares about these new approaches and insights. We develop new methods for research, enable more efficient and better strategy work, and connect ourselves, our partners, clients and bright minds.

My driver in this is my family, my kids and music. I've been playing in different bands for years and love to discover new things.



**What is my strategy?**

Re-thinking, critically weighing, finding the best insight.

### Vita

- Partner researcher, K'UP
- Lecturer and guest speaker at international universities
- Author and ad-hoc reviewer for top international journals
- Analyst, Zenith International Ltd, Great Britain
- PhD Management, University of Vienna
- Diploma in Business Administration, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich


### News and Publications

- Arnegger, J. ; Campbell, M., & Herz, M., (2024). Mass ecotourism, media, and wildlife experience. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 45, 100732.
- Herz, M., Diamantopoulos, A., & Riefler, P. (2023). Consumers' use of ambiguous product cues: The case of “regionality” claims. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 57(3), 1395-1422.
- Fricker, M., Herz, M., Ilbertz, T., & Rühl, A. (2023). Preis versus Moral: Wie sich das Konsumverhalten der Generation Z unterscheidet. In Stammkundenbindung versus Neukundengewinnung: Marketing und Vertrieb im Spannungsfeld von Hunting und Farming (pp. 129-147). Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden.
- Herz, M., & Krezdorn, N. (2022). Epic fail: Exploring project failure’s reasons, outcomes and indicators. Review of Managerial Science, 16(4), 1169-1193.
- Herz, M., & Krezdorn, N. (2020). The More You Know–High versus Low Experience Effects on Project Management Decisions. In Forum Markenforschung 2018 (pp. 107-122). Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden.
- Micevski, M.; Halkias, G.; Herz, M. (2019). Multiple consumer identities and the crossover effect of the EU identity in predicting domestic and foreign product preferences. Journal of Business Research
- Herz, M. & Rauschnabel, P. (2019). Understanding the Diffusion of Virtual Reality Glasses: The Role of Media, Fashion and Technology. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 138, 228-242.
- Herz, M., Arnegger, J., & Mayer, M. (2018). How Stable is Event-Related Country-Image Change?. In Forum Markenforschung 2016 (pp. 141-157). Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden
- Herz, M., & Arnegger, J. (2017). Country Image Formation, Stability and Change – A Longitudinal Assessment of the Image of Azerbaijan. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing.
- Herz, M., & Diamantopoulos, A. (2017). I Use it but Will Tell You that I Don’t: Consumers’ Country-of-Origin Cue Usage Denial. Journal of International Marketing.
- Diamantopoulos, A., Herz, M., & Koschate, N. (2017). The EU as Superordinate Brand Origin: An Entitativity Perspective. International Marketing Review.

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### Challenge
With WHU, one of the leading European business schools turned to K’UP to reposition itself in the higher education market for the future. 

### Strategy
K’UP initiated a sixteen-member brand board to revise the existing brand strategy across all faculties. Based on a deep understanding of the history of the university in Vallendar, K’UP conducted an in-depth target group analysis, extensive market research and value discussions. Thus, in the strategic planning, the product offers of the future were defined, the content-related development steps were determined and, together with the new brand positioning, transferred into a separate strategy house.

To activate the university strategy, K’UP not only developed a multi-year marketing plan, but also accompanied the entire organization in its implementation with an internal participation process. As a result, numerous internal and external communication strategies were launched, digital measures were designed and in-depth market research was conducted. Since then, WHU has been on a growth trajectory and had to expand at its second location in Düsseldorf.

**Courage and Commitment**


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WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management – Rollenbilder im Wandel der Zeit

WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management – Role models in times of change

THANKS for your interest!

Are you curious and would like to know more? I would be happy to contact you to arrange an appointment to get to know each other.

16.02.2024 VIRTUAL LUNCH WEBINAR: Herausforderungenund Chancen in der Gebrauchs- und Konsumgüterbranche