Fachhochschule des bfi Wien GmbH

International Marketing Week Vienna - Blended Intensive Programme (BIP)

The International Marketing Week Vienna is an interdisciplinary project in which students work in international teams to develop a marketing strategy for a real business case.

Students and lecturers of the International Marketing Week at the FH des BFI Wien

Objectives

The International Marketing Week is a transcultural and interdisciplinary project in which students from all over Europe work together on a on a practical assignment. Students learn how to use sponsorship as part of the marketing mix, emphasizing the importance of value proposition, value orientation and authentic targeting. The project has the following objectives: • To acquire marketing know-how • To provide theoretical knowledge with direct practical application • To deal with concrete specifications in a real-world order situation • To promote intercultural competence • To learn team building and cooperation in diverse teams • To experience team collaboration in virtual and real environments • To encourage creativity and innovation • To build a network at European level • To develop leadership and team skills

Background

The International Marketing Week has been organised by the FH BFI Vienna as part of an international university network since 2010. 10 partner universities in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Spain, England, Latvia and the Netherlands are part of a network that has been in existence for more than 20 years. From the very beginning, this network focused on the organisation of short-term mobilities. In a Memorandum of Understanding, each partner in the network undertook to organise a one-week programme focusing on marketing. 700 students and around 50 teachers participate in a mobility each year. The transition to the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme format and the introduction of the virtual component led to a revision of the programme, an extension of the contact time between students and teachers, and thus also to an increase in quality and a further increase in the number of mobilities. An evaluation by students takes place at the end of the marketing week. Annual coordination meetings of the network help to clarify the organisational framework and initiate necessary changes. In 2023, the network received the David Gillingham Award from the Network of International Business Schools (nibs) for outstanding projects. UAS BFI Vienna students can get a course from their curriculum recognised for participation in the International Marketing Week. Options are communicated at the beginning of the registration process and apply to students attending an International Marketing Week at a partner university as well as to UAS students attending the International Marketing Week as part of Internationalisation at Home activities at the UAS BFI. All participants receive a Transcript of Records. In 2025, 48 students from six European countries from nine different universities, nine accompanying persons and four lecturers from the University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna took part in the programme. This BIP focuses on intercultural marketing and communication skills and shows how online and face-to-face teaching can be combined in a goal-oriented joint approach. Collaborative partnerships are also a key component of the programme. The integration of the accompanying lecturers, all from the field of marketing, expands the expertise in technical and intercultural aspects and thus the support for the students. Collaboration with the project client ensures that the tasks are realistic and allow students to gain practical experience. This close collaboration not only improves the quality of knowledge transfer, but also the network of organisations and individuals involved. The project is organised annually and the number of particiatping students and lecutrers has risen significantly over last years.

(Implemented) Activities

The International Marketing Week consists of an online phase and an on-site phase. The online phase consists of several meetings via Zoom and is initially used for orientation and group assignment. During this phase, the teams must complete and present their first group work in the form of a case study. The content of the case study is tailored to the project that will be commissioned by the client and is designed to prepare the students for the on-site project. This extensive preparation also serves to ensure a common level of knowledge. All lecturers from the BFI UAS and partner institutions participating in the Marketing Week also take part in a virtual lecturers-only meeting to discuss learning objectives and ensure good integration. The on-site phase begins with activities to promote social interaction and team building. A joint soccer match - in line with the sporting context of the case study - and a city tour organized and accompanied by Viennese students are suitable for deepening the exchange and getting to know each other. The practical work phases begin with a presentation of the task by the client. The task is then worked on in teams in structured work units before the results are presented to the client. Intensive coaching by faculty and supervisors ensures the high quality of the work. In addition, the involvement of the project client increases the relevance and motivation of the students. The best group result is determined based on a clearly defined set of criteria and awarded accordingly. The international composition of the teams ensures that different perspectives are included and that students can learn from each other, highlighting the importance of fully understanding target groups and responding to different realities when designing services. The results of the projects are not only presented on site, but also evaluated in a professional setting. The feedback from the jury, which includes the client of the project, contributes to the further development of the work and offers the students valuable insights into professional practice. These experiences and results are reflected upon by all involved and incorporated into future teaching and learning processes.

Results

The implementation of the BIP has several positive effects. For the students, it offers a unique opportunity to combine theory and practice, develop intercultural skills and make valuable professional contacts. For the University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna and the participating partner organizations, it strengthens international cooperation and networking. The involvement of project clients from the field and the practical orientation of the program can serve as a model for future educational projects and further increase the attractiveness and relevance of the course. The practical experience also provides a learning opportunity for the faculty, which contributes to the continuous improvement of the concept. An innovative teaching-learning setting at European level has thus been realized at institutional level. The mixture of practice and different disciplines corresponds to an inter- and transdisciplinary orientation, which enables co-creative learning through the the way of cooperating with the students. All in all, the BIP "International Marketing Week Vienna" is a successful example of the integration of online and face-to-face teaching, which prepares students comprehensively for the demands of professional practice and at the same time promotes international cooperation and exchange.

Lessons learned

A particularly positive aspect of the International Marketing Week 2025 was the involvement of the international guest lecturers: On the one hand, they provided well-founded and exciting specialist input with a direct link to the case study and the task set. On the other hand, they took on an accompanying role as coaches for the individual teams, which made it possible to provide more targeted and individual support - a clear added value for the learning process. Another successful aspect was the final presentations. Due to the group size of 50 students in total, a preliminary selection was made and only the five best of the ten teams were allowed to present to the client on the last day. The names of the selected teams were not announced in advance, but were drawn live from a pot of the five winning teams. This procedure kept the participants' attention and excitement high until the very end. One challenge this time was separating the students from their original groups of origin and forming new, mixed working teams. For the future, it is therefore planned to mark group tables, in order to make the team structure more visible and binding. In addition, the group size of 50 students was not optimal - a reduction to a maximum of 40 people should ensure better cooperation in future. Another challenge was the partial lack of motivation and cooperation of individual students, which could only be improved over the course of the week. Although the attendance and performance requirements were clearly communicated in advance, it is planned to explicitly point out the possible consequences of non-compliance. Finally, the number of preparatory online appointments is also to be reduced to two in order to avoid redundancies and become even more efficient.

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