Dr. Günther Botschen

Vita:

Günther Botschen holds an externally funded position in the recently founded “Retail Management Education and Research Laboratory”, in short: “Retail Lab”. His position is sponsored by eight companies and institutions from Tyrol and Vorarlberg. He teaches Retail-Management in the new Bachelor and Master Programs.

Günther has earned his Magister in Business Administration and Doctorate in Marketing at the Leopold-Franzens-University in Innsbruck. From 1984 to 1997 he taught and researched as a member of the retailing and marketing faculty at Leopold-Franzens-University. From 1997 to 2000 he was Senior Lecturer in marketing at the Aston Business School in Birmingham, UK. In 2001 he founded with two colleagues the Institute of Brand Logic, Innsbruck, a consultancy for the development and leadership of brand-driven companies. In this function he supported well-known corporations in the development and implementation of a brand-driven leadership approach.

In July 2007 he returned to the marketing group as a research fellow and lecturer in retailing. Günther has taught a broad range of subjects to undergraduates, graduates, and executives in Austria, France, Germany, United Kingdom and United States.

Günther is married to Martina. They have two children, Moritz and Laura, and the cat Pezi. He likes convertibles, sailing, red and white wine, tasty beer, fresh produce shopping, going on a mushroom foray and cooking.

 

Research Focus:

In his research Günther studies the development and leadership of brand-driven companies from an interdisciplinary perspective. In this field he is putting a focus on the development of a conceptual phase model for brand-driven renewal. The model consists of three layers: the determination of the „new“ strategic brand identity, the translation of the intended strategic identity into concrete contact-point experiences, and the alignment of structure, processes, functions and employees’ behaviour.

The first layer describes the identification of the content of the new brand identity. For this purpose various approaches fort the creation of brand identities have been integrated. In contrast to the internally oriented organisational identity concepts this approach is driven by socio-cultural meanings. These meanings provide a rich banquet of values, social concepts and archetypes for the creation of a unique strategic brand identity stimulating the most promising potential for enduring resonance.

The second layer translates the rather abstract combination of core meanings into concrete contact point experiences for customers, employees and other important stakeholders. This mechanism supports the continuous and self-similar reproduction of the intended core values of the organisation.

The third layer deals with the challenging phase of aligning structure, processes, functions and behaviour of employees to facilitate the derived concrete contact point experiences. The proposed organisational change mechanisms are based on research and fieldwork on the learning organisation, more specifically on understanding and developing mental models of human beings.

The whole phase model has been evolving during various long lasting practitioner researcher collaboration applying action research approaches and techniques.

The above described conceptual framework provides the content for various research fields which are summarised in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Research Architecture based on a Brand driven Leadership Perspective

Selected Consultancy Activities and Trainings

Selected Publications since 2000:

• Botschen Günther, Josef Bernhart, Andreas Hermann, Kurt Promberger (2022), Brand Resonance Through Employees’ - Intrinsic Touch Point Engagement, Proceedings of the 21st International Marketing Trends Conference, 20-22 January, Rome, Italy.

•  Botschen Günther, Josef Bernhart, Hans Mühlbacher, Kurt Promberger (2022), Identity-Driven Development of Resonating Touch-Point Experiences - A Socio-Cultural Meaning Approach to Branding, Book of Abstracts of the 28th Recent Advances in Retailing & Services Conferences (RARSC), Soora Rasouli and Harry Timmermans (eds.), Baveno, Italy.

•  Botschen Günther, Josef Bernhart, Kurt Promberger (2020), Brand-Oriented New Service Design, Book of Abstracts of the 27th Recent Advances in Retailing & Services Conferences (RARSC), Soora Rasouli and Harry Timmermans (eds.), Baveno, Italy.

• Botschen Günther and Hans Mühlbacher (2019), Identity driven Design of Resonating Touchpoint-Experiences, Proceedings of the 10^th International Research Meeting in Business and Management, Nice, France.
  
  
• Botschen, Günther, Josef Bernhardt, Ian Combe, Andrea Hemetsberger and Kurt Promberger (2019), The Flexible Retailer Brand - Aesthetically Folding Physical And social Environments, Proceedings of the 20th EAERCD Conference: Retailing Challenges for the 20’s, Zaragoza. Spain.
  
  
• Botschen Günther, Josef Bernhart, Kurt Promberger (2019), Drivers of Brand Resonance (DBR) – Identifying and Developing Unique Organisational Brand Identities, Proceedings of the 4th BEE Conference – Business & Entrepreneurial Economics, Dubrovnik, Croatia.
  
  
• Botschen, Günther, Ian Combe, Andrea Hemetsberger (2019), Developing ‘The Flexible Corporate Retail Brand’ through Adaptive Aesthetics and Attractive Physical Environments, Proceedings of the 18th International Marketing Trends Conference, Venice.
• Botschen, Günther and Christine Kittinger (2019), The Future of Retailing, Retail Lab Partner Treffen 2019,.pptx. Presentation, Innsbruck.

• Botschen Günther (2019), Markenresonanz – vom Schein zum Sein, Tiroler Handelsforum 2019, pptx. Presentation, Igls bei Innsbruck, Austria.

• Botschen Günther, Josef Bernhart, Kurt Promberger (2018), Drivers of Brand Resonance (DBR) – Identifying and Developing Organisational Brand Identities, accepted for presentation at the 25th International Conference on RECENT ADVANCES IN RETAILING AND SERVICES SCIENCE, July 16-19, 2018, Madeira Island, Portugal.
  
  
• Botschen Günther, Josef Bernhart, Kurt Promberger and Philipp Wegerer (2017), Drivers of Brand Resonance (DBR): A practical Tool for Initiating Place Brand-Stakeholder Relationships, Proceedings of the 4th Corfu Symposium on Managing & Marketing Places, Corfu, Greece.
  
  
• Botschen Günther, Oliver Koll and Christina Nigg (2017), Transcending “Products” Into Brandgestalt - An Extended Customer Journey Perspective, Proceedings of the 19th European Association for Education in Retail and Commercial Distribution (EAERCD), Dublin, UK.
  
  
• Botschen Günther, Josef Bernhart and Kurt Promberger (2017), Brand driven service innovation: a conceptual framework, Proceedings of the Global Conference on Services Management, Volterra, Italy.Botschen Günther, Josef Bernhart, Oliver Koll and Kurt Promberger (2017), Translating Organisational Brand Meanings Into Resonating Touch-Point Experiences, 3rd International Colloquium on Corporate Branding, Identity, Image and Reputation (COBIIR2017), London, United Kingdom.
  
  
• Botschen Günther, Josef Bernhart and Kurt Promberger (2017), Brand-driven Identity Development of Places, Journal of Place Management and Development, Volume 10, Issue 2, pp. 152 – 172.
  
  
• Botschen Günther and Philipp Wegerer (2017), Brand-Driven Retail Format Innovation: A Conceptual Framework, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 45, Issue 7/8, pp. 874 -891.
  
  
• Botschen Günther (2017), Retail Lab, Tiroler Handelsforum 2017, Igls bei Innsbruck, Austria.
  
  
• Botschen Günther and Philipp Wegerer (2016), Drivers of Brand Resonance (DBR): A practical Tool for Governing Enduring Brand- Stakeholder Relationships, Proceedings of 11th Colloquium on Organizational Change & Development, Change Management: Change Agents, Vienna, Austria
  
  
• Botschen Günther, Felix Piazolo and Max Reitmeir (2016), Brand-driven Retail Format Design, Proceedings of the Colloquium on European Research in Retailing, Toulouse, France.
  
  
• Botschen Günther, Josef Bernhart and Kurt Promberger (2016), Brand-driven Identity Development and Design of Places, Proceedings of the 3rd Corfu Symposium on Managing and Marketing of Places, Corfu.
  
  
• Botschen, Günther (2016), Marke aus Leidenschaft, Proceedings CD-ROM, Tiroler Handelsforum, Innsbruck.
  
  
• Botschen Günther, Josef Bernhart, Oliver Koll and Kurt Promberger (2016), Brand-oriented Touch-Point Design, Proceedings of the 15th International Marketing Trends Conference, Venice.
  
  
• Botschen, Günther and Florian Krischan (2015), Initiating Organisational Change through shared Identity Designing - Composing and Engaging Socio-cultural Meaning Systems, Proceedings of the 10th Colloquium On Organizational Change & Development, Change Management: Past, Present And Future, Larnaca, Cyprus
  
  
• Botschen, Günther, Florian Krischan, Judith Heizer (2015), Brand-Driven Leadership – Content, Didactics and Format of an Interdisciplinary Bachelor Programme to Develop Meanings and Skills of Leadership, Abstract accepted for BECOMING A LEADER – A Matter of Education, An International Research and Education Conference on Bachelor Programs in Leadership, Whether Leading can be Learnt, and Leadership as a Profession, Bodo, Norway.
  
  
• Botschen, Günther (2015), Markenorientiertes Innovations-Management für Händler und Markenartikler, Retail Lab Partner Treffen 2015, .pptx. Präsentation, Innsbruck.
  
  
• Botschen, Günther (2015), Vom guten Produkt zur starken Marke, .pptx. Präsentation, Lange Nacht der Betriebe, Lana.
  
  
• Botschen, Günther (2015) Von den Bremsen der Veredelung - Sieben Einsichten & eine Formel, Proceedings CD-ROM, Tiroler Handelsforum, Innsbruck.
  
  
• Günther Botschen, Ian Combe, Florian Krischan, Eva Thelen (2014): „Creating your Family Firm Brand‘s Future - Composing and Engaging Socio-cultural Meaning Systems“. Abstract accepted for the 10th Workshop on Family Firm Management Research, May 23-24 2014, Bergamo, Italy.
  
  
• Günther Botschen (2014): „Marken mit allen Sinnen erleben”. Proceedings CD-rom of the Tiroler Handelsforum 2014, March 12, Innsbruck.
  
  
• Günther Botschen, Ian Combe, Eva Thelen (2013): „Translating Organisational Brand Identities into resonating Customer Experiences“. Paper accepted for the 13th International Marketing Trends Conference, January 25th-26th 2014, Venice.
  
  
• Günther Botschen, Ian Combe, Eva Thelen, Paul Tolchinsky, 2013: “Translating Abstract Meanings into resonating customer experiences”. 8th Colloquium on Organisational Change, September 12th-13th 2013, Ghent.
  
  
• Günther Botschen, Ian Combe, Eva Thelen (2012): “Brand-Driven Leadership for Change Management in Retailing”. In: European Retail Research, 2012, Volume 26, Issue II, Pages 1-18. Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden 2013
  
  
• Günther Botschen, Ian Combe and Eva Thelen (under review), „ Brand-driven Leadership for Change Management in Retailing“, European Retail Research.
  
  
• Günther Botschen, Ian Combe, Eva Thelen and Paul Tolchinsky (2012) „Translating Brand Identities into Concrete Customer Experiences and Corresponding Employees Behaviour“, 7th Workshop on Organisational Change and Development, September13-14, Bern, Switzerland.
  
  
• Günther Botschen and Eva Thelen (2012), „Developing the Strategic Brand Identity of Retail Organisations“, Harry Timmermans (ed.), Book of Abstracts of the 19th Recent Advances in Retailing & Services Conferences (EIRASS), p.22, Vienna
  
  
• Günther Botschen and Markus Webhofer (2012), „Drivers of Brand Resonance - Developing the Strategic Brand Identity of Organisations, Günther Botschen, Proceedings of the 11th International Marketing Trends Conference, January 19-21, Venice
  
  
• Thelen, Eva; Botschen, Günther (2012): Internationale Beschaffung. In: Handbuch Handel, 2. Auflage; Herausgeber: Joachim Zentes.
  
  
• Günther Botschen and Martin Lechner (2012), „Der Markenkern als Innovationstreiber” Tiroler Handelsforum 2012, Wednesday, March 14, Innsbruck
  
  
• Günther Botschen, Oliver Koll and Ian Combe (2011), „The Attraction of Aesthetic Store Atmospherics“, Book of Abstracts of 1st International Colloquium on Global Design and Marketing, University of Lincoln
  
  
• Günther Botschen und Eva Thelen (2011), „Brand-driven Leadership and Management Retailing”, Proceedings of the16th EAERCD, Conference of the European Association for Education and Research in the Commercial Distribution Wednesday, University of Parma, Italy
  
  
• Günther Botschen and Markus Webhofer (2011), „Brand-driven Strategic Renewal - Using Brand Identity as a Vehicle for Change”, Günther Botschen, 6th Workshop on Organisational Change and Development: Advances, Challenges & Contradictions, Wednesday, September 14 to 16, Malta.
  
  
• Botschen Günther and Kittinger-Rosanelli Christine (2010), „Markenorientierter Wandel in Organisationen“, in: Change Leadership – den Wandel antizipieren und aktiv gestalten, Harald Pechlaner, Margit Raich, Silvia Schön, Kurt Matzler (eds.), Wiesbaden, Gabler, 1st Edition, 368-396.
  
  
• Botschen Günther, Eva Thelen und Romana Berrer (2010), „Behavioral and Attitudinal Loyalty to Retail Brands: The Role of Attachment Styles“, EIRASS, Istanbul, Turkey
  
  
• Botschen Günther, A Phase-Model for Brand-driven Renewal (2010), 5th Workshop on Organisational Change and Development: Core Competencies in a Changing World, Vienna 2010
  
  
• Botschen Günther and Andrea Hemetsberger (2009), „Aesthetics-driven Retailer Branding“, Proceedings (CD-ROM) of the 15th Conference of the European Association for Education and Research in Commercial Distribution (EAERCD), Guildford 15-17 July 2009, UK.
  
  
• Botschen Günther Kittinger-Rosanelli Christine (2009), “ Brand driven Change: An in-depth-case study based on Giddens Structuration Theory”, conference proceedings (CD-ROM) of the 5th Thought Leaders International Conference on Brand Management. 6-7 April 2009, Athens
  
  
• Botschen Günther and Christine Rosanelli-Kittinger (2008), “Brand-driven and brand strengthening sales management”, Proceedings of the Second Biennial Conference on Enhancing Sales Force Productivity, Kiel, Germany
  
  
• Botschen Günther and Eva Thelen (2008), “Emotions in Store Switching Processes”, Proceedings of the 15th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON Recent Advances in Retailing and Consumer Services Science, Zagreb, Croatia
  
  
• Botschen, Günther and Eva Thelen, (2007) “Focus of Brand Attachment: What customers love and would miss about their retail brand – Does attachment style matter?”, Best Papers Proceedings of the 9th International Forum on The Sciences, Techniques and Art Applied to Marketing. Academy and Profession, eds. Ortega Enrique, Ladislao González and Enrique Pérez del Campo, 39-58.
  
  
• Botschen, Günther (2007), “Sagen Sie niemals Leberkäse zu ihm, es ist ein Neuburger!”, absatzwirtschaft – Zeitschrift für Marketing, 12/2007, 40-43.
  
  
• Botschen, Günther (2006), “Von den Hütern der Mittelmäßigkeit”, Markenartikel, 6/2006, 30-33.
  
  
• Botschen Günther and Martina Botschen (2006), “Kundenintegrierte Produktentwicklung”, together with Martina Botschen, in: Kundenorien-tierung - Kundenzufriedenheit - Kundenbindung, Matzler K. and Hinterhuber H.H. (eds.),Gabler, Wiesbaden, 5th revised edition.
  
  
• Botschen, Günther (2005), “Das Leben ist schön”, Cash, September 2005, 26-27
  
  
• Botschen, Günther and Ian Combe (2004), “Strategy Paradigms for the Management of Quality: Dealing with Complexity” together with Ian Combe”, European Journal of Marketing 2004. Vol. 38, No. 5/6, 500-523.
  
  
• Botschen, Günther, Jos Lemmink, and Ian Lings (2004) “Quality Management in Services - Designing System Chain Processes for High Performance Services”, guest editor: Special Issue in the Journal of Business Research, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 49.
  
  
• Botschen, Günther and Wolfgang Rigger (2003), „Branding: Activating and Engaging Cultural Meaning Systems”, Proceedings of the Brand Logic Recontre 2003, The Interdisciplinary Forum of Experts for research in Brand Systems, Innsbruck, 15-23.
  
  
• Botschen, G., Crowther, D. (2001), "The semiology of aesthetic atmospherics to study environmental design effects in retail outlets", Studies in social Marketing, Working Paper Series, No 9, University of North London, London.
  
  
• Botschen, Günther (2000), “Internationalisation of Encounter-based Relationship Strategies”, in: Relationship Marketing: Gaining Competitive Advantage through Customer Satisfaction and Customer Retention, Thorsten Hennig-Thurau and Ursula Hansen (eds.), Springer Verlag, Heidelberg 279-295.
  
  
• Botschen, Günther and Martina Botschen (2000), “Interactive Methods in Public Service Design in Austria, in: Market Research in Health and social Care, eds. Mike Luck, Rob Pocock, and Mike Tricker, Routledge.
  
  
• Botschen Günther, Eva Thelen, and Rik Pieters (1999), “Using Means-End Structures for Benefit Segmentation: An Application to Services”, European Journal of Marketing, 1999, Vol. 33, 1/2, 38-59.
  
  
• Pieters Rik and Günther Botschen (1999), “European Research in Services Marketing and Management”, Special Issue in the Journal of Business Research, guest editors, Journal of Business Research 1999, Vol. 44, 1 (January).