Thomas Menkhoff

Your favourite/ most memorable project

One of my favourite project partners in 2020 was a social enterprise. Student groups used strategic brand management to improve its brand equity to position itself more effectively in order to expand business opportunities and to sustain its cause. 
 
Group project topics included (i) a review of the overall brand positioning and uniqueness in current target markets vis-à-vis new market opportunities; (ii) a brand-related competitor analysis to shed light on the nature of competition in this sector and what (if any) can be learned from similar organisations in terms of benchmarking; (iii) consumer insights research to identify, understand and segment both current new key target audiences as well as non-customers; (iv) an examination of the social enterprise’s current social media representations and identification of novel digital marketing approaches towards greater outreach; (v) development of new sales promotion approaches targeting both individual and corporate customers with regard to personal and corporate gifting needs; and (vi) the development of a brand equity-related performance management system plus metrics to measure the social enterprise’s approach towards greater brand equity (change impact). 
 
The brand management-related recommendations put forward by the student groups in support of the social enterprise’s mission will help its leadership team to further increase the value of its products and services by attracting more loyal customers through positive brand associations and a stronger awareness of the social enterprise’s brand.

Publications or published articles related to SMU-X projects (if any).

Chong, M., Gan, B., Menkhoff, T. 2021: Enhancing students’ global competence through international business study missions, 
Journal of International Education in Business Pub Date : 2021-01-25 , DOI: 10.1108/jieb-06-2020-0054 

What you envision for your area(s) of interest and research etc

I am currently conducting research on the effectiveness of technology-enhanced learning in one of my courses entitled “Doing Business with Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)” with special reference to Chatbots as T&L tools. 

If you might have a favourite book/ quote/ movie/ musical/movie character /special talent.. please do share your favourite(s)! And let us know why it is your favourite!

“I've never loved anyone the way I love you” (quote by introvert writer Theodore Twombly in the 2013 American science-fiction romantic drama film “Her”). The object of his ‘love’ is his new AI-enabled computer operating system Samantha! The movie explores the evolving and rather disturbing nature of intimacy and humanity in a world increasingly influenced by the rise of artificial general intelligence.