Why Marketing Is More Than Advertising

Between Online Marketing and Content Strategy

In the bachelor's program, she teaches courses on online marketing, media aesthetics, as well as advertising and media planning. In the master's program, she delves deeper into strategic topics, teaching content marketing, digital strategy development, and organizational theory, among others. In addition, she supervises practical projects and academic theses. “Marketing is far more than just a business tool to boost sales - it is the defining language of our modern society,” she explains. 

This perspective also shapes her teaching. In her classes, marketing is understood not merely as a corporate tool, but as a system with social and cultural impact. The focus is on strategic branding, content marketing, and media aesthetics. She views images and visual content as active components of brand communication that shape identities and help co-create societal narratives.

Research on Brands and Consumer Culture

Alongside her teaching, Kogler conducts research on branding, consumer culture, and visual brand communication in digital spaces. Among other topics, she investigates how different stakeholders on Instagram help co-create brand meanings through visual content, and how luxury brands contribute to the representation of gender roles. Furthermore, she studies consumer-generated brands as well as the consumption of true-crime podcasts like Zeit Verbrechen. “Marketing is far from a neutral tool; it carries a deep responsibility for the narratives that shape our society,” she elaborates.

International Experience in Academia and Industry Practice

Her academic journey began with a diploma degree (equivalent to a combined bachelor's and master's degree) in International Business at the University of Innsbruck. As part of her studies, she spent a year abroad at the NEOMA Business School in Rouen, France.

She then completed her PhD in Management at the University of Innsbruck, specializing in marketing and branding, which she earned in 2021. During this time, she worked as a research associate and also spent a year as a visiting PhD fellow at the emlyon business school in Lyon, France.

After completing her doctorate, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher in marketing & branding at the University of Innsbruck. She also gained industry experience in management at Abercrombie & Fitch in Vienna, Austria.

Bridging Theory and Practice

In her teaching, Stephanie Kogler bridges academic models with practical applications. In hands-on projects, students work on real-world challenges from external companies and apply their theoretical knowledge directly: “There is nothing more practical than a good theory.”

Conclusion

In the Marketing & Communication Management degree program at the FH Kufstein Tirol, Stephanie Kogler brings together teaching, research, and practice. Her key areas of focus are branding, consumer culture, and digital brand communication—topics that she both investigates scientifically and integrates directly into her courses.

Links:

• Marketing & Communication Management | ft