Andrea Kindermann works as an independent consultant for marketing and digital transformation and belongs to the network of consultants “Das 18te Kamel & Komplizen – Sozietät für Digitale & Soziale Transformation” (www.18teskamel.de). She specializes in strategic and technology-driven marketing innovations. Her current focus is on new automation possibilities through machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Andrea Kindermann has worked as a consultant and organizational developer for Proximity Consulting, DDB, Jung von Matt and Villeroy & Boch, among others. Andrea Kindermann studied journalism and communication sciences, business administration and psychology at the Ruhr University Bochum. She received her doctorate from the Institute of Sociology at the University of Hamburg.
Professorship
Andrea Kindermann has worked on innovations, innovative ability and innovative strategies in marketing for more than 15 years.
She is particularly interested in why companies find it so difficult to overcome harmful patterns. These same patterns are also observed again and again in the digital transformation of marketing. New technologies and market entry are not considered relevant because these are apparently of no concern for the company. But they quickly prove to be critical for success – and the race to catch up begins. At the turn of the millennium, it was the “temporary phenomenon” of the internet, then the “niche channels” e-commerce, social media … – and today artificial intelligence and voice act as new gatekeeper in the market.
What is needed are different competency profiles and, above all, mindsets for marketing professionals that enable them to use their analytical brains, focus on learning, and willingness to experiment to see themselves as innovation drivers within their company.
Research
Marketing was one of the first management disciplines to change dramatically as a result of digitisation. In the first ten years, the focus was on whether and how companies can use new digital media, which rules apply, and how thinking and working practices within marketing communication had to adapt.
Today, the focus is on technologies that have the potential to automate interactions and creative processes.
- What does automated marketing mean for the competitiveness of the business?
- What impact do automated interactions have on contact quality?
- What progress is being made in terms of automated creative processes?
- How significant is automating marketing tasks and interactions for the way marketing is organised and for employees’ skill profiles?
- Which organisational models can be used by marketing managers to meet the demands for efficiency, speed and quality?
The results of research into fields of professional activity at Quadriga show that a “digital divide” is also evident in relation to the marketing departments of companies. Digitisation and digital competence is a significant factor for internal success, acceptance and, consequently, the integration of marketing teams.
The question of whether the gap between digital leaders and other marketing teams will widen will be the subject of future research projects.
Publications
Andrea Kindermann’s publications focus on the relationship between organisational structures and the efficiency of organisations.
Kindermann, Andrea, Seidenglanz, René & Lopper, Elisa (2017). Was erfolgreiche Marketing-Teams auszeichnet. Organisation, Führung, Digitalisierung. Berlin, Germany: Quadriga Media.
Kindermann, Andrea (2007). Innovationsfähigkeit und Kundenorientierung von Unternehmen: konkurrierende oder synergetische Prinzipien? Eine Analyse der Anforderungen und ihrer Vereinbarkeit, Tectum: Marburg, Germany
Seidenglanz, René & Kindermann, Andrea (2018). “Beziehungsfeld PR und Marketing in Organisationen. Theoretische Grundlagen und vergleichende Ergebnisse aktueller Befragungen von deutschen, österreichischen und schweizerischen PR- und Marketing-Führungskräften”. In: Medien Journal. Zeitschrift für Medien- und Kommunikationsforschung, year 42(2), p. 39-60.
Kindermann, Andrea (2007). Innovationsfähigkeit und Kundenorientierung von Unternehmen − Konkurrenz oder Synergie? in: Organisation gestalten. Struktur und Kultur versöhnen. Publication for the 13th scientific symposium for Applied Business Psychology at the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück on 2 and 3 February 2007. p. 226-253.
Kindermann, Andrea (2004). Denken als Fun-Sportart. in: Süddeutsche Zeitung, 23/08(2004, p. 22
Konerding, Jens, Kindermann, Andrea (2003): Nach dem Kauf entscheidet sich die Zukunft. in: Merten, K., Zimmermann, R., Hartwig, H. A. (ed.): Das Handbuch der Unternehmenskommunikation 2002/2003. Munich, Neuwied, Kriftel, Cologne: Wolters Kluwer. p. 224-231.
Teaching
Companies need nothing more than people who bring order to the VUCA environment with structured, analytical thinking. And not by ignoring everything that does not fit into proven evaluation patterns and decision-making rules, but by being able to distinguish between what is connectable and what is inherently disruptive.
Teaching must enable this. It is important to define general and transferable aspects within a specific scenario and not to insist on a “technical” or instrumental level when teaching directly applicable skills, especially in a discipline like marketing, which is increasingly differentiating into more and more specialist disciplines.
The marketing lectures that are part of the general management training therefore focus on the application of tools for strategy development. How can these be used to solve common management problems in digitised and globalised markets? On the other hand, how does the digital transformation affect strategic marketing planning? What is the resulting understanding of contemporary marketing?
The lectures in Digital Marketing Management in the advanced modules deal with the key areas of digital marketing in a very differentiated manner. Issues such as SEO, the management of digital products, or the planning and implementation of data-driven campaigns are taught by experienced lecturers with practical experience. This ensures that subjects and solutions taught are highly relevant in this rapidly changing field of work.