Voices, colors, and other sensory elements shape how consumers perceive brands, advertising, and service interactions. In his dissertation titled “Advancing the Field of Sensory Marketing: Designing Human and Non-Human Subjects with Sensory Elements,” Dr. Maximilian Bruder examined how different variants of such elements affect consumers. For his work at the Chair for Value Based Marketing at the University of Augsburg, Bruder was honored with the renowned HORIZONT Foundation Award at the HORIZONT Congress in Berlin. In addition, his dissertation was selected as a finalist for the AMA SERVSIG Best Dissertation Award.

Sensory Elements in Marketing and Service Interactions

The dissertation comprises several empirical studies on auditory and visual sensory elements in different marketing contexts. Among other topics, Bruder examines which impressions different voices evoke in brand communication, how voices of service robots are perceived after service failures, and what role visual signals of frontline employees play in customer interactions. The findings provide important insights for the design of brand communication, advertising, and service interactions.

Practical Relevance and Scientific Quality

“I am very pleased that my doctoral dissertation has been honored by these renowned organizations,” says Bruder. “The HORIZONT Foundation Award means a great deal to me, especially because practical relevance is an important criterion for the award. Addressing questions in my research that are also relevant to practice is particularly important to me. Being selected as a finalist for the AMA SERVSIG Best Dissertation Award is also a special scientific recognition for me, as the award honors outstanding dissertations that demonstrate originality, scientific rigor, and a contribution to service research.”

The dissertation was supervised by Prof. Dr. Michael Paul, Chair of Value Based Marketing at the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Augsburg. “These distinctions are a wonderful recognition of the scientific quality and practical relevance of Dr. Bruder’s work,” says Paul.

National and International Recognition

The HORIZONT Foundation Award ceremony took place as part of the HORIZONT Congress in Berlin. The congress is considered an important industry gathering for decision-makers from marketing, media, agencies, and communication. The program included talks and discussions on current topics such as brand management, creativity, artificial intelligence, and media transformation.

The HORIZONT Foundation awards prizes and scholarships to young talents in the communication, media, and advertising industry. Eligible works include research and project work by young professionals from companies as well as outstanding academic theses and dissertations.

The AMA SERVSIG Best Dissertation Award was granted by SERVSIG, the Special Interest Group for Service Research of the American Marketing Association, in Braga, Portugal. The award recognizes outstanding dissertations that demonstrate originality, scientific rigor, and a contribution to service research. Bruder’s selection as a finalist underscores the international visibility and scientific relevance of his research.

About Dr. Maximilian Bruder

Dr. Maximilian Bruder is Assistant Professor (fixed-term) at the Chair of Value Based Marketing at the University of Augsburg. His research focuses on sensory marketing, services marketing, branding, and artificial intelligence. His work has been published in leading international journals such as the Journal of Business Research and Psychology & Marketing.