The ZukLOS team is working with students and regional stakeholders on a marketing strategy for the 'Future Learning Location Upper Lusatia'.
The participatory shaping of the future of higher education plays a central role at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. Through its strategic initiative "Future Learning Location Upper Lusatia" (ZukLOS), the university management aims to establish a future learning location for the entire region that brings together people of all generations through diverse teaching/learning and meeting places, strengthens regional networking and inspires young people for future-relevant topics in Upper Lusatia.
Our students, employees and professors play a key role in this participation process. Last semester, for example, students on the "International Business Communication (WMb22)" Bachelor's degree course at the Faculty of Management and Cultural Studies provided active support for the ZukLOS team in developing the brand of the future learning location Oberlausitz as part of their "E-Marketing" module.
On November 23 and 24, 2023, around 30 regional stakeholders, students and employees of the HSZG took part in a workshop on brand development for ZukLOS. Representatives of various institutions and companies were involved in the brand development of the future learning location Oberlausitz, including the Richard-von-Schlieben-Oberschule Zittau, the Center for Data-Intensive Systems Research in Görlitz (CASUS), the district parents' council of the district of Görlitz, the district of Görlitz itself, the Entwicklungsgesellschaft Niederschlesische Oberlausitz mbH (ENO), as well as the Dresden Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Dresden Chamber of Crafts and the Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG.
The workshop initially served to provide information on the progress made in setting up the extracurricular STEM learning locations. Collective Brain, a marketing agency with a location in Herrnhut and elsewhere, then supported the participants in developing a comprehensive brand strategy and a mission statement for the future learning location Oberlausitz. The focus was on the shared vision and values of ZukLOS.
The workshop marked a decisive milestone on the way to establishing ZukLOS as a regional future learning location in Upper Lusatia. The close cooperation between regional stakeholders, students and employees of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and the professional support of Collective Brain created a solid foundation for positioning ZukLOS as a place of innovation, learning and inspiration.
On the first day of the ZukLOS branding workshop, decisive steps were taken to define the future direction and positioning. The participants began with a round of introductions, followed by an analysis of the current state of ZukLOS and the identification of strengths, weaknesses and unique selling points. After the lunch break, the regional extracurricular STEM education was analyzed in order to take external influences into account, followed by discussions on the optimal positioning of ZukLOS in the educational landscape of Upper Lusatia.
On the second day of the workshop, the students of the Bachelor's degree program "International Business Communication (WMb22)" made a major contribution to brand development. At the beginning, Collective Brain summarized the results of the first workshop day to create a solid foundation for the discussion. The students then worked closely with ZukLOS and Collective Brain staff to create personas for ZukLOS' key target groups in small groups. These included students, teachers, pupils, senior citizens, parents and companies. Based on these personas, a basic marketing concept was developed that took into account the needs and wishes of the various target groups. The communication goals, especially for the website content, were defined to ensure that the messages of ZukLOS are presented in a clear and appealing way. Finally, the key results of the workshop were summarized and an outlook on possible next steps was given.
After completing the two-day ZukLOS workshop, the students continued their work as part of their e-marketing course. Their task was to develop ideas and concrete proposals for the design of the ZukLOS website and to implement these in TYPO 3. In the project work, the students actively used their acquired knowledge from the "E-Marketing" module, especially in the area of strategic website development. On 18.01.2024, the students proudly presented their results to the Vice-Rector for Education and International Affairs, Professor Keil, Mr. Tiller from the ZukLOS team, their lecturer Mr. Benad and Collective Brain and reflected together on the learning and working process at the end.
The university management and the ZukLOS team would like to thank the students of the Bachelor's degree program"International Business Communication (WMb22)" for their great support in the brand development of ZukLOS. In the winter semester 2023/2024, students learned the basics of e-marketing, such as digital marketing strategies and tools, and gained insights into current trends and developments in digital marketing as part of the "E-Marketing" course. The students then used their newly acquired knowledge to develop and implement their own ideas for ZukLOS' digital brand presence.
Special thanks are due to Mr. Sebastian Benad M.A. for his outstanding professional guidance and continuous support of the students throughout the entire work process. As a lecturer for special tasks at our university, Mr. Benad M.A. has shared his many years of professional and practical experience in the field of online communication with great dedication and expertise.
The Collective Brain team also deserves our sincere thanks for their careful planning and successful execution of a two-day workshop to develop and design ZukLOS' brand identity. Their collaboration with selected stakeholders in the region and our students was invaluable. We would also like to thank them for their valuable advice and ongoing guidance to the students in developing and implementing their website design concepts as part of the course.
We would also like to express our sincere thanks to the participants of the workshop for the active exchange and the numerous inspiring suggestions. Their contributions will make a significant contribution to the further development of the ZukLOS brand identity.
