Speeches of Martin Fassnacht
Based on the Chair’s research focus, Professor Martin Fassnacht is available for speeches and keynotes that combine academic rigor with practical orientation.
Please feel free to contact us for further information or specific inquiries.
The selected examples provide insights into topics and formats:
Keynote OBI Franchise Partner Conference 2025
How can companies keep their customers firmly at the center, even in challenging times? Which strategic decisions are required to secure differentiation, relevance, and competitive strength? And what role does a consistent customer experience across all touchpoints play in this context?
In his presentation on 18 November 2025 at the OBI Franchise Partner Conference in Frankfurt am Main, Professor Martin Fassnacht outlined ten clear theses on the importance of customer centricity in the European Home & Garden market. He provided numerous strategic impulses and demonstrated how companies can strengthen their position by understanding customer expectations precisely and by setting the right strategic priorities.
Keynote Region56plus
Profit equals revenue minus costs. In many companies, cost-side efficiencies are largely exhausted. At the same time, sales volumes are declining across numerous industries. This makes professional price management the central lever for sustainable profitability.
Professor Martin Fassnacht emphasized this perspective on October 30, 2025, during an event hosted by Regionalmarketinggesellschaft Region56plus at the Westerwald Brewery in Hachenburg. In his keynote “Profit Starts with Price – How Companies Increase Profitability Through Price Management,” he presented 13 concrete statements illustrating how precise price work can strengthen a company’s earnings potential.
The engaged dialogue with regional business leaders highlighted the considerable potential of the economic region surrounding Koblenz.
Keynote Business Club Hamburg
Many companies are currently facing intense market pressure: uncertain customers are reducing spending, budgets are being cut, and competition is intensifying. In numerous cases, sales volumes are stagnating—or even declining.
Against this backdrop, Professor Dr. Martin Fassnacht argued on 13 November 2024, during the Business Club Hamburg’s “Breakfast Series,” for a consistently market-oriented approach to corporate management—what today’s management vocabulary calls true customer centricity. He presented 14 theses demonstrating how companies can safeguard competitiveness and unlock growth potential by focusing on their most relevant brands, investing in core products, and developing solutions that address customer problems from the customer’s perspective.
Workshop Executive Education, Strategy Program Coca Cola
As part of a multi-day, customised Executive Education program for senior managers of The Coca-Cola Company at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, Professor Dr. Martin Fassnacht delivered a key workshop on 11 September 2024.
Entitled “Strategic Thoughts for the Consumer Goods Industry,” the session was structured into three main parts: first, the evolution of traditional business models, aligning the entire value chain with consumer needs, and securing satisfaction and loyalty; second, analysing current market and consumer trends, technological developments, and competitive dynamics; and third, managing the marketing mix, including tailored approaches for different consumer segments, price management as a strategic leadership tool, and considerations for omnichannel strategies.
The workshop provided participants with solid impulses to critically examine existing structures and align their strategic planning with the company’s objectives for 2025.
Keynote Advisory Board Meeting, BESTSELLER AWARD 2024
On 10 September 2024, Professor Dr. Martin Fassnacht delivered his keynote “Profit Growth in Grocery Retail through Systematic Price Management — 7 Statements” at the Advisory Board Meeting for the BESTSELLER AWARD 2024, hosted by medialog publishing house, publisher of RUNDSCHAU für den Lebensmittelhandel, in Frankfurt am Main.
The presentation outlined seven strategic theses highlighting how systematic price management serves as a critical lever for margin optimization in grocery retail. Emphasis was placed on the dynamic between price and perceived value—a decisive factor in today’s market shaped by rising price sensitivity and increasingly discerning consumer expectations.
Keynote at the 7th Retail Innovation Days of DHBW Heilbronn
As part of the 7th Retail Innovation Days on July 9 and 10, 2024, Professor Martin Fassnacht presented key insights on the strategic relevance of customer centricity in retail at the DHBW Heilbronn campus. In his keynote titled “Storm Warning: Customer Focus Is More Critical Than Ever for Retail,” he examined how retailers can navigate an increasingly complex competitive environment through consistently market-oriented management and professional price strategies. Using selected real-world examples, he emphasized that price must never be considered in isolation, but always in relation to perceived value. Furthermore, he highlighted the growing importance of strategic partnerships and the entrepreneurial potential of a targeted private label strategy.
Lecture BSI German Spirits Industry and Importers Association
On 16 May 2024, Professor Dr. Martin Fassnacht delivered his lecture “Storm Warning: Survival Strategies for Your Business in Today’s Environment” at the public session of the annual meeting of the German Spirits Industry and Importers Association in Cologne. The two-day event focused on the overarching question “Economy + Spirits Market – How Do We Survive the Era of Crises?!”.
In his presentation, Professor Fassnacht highlighted that declining sales volumes and intensifying competition make professional price and brand management indispensable. Against the backdrop of labour shortages, inflation, rising energy and raw material costs, and increasing bureaucracy, he called for a clear strategic focus to safeguard competitiveness in Germany’s spirits market, which generates annual revenues of around five billion euros.
Keynote Wine Camp — Specialist Conference for Wine Cooperatives 2024
On 20 February 2024, Professor Dr. Martin Fassnacht spoke at the Wine Camp in Karlsruhe, the key specialist conference for wine cooperatives, organised by the German Raiffeisen Association (DRV) and the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative Association (bwgv). In his lecture “Storm Warning: Survival Strategies for Your Business in Times of Downturn; 14 Statements,” he shared practical recommendations on how wine cooperatives can safeguard their market position in a challenging economic climate.
Key takeaways included actively and strategically managing the brand portfolio, continuously investing in brand relevance, and leveraging the potential of private labels at both company and category levels. Fassnacht also advised focusing on the core products of relevant brands, considering the introduction of more affordable product lines or sub-brands to reach price-sensitive customers, and avoiding taboos around offering private labels. In addition, he highlighted the importance of actively guiding customers through the purchase process and the opportunity to increase profitability through sustainability by creating clear added value that raises willingness to pay. The lecture provided a strategic roadmap tailored to the specific characteristics of the wine sector and the cooperative business model.
Keynote Deutscher Obst- und Gemüse Kongress 2023 in Düsseldorf
In today's intricate macroeconomic situation, Professor Martin Fassnacht provided food for thought during his keynote at the DOGK — Deutscher Obst- und Gemüse Kongress (German Fruit and Vegetable Congress) 2023 in Düsseldorf. Our time is marked by multiple crises, and we face an era of transformation. Invariably, amidst formidable challenges, there lie substantial opportunities. What does the future hold for us? How should retailers and manufacturers prepare for what lies ahead? How can they establish meaningful connections with consumers? How can profits be successfully increased through professional price management and product policy? Professor Fassnacht dissected these pressing questions in 13 insightful statements, offering practical recommendations for price and brand management, retail marketing, and omnichannel business strategies.
Webinar: International Confectionery Trade Association SWEETS GLOBAL NETWORK
How to address the current consumer uncertainty in the confectionery industry? WHU Professor Martin Fassnacht delved into this question extensively during his keynote presentation at the webinar hosted by the International Confectionery Trade Association, SWEETS GLOBAL NETWORK e.V., in September 2022. With 17 key insights, the retail expert inspired an engaged audience. He provided perspectives and actionable strategies for brand and pricing management, including strengthening consumer trust and communication. Professor Fassnacht also explained the strategic benefits of innovative collaborations, mergers, and new distribution channels.
Opening Keynote CASH Handelsforum 2022
Professor Fassnacht kicked off the second day of the 2022 CASH Handelsforum with his keynote, addressing the challenges of brand management through twelve key theses. He highlighted how digitalization is blurring the traditional boundaries between retailers and manufacturers, giving rise to new competitive dynamics where everyone competes with everyone else, while also fostering opportunities for innovative collaborations. Additionally, Professor Fassnacht predicted a corporate trend towards significantly reducing the number of brands. This strategy enables companies to concentrate their resources on core brands, consolidate investments, and establish these remaining core brands as a "trust anchor" for customers. Other future-focused topics included the development of private labels in the food retail sector and the crucial trend towards fully automated stores.
In-Depth Expert Interview 7th German Online Autohaus Congress 2022
During the 7th German Online Autohaus Congress held on April 5th and 6th, 2022, Professor Martin Fassnacht conducted a comprehensive interview where he discussed perspectives on proactively shaping the future of automotive retail and harnessing the opportunities of digital transformation. The one-hour conversation, moderated by host Andrea Patzelt, offered valuable insights for manufacturers, suppliers, and automobile dealers, providing an optimistic outlook for the industry. This congress, known as Germany's largest industry gathering, provided a broad platform for exchange with 1,188 attendees from the automotive sector, featuring 42 top speakers and experts.
Keynote Workshop Henkel Global Leadership Team Adhesives for Consumers & Craftsmen
What are the key challenges with regard to digital transformation? How can communication channels be used as sales channels? Which role does the topic of corporate culture play in this context? In his keynote speech "Leading the future: 10 statements", which took place on October 11, 2021, Prof. Dr. Martin Fassnacht presented ten theses which provided many impulses on these topics. The presentation took place during the four-day Henkel workshop for the Global Leadership Team from the Adhesives for Consumers & Craftsmen business unit. One of the topics Prof. Fassnacht emphasized was the strategic importance of customer data and how these can be used meaningfully. He also emphasized that the issue of culture should not be underestimated. He is certain: "The key to transforming companies is corporate culture".
Virtual roundtable McKinsey & Facebook, 2021
On February 12, 2021, Prof. Dr. Martin Fassnacht gave a speech on the topic of "Omnichannel Trends & Best Practice". His talk took place as part of the virtual round table on "Omnichannel Management in Very Special Times". The online event, organized by McKinsey and Facebook, was attended by over 60 managers from the consumer goods, fashion and retail industries. In his inspiring talk, Prof. Fassnacht presented nine statements, which he used as a basis for analyzing the challenges in the current Corona pandemic on the one hand and demonstrating the potential of omnichannel strategies on the other.
Web-Seminar "19th Spirits Forum" Federal Association of the German Spirits Industry and Importers (BSI),2020
On October 29, 2020, Prof. Dr. Martin Fassnacht gave a speech about the topic "The new reality in sales due to the Corona crisis" at the BSI Web Seminar "19th Spirits Forum", the annual conference of the Federal Association of the German Spirits Industry and Importers (Bundesverband der Deutschen Spirituosen-Industrie und -Importeure; BSI). Based on seven theses, Prof. Fassnacht analyzed the current situation and derived managerial guidelines on how to adapt to the “new reality”. Prof. Fassnacht is sure: “A dedicated direct online sales strategy in the context of an overarching omnichannel strategy is now more important than ever”. An essential take-away: “Within the context of social media, existing communication instruments will merge more closely with sales activities, making social media an important sales channel for manufacturers”.
Speech Business Club Hamburg, 2020
On September 3, 2020, Prof. Dr. Martin Fassnacht gave a speech about “Omnichannel Strategies in the Digital World” at the Business Club Hamburg. Digitalization enables customer integration in all areas of the value chain. However, most retail companies have large deficiencies when it comes to omnichannel strategies. In his talk, Prof. Fassnacht discussed the influence of digitization on the retail landscape and how manufacturers and retailers can react to the changing purchasing behavior of customers. Furthermore, he derived managerial guidelines and gave specific advice on how to connect the offline and online world. “More than ever before, marketing requires strategic thinking and the development of new skills and competencies. Pure online or offline business models can no longer exist in the digital age", he said. According to Prof. Fassnacht, successful omnichannel strategies should be individually tailored to companies and customer needs and create theme-centered ecosystems for shoppers.
Keynote Marketing Club Ruhr, 2020
On January 27, 2020, Prof. Dr. Martin Fassnacht gave a speech about “Omnichannel Strategies in the Digital World” at the Marketing Club Ruhr in Essen. His talk took place at this year's first club event, which attracted over 80 guests. In his speech, Prof. Fassnacht gave an overview of technological developments and challenges of digitization. "The complexity has grown massively due to digitization," emphasized Prof. Fassnacht. More than ever before, marketing requires strategic thinking and the development of new skills and competencies. According to Prof. Fassnacht, pure online or offline business models can no longer exist in the digital age. Furthermore, based on nine theses and numerous examples, he derived managerial implications for both, retailers and manufacturers.
Speech Sweets Global Network, 2019
On November 22, 2019, Prof. Dr. Martin Fassnacht gave a speech at the international Süßwarenkongress in Berlin, organized by Sweets Global Network. His talk on the subject of "Retailers and Manufacturers: It used to be easier!" attracted more than 500 guests from the confectionery industry. In his speech, Prof. Fassnacht gave an overview of current developments and challenges on both sides. Based on ten theses, he discussed the influence of the conflicts in the retail landscape and derived managerial implications for both, retailers and manufacturers. An essential take-away was Professor Fassnacht’s recommendation to stick to strategic cooperations instead of pure competition and to consider customer centricity as a key success factor.
Speech Annual Conference of the Saarland Trade Association, 2019
On November 12, 2019, Prof. Dr. Martin Fassnacht gave a speech about „Dynamic pricing policy in the digital age” at the Handelskongress in Saarbrücken, the annual conference organized by the Handelsverband Saarland e.V. Based on thirteen theses, Prof. Fassnacht demonstrated the opportunities that dynamic pricing offers for the brick-and-mortar retailers and gave specific advices concerning its implementation. Prof. Fassnacht is sure: “Dynamic pricing will become even more complex and important in the future and its extent will largely depend on the specific industry factors. The design of dynamic pricing must be derived from the corporate strategy and should never be conceived separately from it.” He also highlighted the importance of a comprehensive consumer database in order to better analyze purchasing behavior. When communicating on dynamic pricing, retailers should emphasize the benefits for customers, such as the ability to immediately implement agreed price reductions.
Keynote Getränke Impuls Tage, Austria 2019
On Monday, January 21, 2019, Professor Fassnacht presented his theses as Keynote Speaker at the Getränke Impuls Tagen. His talk on the subject of "Shared Value Creation by Retailers and Manufacturers" attracted more than 150 guests from the beverage industry. Professor Fassnacht is sure that old rules are out of date. Anyone who wants to win in the market in the future has to make strategic collaborations. According to Professor Fassnacht, the conflicts that currently occur between industry and commerce are not advisable regarding the future developments. An essential take-away: “Customer focus and broader cooperation is crucial in order to avoid further conflicts between manufacturers and retailers.” Digitization – social media as well as blockchain and integrated IT systems – are just further tools in order to optimize and improve value creation.
Speech Marketing-Club Hannover, 2018
On July 23, 2018, Prof. Dr. Martin Fassnacht gave a speech about “Omnichannel Strategies in the Digitized World” at the Marketing-Club Hannover. In his speech, Prof. Fassnacht gave an overview of technological developments and challenges of digitization. Based on eleven theses, he discussed the influence of digitization on the retail landscape and derived managerial implications for both, retailers and manufacturers throughout industries.
Speech Westerwald Business Reception, Montabaur 2018
On Friday, June 8, 2018, Professor Fassnacht was invited as keynote speaker to the annual meeting of “Westerwälder Wirtschaft” in Montabaur. “Blum”, an established fashion outfitter for women and man, hosted the reception. More than 500 guests listened to Professor Fassnacht’s speech about “What customers really want”. An essential take-away was Professor Fassnacht’s recommendation to accept the digital world and take advantage of it. Companies should put themselves in the position of customers to recognize and understand their increasing need for heterogeneity.
On May 17, 2018, Prof. Dr. Martin Fassnacht gave a speech about „Omnichannel Strategies in the Digitized World” at the general meeting of the BSI (Bundesverband der deutschen Spirituosen-Industrie und –Importeure). Digitization in all its technological facets it going to radically change the retail landscape throughout all channels and industries. In his speech, Prof. Fassnacht gave an overview of technological developments and challenges of digitization. Based on eleven theses, he discussed the influence of digitization on the retail landscape and derived managerial implications for retailers and manufacturers in the alcohol industry.
held on April 10, 2018 at a special event of the Marketing Club Nuremberg.
The price is often neglected in the context of the marketing mix. In his speech, however, Prof. Dr. Martin Fassnacht demonstrated that the price is the strongest profit driver and should be considered as an important element of marketing. In addition, companies are facing new pricing challenges due to digitization. In this context Prof. Fassnacht showed various innovative pricing models.
On repeat invitation of Marie-Eve Schröder (Corporate Senior Vice President Henkel Beauty Care) and Dr. Nils Daecke (Corporate Vice President Digital Marketing), Prof. Fassnacht held an inspirational speech about the topic “Pure Beauty – Better for You” on November 14, 2017.
As a preparation for the Connect2Consumer Day 2017, about 90 managers of the Beauty Care Department were introduced to the topic “pure beauty” – from “free from” products to a real natural brand positioning.
With many practical examples from the FMCG industry, Prof. Fassnacht highlighted the importance of the topic for Henkel and formed a basis for the further work on the topic at the Connect2Consumer Day on November 22, 2017. The speech was also recorded via Skype for the Connect2Consumer Day participants in other countries.
held on May 30, 2017 at the Tiefkühltagung 2017, the annual conference of the German Tiefkühlinstitut (dti).
Based on eleven theses, Prof. Fassnacht elaborated on the challenges the frozen food industry faces when it comes to omnichannel retailing. New technical possibilities arising from digitization influence shopper behavior and offer new players and innovative purchasing models opportunities to challenge the traditional retail landscape. Established companies – retailers as well as manufacturers – are facing competition from players that they had not anticipated before. At the same time, social media and other intermediaries, like Google or Facebook, decline the influence of companies on shoppers, create innovative purchasing models, and provide new possibilities of interaction. The increased interlocking of different offers and channels allows traditional borders – like the one between retailer and manufacturer – to blur steadily. Retailers and manufacturers have to rise to these challenges if they want to persist and succeed in a digitized commercial world.
Held on March 8, 2017 at Wrigley GmbH in Unterhaching.
Discounters in Germany are continuously upgrading and that way get closer to full-range suppliers. One fact contributing to this development is that the availability of brands at Aldi has become the norm. New listings do not come as surprises anymore. The involved parties finally take this new situation and act more rational than at the first listings. Nevertheless, the significant effects remain, which emphasizes the necessity to differentiate with other measures than price. Prof. Dr. Martin Fassnacht illustrated how the overall market and the involved categories have changed due to the listings of branded products by Aldi. Furthermore, he gave format-specific advices and explained the industry how to reach satisfactory solutions for the different retail formats.
Held on March 7, 2017 at the Forum der Heimtierbranche, the annual conference of the Zentralverband Zoologischer Fachbetriebe.
Digitization in all its technological facets it going to radically change the retail landscape throughout all channels and industries. In his speech, Prof. Fassnacht gave an overview of technological developments and challenges of digitization. Based on eleven theses, he discussed the influence of digitization on the retail landscape and derived managerial implications for retailers and manufacturers in the pet care industry.
Held on November 29, 2016 at Henkel Beauty Care in Düsseldorf.
On invitation of Marie-Eve Schröder (Corporate Senior Vice President Henkel Beauty Care) and Dr. Nils Daecke (Corporate Vice President Digital Marketing), Prof. Fassnacht held an inspirational speech about the topic “premiumization” as part of the “Connect to Consumer Program” at Henkel Beauty Care. About 70 managers of the Beauty Care department were introduced to the foundations and strategic options of “premiumization”. With many practical examples from the FMCG industry, Prof. Fassnacht highlighted the importance of the topic for Henkel and formed a basis for the further work on the topic at the “Connect to Consumer” Digital Insight Day on 29 November 2016.
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