As part of the course Sales Management, we were pleased to welcome guest speakers from Mars to our lecture hall again on December 9, 2022, after two years of virtual visits. The guest lecture from Mars is a long and always well-received tradition that provides students with valuable insights from corporate practice.

Guest speakers Nexan Chopra, European Customer Business Director, and Frank Hanisch, Channel Development Director, gave the students exciting perspectives on the omnichannel management of a global B2C company. Frank Hanisch started with a presentation of the company, its history and the broad product portfolio. Nexan Chopra then reported on the influence of the smartphone and the associated shift in focus to online channels and e-commerce in particular. There were exciting insights into Mars' omnichannel strategy, which focuses on the personalization of customer interactions and a consistently positive customer experience across all channels.

To bridge the gap between theory and practice, lecture materials were used to demonstrate how Mars develops a comprehensive channel strategy. Complementing the theoretical knowledge from the lecture, Mars provided a glimpse into the opportunities and risks that omnichannel management brings to the company.

Afterwards, a Meet & Greet took place on the MCM premises, where the students and the guest speakers from Mars had the opportunity to enter into a direct dialog with each other. Thanks to the interactive round, students were able to ask follow-up questions about the guest lecture's content and discuss career opportunities at Mars.

We would like to thank Mars for the informative guest lecture and their willingness to provide insights from their practical experience.