Learning to do what we love: ICN’s day at ProSieben

​It was one of those rare sunny days in January: The perfect backdrop for exploring the exciting media world of ProSiebenSat1. Having been invited by one of the most successful independent media companies in Europe was indeed one of the highlights for the ICN students enrolled in the ‘Branding in Germany’ course. Yet, even I couldn’t anticipate just what the company had in store for us! We kicked off the morning with a vibrant introduction by the Employee Branding team – who convinced us all of the importance of “doing what we love.” And no doubt, that is exactly what the ProSieben employees are doing! 

​With piqued interest, we then got to the heart of precisely what a massive media company is all about. The major takeaway: ProSieben is much, much more than your traditional media company. In fact, a huge part of their business is the investment side. Major German start-ups like Stylight, Amorelie, MyDays, and the Parship Elite Group are all part of ProSieben and good thing too –ProSieben has no shortage of media power that helps these companies grow exponentially! The students filled the room with questions. What is ProSieben doing to stay current and digital in the era of FANGA (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google, and Apple)? How will the new General Data Protection Regulation impact the company? I was impressed and (I have to admit), pretty proud. Before breaking for lunch, we heard from the inspiring Oliver Dietrich, the Director of Creative Ideation, who explained branding through a series of funny, sad, and artistic ad campaigns. 

​Lunch, of course, was an experience of its own. Like the ProSieben campus, one could easily get lost in the busy and bustling canteen. Afterwards, we were able to get up and move around during a studio tour where we got to view the studio where they film shows like Taff and Galileo. We also got a sneak peek into the Director’s studio before shuffling back to the outside terrace where we enjoyed coffee, cake, and discussions. The day ended with a task: The students were challenged to develop their own 360º campaign for a ProSieben company. While not an easy feat, I am convinced that the students - newly equipped with the knowledge, skills, and maybe even a little bit of the love needed to make it in this business – will not disappoint. 

We, at ICN and particularly the MSc’s in Brand Management would like to thank all of the wonderful employees at ProSieben who made this company visit as amazing as it was! In particular, I would like to thank Inna Ivanova-Genova for making this visit possible and for connecting ICN with ProSieben.