Julian Wichmann: ‘Because of a mistake I ended up in marketing’

By bringing in Julian Wichmann, Tilburg University made a good move last year, according to the American Marketing Association. He has been awarded a research award for his article ‘The Platformization of Brands’. Besides regularly winning awards, what else is there to know about Wichmann?

1. What did you want to be as a child?

‘When I was really small, a policeman. But that only lasted a little while. I remember in primary school the kids were collecting these trading cards. And I started trading with them, trying to get the most valuable ones. So, I guess I have some business genes in me.’

2. What are you most proud of?

‘Awards are fantastic, especially the last one that I received, the Robert Lusch Early Career Research Award. That is quite a big honor, because I learned he was not only a very, very prolific researcher, but also a very kind person. Beyond that, probably my daughter. I became a dad two years ago and my daughter makes me really proud, because she is super smart and kind.’

3. What do you daydream about?

‘Publications, probably because I really like to do research. And to finally have a paper out there and have it accepted in a journal. That tells you people care about it. It’s a kind of validation that what you’ve been working on for years, while doubting yourself, makes sense and is relevant.’

‘I prefer parks over stuffy clubs, where it is just loud and sweaty’

4. What is a perfect night out for you?

‘Good food, good wine, friends. Preferably on long warm summer nights, when you can stay out forever. I live in Cologne in Germany, and we have a couple of parks and squares where people meet. These days I prefer that over stuffy clubs. You know, where it is just loud and sweaty and everything.’

5. Which book would you recommend to everyone?

‘I am not a super big reader, but there was one book I really enjoyed, the autobiography of Giacomo Casanova. People always think it is super spicy, because he is known for his escapades with women. But by today’s standards it is rather mild. It is however interesting as a historic look into the past: Casanova traveling all over Europe, meeting famous people like Voltaire and Rousseau and the Czar of Russia.’

6. Where do you get your ideas for research?

‘I watch a lot of YouTube videos for infotainment, from those I get a lot of ideas. Also, from philosophy channels. Philosophers are very good at structuring complex relationships and dynamics. There are a lot of ideas and concepts to adopt from them and it also influences what I think about. Otherwise, everyday life. Things I notice, things I talk about with others. Inspiration is everywhere.’

7. What should be general knowledge (but isn’t)?

‘We moved a while back and now we have a little garden. I thought about putting plants in it. But in the gardening shops you have so many flowers from America or China, that local insects and birds are not adapted to. It’s really important to plant native flowers.’

8. You have an unexpected afternoon off; how do you spend the time?

‘I would probably just pick up my daughter from daycare a bit earlier and then go to the playground with her, or to a café. She’s a very social kid; she likes to watch people. Usually, we pick her up in the late afternoon and have to do shopping and cooking. And then it’s almost bedtime. It would be nice to have some extra time.’

‘In Germany the state of the bureaucracy and digitalization is abysmal, compared to the Netherlands’

9. What does really get your goat?

‘What really gets on my nerves are inefficiencies when you have to deal with services, or bureaucracy especially. I live in Germany and the state of the bureaucracy and digitalization is like that of the last century. It’s abysmal, especially compared to the Netherlands.

‘The only thing you can do online is basically book an appointment for your city office. I worked at the University of Cologne and there it’s the same. Everything has to be printed out and sent by internal mail.’

10. They sometimes say that you learn the most from your mistakes. What is your best blunder?

‘When I did my bachelor’s in economics in Utrecht, I wanted to do a sociology minor. Something went wrong, and I ended up in a business minor. I just went with it, and it was awesome, because it gave me an exchange year in Rome, where I took my first marketing classes. I realized: marketing is fun. This blunder initiated my whole academic journey.’

11. What should you actually do more?

‘Probably read a bit more. I only do it on vacations and these days even that has become difficult. And sports. When my daughter was born, I basically had to quit all sports, because there is just no time for that.’

12. Netflix or reading?

‘Netflix. With this job you do so much reading and writing. So, at the end of the day, I don’t really feel like reading anymore. I need some other mode of information intake.’

13. Never work again or never go on holiday again?

‘I like my work, but without anything to balance it out, it would get too tedious after a while. I am interested in many things, so I could spend my time in different ways and be happy. For example, I like woodworking, baking and cooking and doing my garden. And traveling of course. All of these I could spend my time on. But don’t tell my employer.’