Research in Marketing and Media Communication on the Use and Impact of Artificial Intelligence
On June 14, 2024, Marcel Hauck successfully defended his doctoral dissertation titled “Effects of Algorithmic and Editorial Recommendations on Users in Public Service Media Video-on-Demand Systems” at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. As of July 3, 2024, he is now officially authorized to use the title of Doctor.
Dr. Hauck defended his dissertation before his primary advisor, Prof. Dr. Franz Rothlauf (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), his secondary advisor, Prof. Dr. Sven Pagel (Mainz University of Applied Sciences), as well as the additional reviewers Prof. Dr. Birgit Stark and Prof. Dr. Andranik Tumasjan (also Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz). Marcel Hauck conducted research in the fields of marketing and media communication on the use and impact of artificial intelligence. In the field of marketing communication, he collaborated with the partner company loci GmbH Deutschland to examine the digital visibility of companies. In the field of media communication, he investigated the effects of algorithmic and editorial recommendations on users in public media libraries.
Prof. Dr. Sven Pagel emphasizes that this doctoral project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (EU ERDF) and the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Science and Health, enabled the generation and publication of both scientific and practice-oriented knowledge. “Dr. Marcel Hauck’s work demonstrates the appeal of collaborative doctoral programs at the interface between a research university and a university of applied sciences.”
Prof. Dr. Franz Rothlauf also praises the renewed successful collaboration between the University of Mainz and Mainz University of Applied Sciences. He is pleased that he was able to successfully support Hauck throughout the entire doctoral process and guide him on his path to becoming an independent researcher.
Marcel Hauck is the 14th doctoral candidate to have completed his doctorate in the Department of Economics. It took him five years to complete the collaborative doctoral program, which he managed to pursue alongside his career and family life with two children. His academic career began in the winter semester of 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Media, IT & Management at the Department of Economics. He then earned a Master of Science in Media Informatics; he completed both degree programs with honors. In the meantime, he served as a research assistant and team leader for Applied AI in the Business Informatics and Media Management (WIMM) research group at Mainz University of Applied Sciences.
Since 2023, the 37-year-old has been working for ARD Online as a recommendation expert. In plain language, this means that Dr. Hauck is responsible for developing the recommendation systems for the ARD Media Library and ARD Audio Library. He is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Economics. “I am very happy that my research allowed me to examine socially relevant topics with a practical focus,” says the recent Ph.D. graduate, who is proud to have made a small contribution to both academia and professional practice through his dissertation.