"This recognition is a testament to my passion for understanding digital consumer behaviour and its impact on modern marketing strategies.

For my master’s thesis, I explored the driving factors behind impulse buying in social commerce and how they differ from traditional in-store purchasing behaviour. This was not just a topic of academic interest for me—it’s something that affects me directly, which made researching and writing about it so exciting. Seeing how digital environments shape consumer behaviour in real time was both fascinating and eye-opening.

Being recognised by edcom at a European level is a great honour and reaffirms that hard work and dedication truly pay off. I am excited about the future and look forward to applying these insights in the ever-changing digital landscape!"

-Rebecca Kubatsch, FH Wien, 2025 2nd place winner           

"Exploring the impact of temporal and address framing in green marketing has been an exciting yet challenging journey, as this area remained largely unexplored till now. Diving into this research pushed me to question, analyze, and contribute to an interesting and growing field.
I am deeply grateful for the support I received along the way writing my Master's thesis—especially from my supervisor, who guided and encouraged me through this process, to my family, friends, partner, and fellow students, who supported me every step of the way. Being a finalist in the edcom Graduation Competition was already an amazing achievement, and placing third is beyond what I had hoped for. I’m really grateful for this recognition and the opportunity to share my research.
Education is a privilege, and I am truly thankful for the opportunity to contribute to a field I am passionate about!"

-Bettina Gatterer, FH Wien, 2025 3rd place winner           

"Exploring the credibility of green brands' purpose in sustainability communication has been an immensely enriching journey, shaping not only my academic pursuits but also deepening my understanding of the interaction between marketing and sustainability. Having my work selected for submission to edcom came as both a delightful surprise and a tremendous honour, and I am profoundly grateful for the guidance and support of my supervisor throughout this process. Congratulations to all fellow winners, and heartfelt thanks to the edcom Graduation Competition team for this prestigious recognition. Receiving acknowledgment for the efforts of the past months in this manner is incredibly gratifying and serves as a powerful motivation to continually push personal boundaries. Thank you so much!"

-Ines Muthenthaler, FH Wien, 2024 Master Winner

"I am deeply honoured to accept this award. Crafting my thesis was a journey filled with challenges and self-doubt, but I persevered. Winning this competition reaffirms that determination and hard work truly pay off. Let this be a reminder to never underestimate your own potential, for greatness awaits those who refuse to give up".

-Napsugár Gulyás, Breda University of Applied Sciences, 2024 Bachelor Winner

"Everyone always told me that I should choose a Master thesis topic that interests me deeply, both professionally and personally, because I will spend a lot of time on it. With my master thesis about the influence of digital storytelling on the customer journey for vacation trips of the Austrian generation Y I found exactly that.
I look back at the time of writing my master thesis as a challenging but rewarding time. It was oddly satisfying to watch the raw pieces of information I gathered and the research I conducted fit together into one paper. I worked full-time while writing this paper and poured all my remaining time and energy into it, so being first rewarded by my university by nominating me and also on a European level by edcom Graduation Competition is a great honor and proves me that hard work always pays off.”

-Rebecca Daul, FH Wien, 2023 Winner

"When I wrote my bachelor’s I never thought about using it for a competition. My thesis was accompanied by an internship where I also produced 50 videos for their internal and external corporate communication channels. The research of my thesis was therefore immediately of value for my own work. But to have my work recognised and appreciated on an international level in the Edcom Graduation Competition is truly amazing. I am currently taking a master’s and this is a great boost of confidence. Thank you very much!”

-Jassie Van Balkom, Breda University of Applied Sciences, 2023 Winner

“Writing my Master thesis is a period of time that I look back on very fondly. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to further explore the research field of Augmented Reality Marketing with my supervisor, Milena, supporting me every step of the way. This field one that I am so incredibly passionate about, and researching it changed my career goals, and refined what I am passionate about. To have my work not only recognized, but also appreciated on a European level is something that I did not expect, and I could not be more thrilled about. This competition is a phenomenal initiative that shines a bright light on and rewards students who put all of their thought, time and energy into their research. ”

-Rosie Slayter, Breda University of Applied Sciences, 2022 Winner

“As we see more and more brands getting involved in social issues, there was a need to understand how Millennials reacted to such activism. The amalgamation of Millennials’ willingness to voice their opinions and their awareness of social issues has been overlooked in previous studies. This study looked at their opinions towards brand activism to understand what factors catalyse asymmetry in their attitudes, with the aim of assisting brands in mitigating any negative effects. To be awarded by edcom and the EACA for this paper is a great honour, and something I’ll take with me throughout my career. I’d encourage any student to get involved with the competition.”

-Jonathan Shaw, Bournemouth University, 2022 Winner

“As Covid-19 spread across the world, I capitalised on this as an opportunity to explore Millennials' susceptibility to nostalgia during such unprecedented times. The contextual opportunity fell on my lap and I was really excited to be able to conduct some 'original' research on something that has never been done before! I wanted to get my research out there so I entered the EACA graduation competition. I was so thrilled to hear I got through to the next round, let alone hearing that I won the competition! I am so proud of what I have achieved.” 

-Aisling Hoban, TU Dublin, 2021 Winner