Paderborn University meets BahnBonus: Sustainability as a driver of customer loyalty
"BahnBonus. Every train journey counts! For the climate. And for you." - This is the slogan with which Deutsche Bahn applies its sustainable loyalty programme "BahnBonus". But is such an investment in sustainability really worthwhile? How important is sustainability from the customer's point of view? Around 30 Master's students addressed these questions in the "Capstone Course" module of the M.Sc. Management programme at Paderborn University in the winter semester 2025/2026. Under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Lena Steinhoff and Dr. Carina Witte, the students developed well-founded and practical recommendations for action for Deutsche Bahn's BahnBonus loyalty programme.
Is sustainability economically viable?
On the one hand, the groups analysed how the perception of the sustainability of the programme affects customer loyalty in order to identify specific starting points for increasing loyalty. On the other hand, they analysed the influence of different gamification elements in the BahnBonus app - such as a wheel of fortune with the option to donate earned reward points - on the perception of sustainability and on customer loyalty.
With the help of interviews, focus groups and a survey with almost 300 participants, the students identified specific measures to increase the perception of sustainability and customer loyalty. Psychological determinants such as customer satisfaction and pride played a major role in this.
Sven Neweling, Head of CRM Strategy and Customer Loyalty Programmes at DB Fernverkehr AG, expressed his enthusiasm at the presentation of the results: "Sustainability is a central component of our corporate strategy. This makes it all the more important for us to understand how our customers perceive sustainable offers and which measures strengthen their loyalty. The results of the project provide exciting and relevant insights that will help us to further develop the BahnBonus programme."
Practical orientation firmly anchored in management studies
The Capstone Course is an integral part of the Master's degree programme in Management at Paderborn University. The aim is for students to learn how to apply theoretical concepts and methodological approaches to entrepreneurial challenges in a targeted manner based on real-life issues, thereby deepening their application and transfer skills in particular.
The module is carried out each semester together with a different practice partner. In the winter semester, supervision is provided by the chair of Prof Dr Lena Steinhoff. She emphasises the added value of the format: "In the capstone course, students acquire key skills that prepare them directly for their future professional life. By working together with the practice partner, they learn directly how they can use the concepts and methods from their degree programme to provide well-founded answers to management-related questions. This makes the module a particular highlight of our degree programme and an important building block for a successful career start." In the coming summer semester, the chair of Prof Dr Rüdiger Kabst will be responsible for the content of the course.
