Aims

The module aims to:

- To provide students with knowledge and understanding of branding concepts, frameworks and theories.
- To provide the skills needed for the evaluation of branding strategies
- To provide the skills necessary for brand strategy development and implementation

This module provides a comprehensive introduction to brand management in both theory and practice by introducing key concepts, theories, and frameworks to analyse brands and brand-consumer dynamics. By drawing from real-world cases and contemporary research and theories within the branding and consumer psychology literature, the module discusses the ubiquitous presence of brands in consumers daily life and explores consequences branding has on contemporary marketing practices, consumers, and society.

Outline Of Syllabus

Semester 1
Brands and Branding
Customer-based Equity and Brand Positioning
Brand Resonance and the Brand Value Chain
Choosing Brand Elements to Build Brand Equity
Designing Marketing Programmes to Build Brand Equity
Integrated Marketing Communications to Build Brand Equity
Leveraging Secondary Brand Associations to Build Brand Equity

Semester 2
Developing a Brand Equity Measurement and Management System
Measuring Sources of Brand Equity: Capturing Customer Mind-set
Measuring Outcomes of Brand Equity: Capturing Market Performance
Designing and Implementing Brand Architecture Strategies
Introducing and Naming New Products and Brand Extensions
Managing Brands Over Time
Managing Brands Over Geographic Boundaries and Market Segments

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The module adopts the Harvard approach to learning: lectures convey the essential theories used by scholars and practitioners alike and are supported by a wide range of examples and illustrations from business practice of brands. These examples and illustrations are embedded in the lectures and also offered through structured research and reading activities, non-synchronous discussions, with aim to clarify and complement the material.

The small group teaching sessions, seminars, are focused on analysis of case studies designed to offer students the opportunity of thought-provoking discussion in topical issues in brand management.
One of the scheduled teaching sessions in each semester is reserved for pre-assessment clinic, for instructor to provide formative assessment to students (e.g. feedback on their essay plans, joint analysis of good and bad practice/approach examples followed by discussion).

Guided independent study is focused on guided reading of specific chapters/articles suggested by instructors to enhance student independent learning and motivate them to conduct their own secondary data search via independent study.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

In semester 1, students will write a 2000-word brand audit report on a personal, product or corporate brand, making recommendations for improvement of the brand (40%).
In semester 2, students will be assessed based on two summative assignments – A group presentation on the launch strategy for a new brand of their own creation (20%). The second assignment will be a 2000-word individual report based on the group presentation (40%).

Assignments in Semesters 1 and 2 are designed to directly match intended learning outcomes allowing for independent research and reflective engagement among students.
The essay-based assignments in Semesters 1 and 2 assesses the students’ comprehension of used teaching/learning material and their ability to apply branding models/frameworks/theories to investigate, interpret, relate, and propose strategies for brands utilising both organisation-based and consumer-based perspectives. While the assignment for Semester 1 focuses on the strategic level of branding, the assignment for Semester 2 focuses on the consumer-grounded perspective, allowing students to gain a balanced view on branding.

The formative assessment (pre-assessment clinic) in Semester 1 will therefore be organised in a form of group analysis of good/bad practices, examples and approaches to answering to main assignment question and composing an essay appropriately, with focus on critical analysis. Within the pre-assessment clinic in semester 2, formative assessment will be in form of feedback on the group presentation. Whilst students are preparing for the group presentation, topic covered in each seminar will present opportunities for feedback.