BRANDING AND COMMUNICATION - 1

The Brand Management course aims to make students aware of the importance of the brand, the complexity of brand management, and the opportunities that a strong brand can create for a company.
The course presents topics concerning brand management over time. In addition to specific types of brands (e.g. luxury brands, corporate or retailer brands, industrial brands, digital brands), a theoretical perspective is presented along with illustrative examples. Concepts such as brand image, brand identity and personality, territorial brands, brand values and its evolution over time will be analysed. The complexity of brand architecture according to the different hierarchical levels defined by companies in the management of the brand portfolio will be discussed. The financial aspect of brand management and its economic evaluation will be considered. The elements of the offer that contribute to the construction of the brand image, such as packaging, logo, etc., will be analysed. Different adaptations of brand positioning in international, culturally distant markets and the role assigned to naming will be discussed. The last part of the course will be devoted to Branding management and strategies.

1. Knowledge and understanding
● Knowing the main theories about branding and models of brand analysis.
● Knowing the different ways of adaptation of branding strategies and solutions used by companies in different market contexts.
● Knowing the basics of strategic marketing and brand management behavior of companies in international markets and culturally distant markets.
2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
● To Know how to correctly recognize which brand management tools and activities can be used in the various situations of international markets.
● To Know how to do a simple analysis of the brand management problems that a company faces daily in a complex market context.
● To Be able to recognize the key aspects of a brand management decision and its implementation.
● To Be able to work in a multicultural team to solve complex marketing problems.
3. Ability to judge
● Knowing how to formulate and argue hypotheses for solving brand management problems, also developing a critical approach to the evaluation of alternative hypotheses.
4. Communication skills
● Knowing how to use the appropriate language in describing aspects of brand management.
● Knowing how to interact with peers, critically and respectfully, problem-solving.
5. Learning skills
● Knowing how to critically consult the reference texts and the bibliography contained.
● Knowing how to find, collect and select useful information from various sources to solve branding marketing problems
The students will know the main features of the brand, the connection among brands, the brand architecture, and the problems to solved in an international market context. Students should be able to manage the main tools for a brand strategy, to identify common pitfalls and risks in brand management. The students will be able to analyse the brand strenghts, weakenesses, and opportunities, and apply in a real situation what they learnt form the course.

Basic marketing management knowledge.

1 - Introduction to the concept of brand management
2 - Launching a new brand
3 - Brand equity
4 - Brand building
5 - Brand identity and positioning
6 - Brand design
7 - Brand architecture
8 - Lifecycle Brand Management
9 - Corporate branding and brand reputation
10 - Retailer brands
11 - Packaging, product design and brand management
12 - Naming
14 - Luxury Brands
15 - Strategic Branding
16 - C0-branding
17 - Country image and country of origin effect
18 - Global Brands and International Brands

Textbook and mandatory readings will be published in the Moodle page

The assessment of learning takes place through a written exam. During the exam, the student must demonstrate knowledge of the topics covered in the course and included in the teaching materials, as well as the ability to present them critically.
The methods used to assess the acquired knowledge and skills are:
a) For the institutional content of the course, a series of questions will be asked to evaluate the student's acquired knowledge, with particular attention to the level of understanding.
b) The ability to apply this knowledge will be assessed by discussing case studies and/or activities carried out during the project work. This second phase will evaluate argumentative skills and critical analysis abilities.

written

The lecturer has a duty to ensure that the rules regarding the authenticity and originality of exam tests and papers are respected. Therefore, if there is suspicion of irregular conduct, an additional assessment may be conducted, which could differ from the original exam description.

Regarding the grading scale (how grades will be assigned),
A. Scores in the range of 18-22 will be assigned when:
- Adequate knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the curriculum are demonstrated.
- Sufficient communication skills, especially regarding the use of specific language related to the subject
B. Scores in the range of 23-26 will be assigned when:
- Good knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the curriculum are demonstrated.
- Adequate communication skills, especially regarding the use of specific language relatedto the subject.
C. Scores in the range of 27-30 will be assigned when:
- Good or excellent knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the curriculum are demonstrated.
- Fully appropriate communication skills, especially regarding the use of specific language related to the subject
D. Honors will be granted when there is excellent knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the
curriculum, exceptional judgment, and communication skills.

Lectures will be concentrated in the first part of the course. Cases studies will be used to develop group works. Students will be directly involved in the lessons through discussion on brand topics. Some managers will be involved who will present the brand strategy in the business in which they operate. At the end of the course there will be a collective presentation of group work.