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2013/2014  KAN-CM_A40  Retail Branding & Innovation

English Title
Retail Branding & Innovation

Course information
Language English
Exam ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Quarter
Course period First Quarter
Changes in course schedule may occur
Friday 08.00-11.30, week 36-42
Friday 08.00-12.25, week 43
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Max. participants 80
Study board
Study Board for MSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course coordinator
  • Richard Jones - Department of Marketing (Marketing)
Main academic disciplines
  • Marketing
Last updated on 01-11-2013
Learning objectives
At the end of the course the student should be able to:
  • Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the business, political, social, economic, ecological and technological environments in which the contemporary retail manager works
  • Demonstrate an advanced level of knowledge of the concepts and practices of retail branding and innovation management from strategic and implementation perspectives
  • Be aware of and understand strategic and best practice approaches to retailing issues and decisions, with a special emphasis on managing the retailer (corporate) brand and meeting stakeholder needs through excellent and innovative retail management, which includes understanding the retail mix, brand elements and performance management
  • Apply that learning to individual assignments, retailer focussed projects and to class discussions, workshops and forums
  • Reflect on and incorporate sustainability and ethical issues in a retailing context
Course prerequisites
Students must have knowledge about basic concepts in marketing and in business strategy
Examination
Skriftligt gruppeprojekt med individuelt mundtligt forsvar (Group Written Report with Individual Oral Defense):
Examination form Oral exam based on written product

In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and the individual oral performance.
Individual or group exam Individual
Size of written product Max. 15 pages
Assignment type Project
Duration
Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
20 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) Internal examiner and second internal examiner
Exam period October
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Description of the exam procedure

The exam for this course is a combined group project with an individual oral defense. The project is based around field observations undertaken by the group. In your group you will be asked to undertake on-site field observations of a chosen contemporary retail setting. Such settings may include but not be restircted to: High Street, shopping centres, markets, garage sales, farmers markets and flea markets. This assignment allows you to investigate at first hand the dynamics of these settings and to gain a greater understanding of retail behaviors in- situ.
Your findings will then be discsused in relation to contemporary issues discussed in the course. A structure for this discussion and detailed guidelines will be available at the start of the course.
 
Course content and structure
The course is structured so that it starts with an analysis of the domain of retailing, with particular emphasis on retail strategy and an investigation of the retail context and profiles of retail customers. Analysis of the specific political, economic, socio-cultural and technological contexts for the retailer is considered early in the course because this analysis is critical to retail success. Next, recent research on retail branding, including retailer branding, retail concept and retail personality, is examined. To develop a retail strategy, retailers must determine their brand and then design the elements of the retail mix, which will build that retailer brand. The dimensions of the retail mix are addressed from strategic and innovative viewpoints. To implement the strategic approach, effective and efficient management of retail operations is required and it is here that retail management information systems and performance management systems make a major impact.
 
The course is designed to be highly interactive and build upon principles of active learning.  The students are invited, through small workshop exercises througout the course to identify key issues in relation to retail branding.  These are then discussed in more traditional lecture based presentations from the course instructor.   Field observations of retail sites is a key learning tool for the students.
 
The retail branding and innovation course is designed to equip graduates to interact with and manage branding and innovation roles and functions in retailing and supply chain contexts, and to relate retail branding and innovation to the strategic directions of an organization.
Students will, additionally, learn to demonstrate an understanding of the contributions of sustainable retail branding to the successful performance of an organization, and as graduates to be champions of sustainable retail branding and innovation in a multiplicity of enterprise contexts, including firms, public sector and not-for profit organizations and product
and services retailing.
Teaching methods
The course is designed to be highly interactive and build upon principles of active learning. The students are invited, through small workshop exercises througout the course to identify key issues in relation to retail branding. These are then discussed in more traditional lecture based presentations from the course instructor. Field observations of retail sites is integrated into the course and the final assessment.
Expected literature
There is no fixed text for this course.  Instead a number of readings (in the form of journal articles) will be listed before the start of the course.  These are required readings and will relate to the topic presented in the course.  By way of preparation you should read the following article:
Ailawadi, K. & Keller, K. (2004). Understanding retail branding: conceptual insights and research priorities. Journal of Retailing, Vol 80: pp. 331-342.
Last updated on 01-11-2013