During the first part of the course, the core issue dealt with is the corporate branding construct and process. Thus, the defining features and central premises of a corporate brand and of corporate branding are laid out. During this part we also discuss different perspectives on and experiences of corporate branding in various contexts, and how and why thoughts and practices of corporate branding appear to evolve over time. In the second part, social media and explicitly consumers’ communication processes and relationships with and within social media stand at centre. As with the corporate branding construct, we start off with a clarification of the concept. Thereafter follows the issue of what insight about consumers’ and about communities (types, roles within etc.) that is of value in corporate branding processes. In relation to this we also deal with the issue of how to retrieve insights about consumers’ communication processes in the virtual world. During the third and final part of the course the key issue dealt is management implications of the apparent increasing phenomenon of on-line consumer communities and of consumers’ demand for insight and participation in company processes. This issue will be dealt with through examples (cases) dealing with communication situations, problems and experiences within and from the business world.
 
Progression
The course is affiliated to the course ‘Marketing, Creativity and Innovation’.

This course deals with the following essential question: How to build and retain value creating brand relationships with consumers in the open source world? Accordingly, one central theme in the course deals with understanding consumers’ use of social media to experience, exchange and to co-create brand meanings. Thus the following overall question is addressed: What drives, motivates and influence consumers to acquire and to share market insights, consumption and brand related ideas, values and experiences in on-line communities? Another theme deals with social media from the company perspective. We discuss: What is being communicated in online consumer communities about products, brands and about companies, and how to gain insight about the actors, the contents, and the communication processes? What are the different types of consumer communities, and what are the arguments for a company to choose a particular type as a forum for engaging consumers in brand co-creation processes?A second theme deals with the understanding of corporate branding - in light of trends and development in social media, and consumers’ claim for transparency and participation in value creation processes, among other things. Thus, we discuss the following question:  What are the essential issues, considerations, insights and management processes - when the company vision is to become or to sustain as a differentiated and distinguished corporate brand in the open source world?
Accordingly, the course aim to develop the students’ theoretical understanding about corporate branding and about consumer’s social media behaviour.  Additionally, by a continuous interplay between theory and practice, a second aim of the course is to make the student become able to discuss what the decisions, and other management processes are, in order to make a successful use of social media in corporate branding processes. Furthermore, the course aims to make the student capable to discuss what the essential arguments and prerequisites (resources, values etc.) are for companies to be engaged in on-line communication processes with consumers.

Taking Brand Initiative

Mary Jo Hatch and Majken Schultz, Jossey-Bass

ISB 978-0-7879-9830-1

Plus: a selection of articles