• Identify and analyze relevant qualitative and quantitative information from the concrete case situation using appropriate theories, concepts and metrics.
• Develop strategic goals based on market information from the concrete case situation in order to manage brands strategically and successfully in the competitive business environment.
• Develop a strategic brand management plan for a strategic business unit by applying central theories, concepts and metrics in relevant ways to analyze, evaluate and critically reflect upon the concrete case situation.
• Develop a critical and incisive mindset that enables the student to understand implications of strategic decisions and to improve these decisions continuously for brands in the concrete case situation.

Aim of the course

The most valuable asset that a company has is its brand/s. Brand value includes a range of factors, such as financials, availability, ease of use, uniqueness, attributes, emotional, and symbolic factors and how these factors match with consumers’ physical and emotional needs. This is the case for both large conglomerates and small start-up companies. Brand Management is the concept of strategically and responsibly organizing marketing activities around the positioning, communication and optimization of brands and brand portfolios. Although manufacturing processes, product designs, service and retail concepts often can be replicated by competitors it is less easy to replicate strong beliefs, emotions, and attitudes among customers toward a brand. Like people, a brand has a certain 'personality'. This 'personality' differentiates it from other brands and provides it with the opportunity to establish a market position and expand if managed properly.

The course Applied Strategic Brand Management provides students with deep knowledge and skills necessary to manage brands strategically in practice. Based on relevant theoretical frameworks and tools, students train the ability to develop brand strategies based on market information and to manage a portfolio of brands strategically, including making decisions in a simulated brand environment. As such, students will play in teams of around three individuals and participate in all aspects of information gathering, analysis, strategy development, strategic decision making, and implementation over 10 simulated periods (years).

Content: Strategically managing a brand in a simulated environment

The course provides students with a global theoretical framework for strategic brand management, which enables the students to develop brand strategies and to implement well-informed strategic decisions in a simulated environment. The simulation game involves topics such as brand positioning and market segmentation, dealing with the financial aspects of brand management, as well as understanding the functions of brand management to deliver sustained customer and stakeholder value and brand loyalty. It also demands practical management skills of strategic planning, product management, and marketing mix decision making (price, promotion, discounts, channel management, integrated marketing communication etc.). Students learn how to grow brand value through carefully designed and implemented strategic brand and line extension decisions. Students also study how to adjust brand strategies over time to maximize the company earnings. Thereby, students develop a critical and incisive mindset that enables them to understand implications of strategic decisions and to continuously improve these decisions—also in the light of extant literature; encouraging them to continuously “relearn”. Finally, this course supports students in further developing their own knowledge and skills through intense collaboration and negotiations in teams.

• Kotler and Keller (newest edition). A framework for marketing management. Pearson.

• The simulation case.

• A license to the game will be provided by the program (if funding allows). More information will be given in the weeks before the course starts