• Define, characterize and compare customer experiences, as well as their components, drivers, and outcomes
• Define, characterize and compare business models, as well as their components, drivers, and types
• Generate, characterize and contrast business model innovations, and discuss their enablers and consequences
• Discuss and critically reflect upon the alignment between customer experiences and business model innovations
• Apply the theoretical knowledge to real brand cases, and discuss the practical implications and limitations
• Interrelate the theories, models and frameworks from the course, and critically reflect upon them

In contemporary markets characterized by saturated competition and increasingly interchangeable product and service offerings, customer experience has become a central source of differentiation and growth. Brands enhance equity and competitive advantage by managing customer experience across the customer journey and by developing business model innovations that reflect evolving customer needs, stakeholder interactions, and organizational capabilities.

This course examines the theoretical foundations and managerial practices of customer experience and business model innovation, and analyzes how these two domains can be effectively aligned. Students will develop an understanding of the components, drivers, and outcomes of customer experience; the role of intangible brand assets such as identity, personality, culture, mission, and vision; the influence of external actors; and the mechanisms through which experience is co-created across touchpoints. Building on these foundations, the course introduces the structure, components, and types of business models, and explores how firms can innovate their business models in ways that incorporate customer experience considerations.

The course combines conceptual knowledge with applied analysis through cases, group work, supervision, and interaction-based teaching. Students are expected to engage actively in discussions and apply theoretical frameworks to real brand contexts. The course prepares students to critically assess the alignment between customer experience and business model innovation and to evaluate its implications for brand equity and competitive advantage.

Key topics include:

• Components, drivers, and consequences of customer experience

• Intangible brand assets and their influence on experience orchestration

• External factors and stakeholder co-creation of customer experience

• Customer journey design and management of brand touchpoints

• Business model components, types, and innovation mechanisms

• Integration of customer experience within business model innovation

• Strategic alignment of experience and business model innovation to enhance brand equity and competitiveness.

• Classic and basic theory
• Methodology

• Development of research questions
• Data collection
• Analysis
• Discussion, critical reflection, modelling
• Peer review including Peer-to-peer
• Activities that contribute to new or existing research projects
• Students conduct independent research-like activities under supervision

This course is part of the Minor in Marketing and Innovation, but can also be taken independently. 
  

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