This course will provide students with a solid understanding of the determinants of brand value and how companies should build this value, measure it and extend it over time. Students will learn theories and models drawn from scientific and managerial literature with real cases of brand management, which leads to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. After an introduction on what brands are and why they are relevant for consumers, the course will deal with the following topics: brand positioning and customer-based brand equity; building strong brands; designing and implementing brand marketing programs; branding in the digital era; communicating brand positioning; measurement and interpretation of brand performance; building and developing brand architectures.

By the end of this course students will be able to:  Knowledge and understanding:   By the end of the course, students should be able to:   develop a critical and solid comprehension of brand management principles;  Identify how to create, measure and sustain brand equity;    recognize the theoretical foundations behind consumers’ approach to brands.  Applying knowledge and understanding:   Upon completing the study program, students will be able to:   interpret and apply theoretical principles about branding to purchase and consumption situations;   apply branding concepts learned to framing and resolution of real brand management issues;  work effectively in groups. Making judgements:   Upon completing the study program, students will be able to:   reflect upon their own attitudes and behaviors toward brands they know, evaluate or purchase;  assess and interpret companies’ brand management strategies and tactics they encounter in their life. Communications Skills:   Upon completing the study program, students will be able to:   communicate effectively in written form through completing the assignment and in oral form through final class debate and project work presentations;  manage team-work relations by properly sharing own ideas and listen to others’ ideas;  engage in fruitful communications with the teaching team about course contents as well as about any organizational issues that may arise in due course. Learning skills:   Upon completing the study program, students will be able to:  use a multi-faceted toolbox that allows them to understand the relevance of proper brand management strategies and actions for companies’ survival and growth;  use the acquired knowledge to access to prominent job positions within data- driven companies and institutions and/or to access to further advanced learning programs such as PhD or Master in Marketing. 

Brands and Brand Management Brand equity and brand positioning Building a strong brand Choosing Brand Elements Marketing mix tools to build brand equity Branding in the digital era Secondary brand associations Measuring brand performance Capturing brand perceptions through qualitative and quantitative analysis Brand architecture Brand extensions Managing brand over time

The key textbooks for the course are: Keller, K.L. and Vanitha S. (2020), Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing brand equity. Harlow: Pearson.   Slides, materials and research papers will be listed and made available on the e-learning platform. 

To successfully complete this course, students will need to participate in a series of learning activities. Initially, they will engage with learning materials in an asynchronous format to explore the relevant concepts for the week. Then they will engage in a synchronous session to engage in guided discussions with the instructor and collaborative activities with their peers. This culminates in a weekly interaction with the course TAs to refine their understanding of the Alias brand project tasks through a feedback session. 

The final grade consists of: N. 11 weekly group assignments - 1 point per assignment, up to 11 points  Final group presentation – up to 9 points   Final written exam (individual work) - up to 6 points   Participation (evaluated with a peer evaluation) - up to 4 points  Cum laude will be assigned to students that demonstrate active participation and engagement throughout the whole semester (evaluated through Perusall and synchronous interactions).  In the group project work, students will collaborate with a company, namely Alias (operating in the interior design business). In particular, during the first week of classes the company’s marketing manager will give students a brief about the company and its branding strategy. In the following weeks students, in groups, will work during with the mentoring of instructors and the teaching assistants. Indeed, students will prepare and deliver each week one small assignment related to the project and will receive feedbacks during the TA sessions. During the last course week, students will deliver their project output to the company’s management team.   The final written exam will be composed of a mix of multiple choice questions and essays on the contents covered in the textbook and other course materials. 

Show a consistent interest in the deepened topics Prepare a research proposal on course topics

No.