LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of the course, students should be able to
- Understand the evolutionary trajectory of consumer-centric brand management
- Apply appropriate branding theories and toolkits to solve contemporary brand challenges
- Critically evaluate different approaches to managing brand performance
- Exhibit fluency with the building blocks of different approaches to branding
- Analyse and critique branding strategies and come up with alternatives
Credits: 6
Schedule: 14.04.2025 - 04.06.2025
Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):
Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Anastasia Nanni
Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):
CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period):
Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):
Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: English
CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD
Content
valid for whole curriculum period:
In this course, we will examine multiple theoretical perspectives on brand and will understand how each theoretical approach involves a different brand management toolkit. We will approach branding from multiple perspectives from rational branding to emotional branding to cultural branding. To complement the theoretical foundations, we will discuss real life strategic challenges that brand and their managers face and learn from the success and failure of particular brand strategies. We will also understand how brands and brand management have evolved in the 21st century and what are the key ethical, environmental and socio-cultural implications of brand management s evolutionary trajectory. We will explore concepts such as unique selling proposition (USP), mindspace positioning, cultural brand strategy and performance metrics such as brand equity, brand love, share of voice.
We will attempt to simulate the life of a brand manager in a typical multinational organization, who is working with incomplete data, technological vanishing points, multi-method research reports, changing marketplace dynamics, intensifying competition and increased customer power.
Assessment Methods and Criteria
valid for whole curriculum period:
Contact teaching/lectures
Individual work
Group work (In-Class Exercises)
Group Work (Presentations)
Preparation for the course
Workload
valid for whole curriculum period:
6 credits, 160 hours:
Class participation
Short Assignments
Group Discussions (Academic Articles and Case Studies)
Group Presentations (Brand Strategy Case Industry Project)
Final Assignment
DETAILS
Study Material
valid for whole curriculum period:
Case studies and articles from practitioner and research oriented journals.
Substitutes for Courses
valid for whole curriculum period:
Prerequisites
valid for whole curriculum period:
FURTHER INFORMATION
Further Information
valid for whole curriculum period:
Teaching Language: English
Teaching Period: 2024-2025 Spring V
2025-2026 Spring VRegistration:
The number of students admitted to the course is restricted to 60. Priority is given to (1) Aalto students studying in MSc Program of Marketing, (2) CEMS-students, (3) BIZ exchange students, (4) Aalto BIZ B.Sc. students with 150 credits, (5) other BIZ students