Brand Strategy

6 ECTS credits
153 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 1016679BER for all students in the 2nd semester at a (B) Bachelor - advanced level.

Semester

2nd semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Possible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Enrollment Requirements

Students who want to enroll for this course, must have passed for ’Introduction to Communication Studies' and must have obtained at least 90 ECTS-credits on bachelor level (Social Sciences). Students in a master programme can follow this course.

Taught in

Dutch

Faculty

Faculty of Social Sciences & SolvayBusinessSchool

Department

Communication Sciences

Educational team

Alfons Van Dyck (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

26 contact hours Lecture
127 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

This course is meant to offer an exploratory perspective on the broad domain of brands. Emphasis lies on the main theoretical insights, but grounded in cases and field testimonials.

The course comprises 2 parts:

A first part of the course dives deeper into the meaning and role of brands, also from a historical point of view. Brands are put against a background of important societal, technological and consumer tendencies. Several market segmentation models are tackled and the interrelationship between business strategy and brand strategy will be studied. The course elaborates on the basic principles of brand positioning and brand architecture, and illustrates both with business examples. Further attention will be given to the long-term sustainability of brands and the ways to revitalize a brand over time.

The second part of the course sheds light on more specific topics such as: re-branding, global versus local brand strategies, branding in a professional market (B2B) and retail branding. Finally, the course pays attention to the assessment of a brand’s value (‘brand equity’) and the societal criticism on brands.

The course builds on current academic knowledge in brand management, both national and international.

Multiple business guest speakers, with relevant experiences in the field, will be invited to contribute to this course. They will present business cases that reflect the subjects treated in class.

Course material

Handbook (Recommended) : Strategisch merkenmanagement + MyLab NL toegangscode, Merkmeerwaarde opbouwen, beheren en meten, Kevin Lane Keller - Ruud Heijenga - Erik Schoppen, 4de, Pearson Benelux B.V., 9789043033084, 2015
Handbook (Recommended) : Het Merk Mens, Consumenten grijpen de macht, Fons Van Dyck, BIB, 9789077442128, 2007
Handbook (Recommended) : Strategisch Management Van Merken, Giep Franzen - Marieke van Den Berg, BIB, 9789014079882, 2002
Handbook (Recommended) : De onsterfelijke onderneming, Overleven in disruptieve tijden, Fons Van Dyck, LannooCampus, 9789401455930, 2019

Additional info

All sessions will be conducted by means of a powerpoint presentation, to lead and illustrate the subjects talked about. This presentation serves as an overview and summary of the course and contains a lot of valuable illustrative material. The electronic version of the course slides will be made available for students; however, guest speaker slides will only be presented during class. Moreover, students will receive a number of academic articles concerning brand management.

If students desire additional reading, apart from the standard course material, the following manuals are recommended:

Keller, K.L., Heijenga, R., Schoppen, E. (2015), Strategisch merkenmanagement, Pearson Education Benelux, 448p.
Franzen, G. en Van Den Berg, M. (2001), Strategisch Management van merken. Kluwer, 683 p.
Van Dyck F. (2007), Het merk mens (Consumenten grijpen de macht). Lannoo Campus/Scriptum, 288 p.

Learning Outcomes

General competencies

This course contributes to the following general learning results of the bachelor in communication sciences:

Students have specific knowledge and understanding of the diverse paradigms, main theoretical currents, concepts and research traditions within communication scientific approaches to media, strategic communication and marketing.
Students show insight in the position and mutual relations of the diverse paradigms, main theoretical currents, concepts and research traditions within the discipline and in relation to other theories, methods, concepts and models in other disciplines (interdisciplinarity).
Students demonstrate insight in the underlying human and worldview and (the historical development of) assumptions of the diverse paradigms, main theoretical currents, concepts and research traditions in general and their approach to the relation between media, communication and society in particular.
Students have knowledge and understanding of historical and recent developments in media and communication.
Students have knowledge and understanding of the structures, operation and processes of media and communication organisations, media and communication practices, and media and communication markets and their relations with media, strategic communication and marketing.
Students can detect and analyse trends and issues within a media landscape and estimate their societal, professional and policy implications on the basis of a theoretical framework of reference and analysis linked to communication scientific approaches to media, strategic communication and marketing.
Students demonstrate insight in the diversity of sources and search techniques.
Students show a critical attitude with regard to sources and literature.
Students can develop their own scientifically grounded judgement and act in the spirit of free inquiry – i.e. with an open, critical-constructive and a-dogmatic attitude. Students do not seek ‘ultimate truths’, yet respond to scientific debate and the relative uncertainty of insights from an open position.
Students can critically and self-critically, with a long term perspective, from an interdisciplinary angle, and cautious of monocausal interpretations, gauge the impact of social, cultural, economic, ethical, technological, political, legal and other factors to communication processes.
Students reflect upon their own position as scientists, construe assumptions and identify and explicitate critically their presuppositions.
Students demonstrate an honest attitude, ethical stance and engaged position, permitting a relevant contribution to current scientific and societal debates.
Students act upon an open attitude in a culturally diverse international context. They critically reflect on their own (geographical, social, cultural, local, personal, …) position
Students are able to communicate information, insights and their research findings to diverse audiences in writing, orally and by using multimedia.
Students develop an attitude of willingness to listen and respect to one another in order to engage in debates on the basis of scientifically and empirically grounded arguments.
Students can – with guidance – learn and act independently, creatively, critically and entrepreneurially.
Students demonstrate an interested, studious and inquisitive attitude and have an open attitude to life long and independent learning.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Oral Exam with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

Not applicable.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context