Brand-Driven Strategic Management

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Year 1	Oriol Iglesias Bedós	Marketing	ENG

Course Learning Objectives

The main objective for most companies is sustained profitable growth. This course will discuss how companies can achieve this by planning and managing holistically their business, brand and innovation strategies.
However, due to the changing worldwide socio-economic environment new managerial models are required to build strong brands capable of achieving this sustainable profitable growth. This need comes from the growing importance and impact of social networks and social media, the emerging disruptive technologies and platforms, the globalization of markets and the growing demands from consumers.

All in all, the learning objectives of the course will be:

- To understand how to develop a brand audit and how to assess the competitive position of a brand.
- The course will also focus on how to explore and take advantage of potential growth strategies, based on the diagnosis coming from the brand audit.
- In order to build long lasting value, participants will learn the importance of actively managing the key brand building processes: brand identity, brand vision, brand communications, brand experience, corporate culture and organizational structure.
- Upon completing this course, participants will also comprehend how to take strategic decisions related to brand architecture, brand portfolio and brand extensions.
- Another central topic will be how brands should innovate for profitable growth. The potential of co-creation strategies will be discussed.
- Within the sphere of brand management, and therefore of marketing, students will be able to develop skills for analysis and planning; problem definition and resolution; preparation, making and implementation of decisions; search for and interpretation of important data; formulation of strategies and working effectively with others.

CONTENT

1. Introduction to brand management Under the perspective of the organic view of the brand (OVB), students will be able to understand a brand as a portfolio of meanings and a complex ecosystem that needs to be managed, while accepting the increasing loss of control that managers have over the brand. We will also discuss the central role of brand identity as the glue that holds the organization together and that links the past and the heritage together with the future aspirations of the company. Students will also learn how to develop a brand identity and how to nurture it so that it becomes enduring.
2. Brand Identity We will discuss how to build a strong corporate brand we need an authentic enduring identity and an inspiring brand vision. Students will learn how to establish a vision that moves the organization towards the desired goals and objectives for the next strategic planning period. Moreover, we will also discuss how to align the identity and the vision with the brand communications and experience. Finally we will underline the key role that the corporate culture and the organizational structure play in bringing the brand strategy to life.
3. Strategizing by categories One of the keys for profitable sustainable brand growth is understanding that brands need to create new categories and uncontested markets. Moreover, it is essential to comprehend how to manage a brand across the product category life cycle. Students will learn how to escape from the traditional market share competition that characterizes mature markets, to the category creation competition
4. Brand experience management Brands are not what they say, but what they do. Thus, it is essential to understand what the brand experience is and the financial implications of proactively managing this. Students will also learn how to diagnose and design a superior brand experience.
5. Brand architecture and portfolio analysis Many companies don¿t manage properly their brand and product portfolios and as a consequence they overextend causing severe managerial and financial problems. Students will learn how to diagnose, prioritize and manage the brand portfolio and how to choose the brand architecture that can maximize its value.
6. The brand audit In order to take good strategic decisions that drive future profitable growth, managers need before to understand the competitive situation of their businesses and brands. Students will learn how to conduct and in depth analysis and audit of the competitive position of a brand, for every product category, and how to then draw a precise and simple diagnosis based on the previous analysis.
7. Growth strategies and brand-driven innovation Knowing how to systematically explore and prioritize growth options is one of the competences that characterize the best managers. Students will learn how to do this while also aligning business, brand and innovation strategies.

1. Introduction to brand management

Under the perspective of the organic view of the brand (OVB), students will be able to understand a brand as a portfolio of meanings and a complex ecosystem that needs to be managed, while accepting the increasing loss of control that managers have over the brand.

We will also discuss the central role of brand identity as the glue that holds the organization together and that links the past and the heritage together with the future aspirations of the company. Students will also learn how to develop a brand identity and how to nurture it so that it becomes enduring.

2. Brand Identity

We will discuss how to build a strong corporate brand we need an authentic enduring identity and an inspiring brand vision. Students will learn how to establish a vision that moves the organization towards the desired goals and objectives for the next strategic planning period. Moreover, we will also discuss how to align the identity and the vision with the brand communications and experience. Finally we will underline the key role that the corporate culture and the organizational structure play in bringing the brand strategy to life.

3. Strategizing by categories

One of the keys for profitable sustainable brand growth is understanding that brands need to create new categories and uncontested markets. Moreover, it is essential to comprehend how to manage a brand across the product category life cycle. Students will learn how to escape from the traditional market share competition that characterizes mature markets, to the category creation competition

4. Brand experience management

Brands are not what they say, but what they do. Thus, it is essential to understand what the brand experience is and the financial implications of proactively managing this. Students will also learn how to diagnose and design a superior brand experience.

5. Brand architecture and portfolio analysis

Many companies don¿t manage properly their brand and product portfolios and as a consequence they overextend causing severe managerial and financial problems. Students will learn how to diagnose, prioritize and manage the brand portfolio and how to choose the brand architecture that can maximize its value.

6. The brand audit

In order to take good strategic decisions that drive future profitable growth, managers need before to understand the competitive situation of their businesses and brands. Students will learn how to conduct and in depth analysis and audit of the competitive position of a brand, for every product category, and how to then draw a precise and simple diagnosis based on the previous analysis.

7. Growth strategies and brand-driven innovation

Knowing how to systematically explore and prioritize growth options is one of the competences that characterize the best managers. Students will learn how to do this while also aligning business, brand and innovation strategies.

Methodology

The course will create an environment based on experiential learning, which will help students to integrate the pedagogic objectives previously presented. The sessions will combine the following learning tools:

- Lectures that will provide the basic theoretical frameworks to approach every topic, and additional readings to further develop each of these course topics.

- Case studies that will help students to discuss in depth each topic and to understand better in practice the theoretical concepts.

- Guest speakers, who will transfer part of their knowledge through their personal experiences.

- Final assignment: Brand audit and strategic recommendations for a leading global brand.

Assessment criteria

The course assessment will be based on the following criteria:

a) Two case discussions to be developed in groups (30%).
b) Final assignment: Brand audit and strategic proposals for a brand, to be developed in groups (50%).
c) Individual participation in class (20%).

The group grades of the case discussions and final assignment will be weighted individually based on the peer review evaluation. A final grade in the peer review less than 30 out of 100 will lead to an automatic failure of the entire course.

Participation will be assessed based not only on quantity, but mostly on the quality of the contributions. In this regard, it is expected that contributions will add value to the class discussion and it will be especially rewarded that they build on the ideas previously shared by your colleagues and move the discussion forward.

Bibliography

Articles:

Aaker and Joachimstaler (2000). The brand relationship spectrum. California Management Review, 42 /4), pp. 8-23.

Iglesias, O., Ind, N. & Alfaro Faus, M. (2013). The organic-view of the brand: A brand value co-creation model. Journal of Brand Management, 20 (8), pp. 670-688. DOI: 10.1057/bm.2013.8.

Iglesias, O., Ind, N. & Schultz, M. (2020). History matters: The role of history in corporate brand strategy. Business Horizons, 63 (1), pp. 51-60. DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2019.09.005.

Iglesias, O. & Ind, N. (2020). Towards a theory on conscientious corporate brand co-creation: the next key challenge in brand management. Journal of Brand Management. DOI: 10.1057/s41262-020-00205-7.

Ind, N., Iglesias, O. & Markovic, S. (2020, 01 de August). Conscientious organizations: How business is accelerating toward a fairer future. https://cmr.berkeley.edu/2020/08/conscientious-organizations/

Petromilli, M., Morrison, D. and Million, M. (2002) Brand architecture: Building brand portfolio value. Strategy and Leadership, 30 (5): 22 - 28 .

Yoo, E. and Denken, L. (2013) Why it pays to be a category creator. Harvard Business Review, 91(3): 21-23.

Books:

Ind, N. & Iglesias, O. (2016). Brand desire: How to create consumer involvement and inspiration. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Ind, N. & Iglesias, O. (2022). In good conscience: Do the right thing while building a profitable business. Palgrave MacMillan.

Type:	OBL	Curs:	1	Period:	S semester
ECTS Credits:	5 ECTS

Brand-Driven Strategic Management (2235.YR.014519.1)

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