Learning objectives
By the end of the course students will have acquired in-depth knowledge and understanding regarding Brand Management issues. This will enable them to apply knowledge in terms of analytical skills and of problem solving, with particular reference to Retail Branding policies and to understand the impact of these policies on relations between manufacturers and retailers. Through course attendance and self-study students will be able to develop their capability of making judgements independently reaching the ability to take both strategic and executive decisions, even in uncertain conditions. During the course highly specialized/technical language will be adopted in order to stimulate students to improve their communication skills with a view to allowing the predisposition of short analytical reports destined to a public of specialists on Retail Branding. Learning skills of the students will be stimulated by means of the request to enlarge, update and independently/continually deepen knowledge acquired in class and in study.
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
The first part of the course deepens key principles of Brand Management and Brand Equity development levers. The second part moves its focus to Retail Branding dimensions, or rather to aims and life cycle of private labels, to range and pricing policies of store brands, to competition among manufacturer and retailer own brands, and to specificity of co-packing relations. These topics are discussed with reference above all to Modern Grocery Distribution (MGD), but with some in-depth analyses also on main non-food sectors in which the phenomenon of retail branding is still at its initial stages of development.
Full programme
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Bibliography
FORNARI E. (2007), “Economia della marca commerciale. Le dimensioni del branding distributivo”, Milano, Egea.
Besides the above book, final exam preparation will also include selection of updated academic papers on Retail Branding, which students may collect from the photocopying office of Economics Department at the beginning of the course.
Teaching methods
The development of knowledge and understanding will be enriched by means of the combined use of traditional face-to-face lectures and of monographic seminars held by firm managers. The ability to apply knowledge and understanding will come about through critical reflection on texts proposed for individual study, but also through in-depth analysis of specific case studies and the carrying out of group projects whose aim it is to prepare firm seminars. Making judgements will be developed by two-way interaction in class between students/teacher and between students/firm managers. Communication skills will be encouraged through the use of specific expressions which are commonly adopted in the Brand Community sphere. Learning skills will be consolidated during the moments of self and group study which aim to prepare lessons and the final exam.
Assessment methods and criteria
The final exam is written. Knowledge and understanding will be tested by means of 3 open-ended questions. Each question will carry the same weight in final marking. Question contents will focus on the most significant aspects regarding topics of Brand Management and Retail Branding. In particular, for non-attending students exam questions will concern the above bibliography only, while for attending students exam questions will regard all the other activities performed in class too (managerial lectures, teamwork assignments, etc.). The ability to apply knowledge and understanding will be tested with more operational content questions based on the discussion of teachings taken from managerial seminars for students attending the course and/or on the personal re-elaboration of case studies presented in reference bibliography. Making judgements and learning skills will be tested by evaluating the ability of the students to argue answers to questions and to identify main managerial implications of the themes discussed. Communication skills using appropriate language will be tested through evaluation of suitability of vocabulary and form of expression used during the final written exam. For attending students only there will be the opportunity of an optional teamwork assignment regarding the brand identity determinants of various retailers. The final outcome of the teamwork assignment could contribute to the final mark up to a maximum of 3 points, which will be added to the result reached in the written exam.
Other information
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