Learning objectives
At the end of the course, students will hopefully gain the following skills and abilities. (1) Knowledge and understanding: students will have acquired in-depth knowledge and understanding regarding Brand Management issues. During the course highly specialized/technical language will be adopted in order to stimulate students to improve their professional skills. (2) Applying knowledge and understanding: trough the request to prepare short analytical reports on Branding topics, students will apply their theoretical knowledge. (3) Making judgements: through course attendance and self-study students will be able to develop their capability of making judgements, even if in uncertain conditions. (4) Communication skills: students will be able to present and defend the main results of their empirical research and studies. (5) Learning skills: learning skills will be stimulated by means of the request to enlarge, update and independently/continually deepen knowledge acquired in class and in personal study.
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
The course deals with three specific assets of Brand Management: (i) Brand definitions e conceptualization; (ii) Strategic Brand Management; (iii) Digital Branding.
Specific topics dealt with during the course are: identify and establish brand positioning and values, plan and implement brand marketing campaigns, digital brand management, measure and interpret brand performance, reputation and crisis management.
Full programme
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Bibliography
FORNARI E., 2007, “Economia della marca commerciale. Le dimensioni del branding distributivo”, Milano, Egea (only a selection of Chapters, which will be defined by the teacher during the first lecture).
Besides the above textbook, final exam preparation for attending and non-attending students will also include a selection (both in English and in Italian) of updated academic papers on Branding, which students may collect from the photocopying office of SEA Department at the beginning of the course.
Different textbooks or/and readings might be required for attending versus non-attending students.
The teacher will directly communicate these differences in class during the first lecture.
Teaching methods
The course will be taught with a mix of lectures, case study discussions and critical confrontation, monographic seminars held by managers and practioners, group works and student presentations.
The variety of above methodologies and encouragement of in class discussion and contributions will stimulate autonomy of judgment and interest for continuous learning about the problems and topics discussed during the course.
Assessment methods and criteria
Written examination. Knowledge and understanding will be tested by means of 3 open-ended questions. Each question will carry the same weight in final marking, even if they test different learning goals.
Question contents will focus on the most significant aspects regarding topics of Brand Management.
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/reputation 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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