MKTG 335 Master Syllabus

MKTG 335: Strategic Brand Management Master Syllabus

Representative Syllabus

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Course Description

This course deals with the brand building and management. One of the most valuable assets an organization has are the brands it has invested in and developed over time. The course is organised around the brand management decisions that must be made to build, measure, and manage brand equity. It will teach you how to develop a brand, gain an understanding of how to manage a brand and how to conduct a brand audit, which is the main outcome of this course. The brand management function is a central part of the marketing function which in turn is important for the success of organizations, and this course assists in effectively managing this part of marketing.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course students will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding the meaning and task of branding and Strategic Brand Management
Comprehend the key role of Brand Management in an organization
Understand the meaning of brand equity and related concepts
Demonstrate the undertaking of a brand audit

Concentration and Program Learning Goals

Students majoring in the Marketing concentration will master the following by graduation:

Research Competency: Research competency using library databases, secondary and primary sources of market and company information, and marketing data analysis skills.
Marketing Strategies: Ability to formulate effective marketing strategies derived from an understanding of customer behaviors and application of marketing tools and concepts.
Writing & Formatting: Communication and information literacy skills in the writing and format of the plan that are consistent with the marketing discipline.

By the end of the BS Business program, students will master:

The social, global, ethical, and legal contexts of business and will be able to reflect on the role of the individual in business.
The ability to apply knowledge of professional skills necessary for success in business including effective business writing.
Technical and analytic skills appropriate for success in business.
The ability to apply knowledge of core business disciplines including accounting, finance, information systems, management, marketing, and operations management.
How research in the business disciplines contributes to knowledge and how such research is conducted.

Course Website Address

Canvas

Course Materials

The textbook for this course is Keller, Kevin Lane and Swaminathan, Vanitha, Strategic brand Management, 5th edition, Pearson. The access card is: 9780135641378 for the online book and the Printed Rental Book: 9780134892498. The book ISBN number is 9780134892498

Your will also need to purchase a course pack from Harvard Business School Publishing https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/1190305. The 5 case studies will be bundled there and will cost $24.75.

Other reading materials will be provided in class or on Canvas.

We will complete all the chapters in the text. The text introduces many concepts, so it is imperative that you read the chapters on a timely basis. Do not fall behind in the reading.

Class Structure

You are responsible for your learning. The quality of your learning will dramatically increase if you are prepared for class. You will be provided with reading assignments to help you focus on the main concepts in the textbook chapters. Reading in the text is essential; you cannot rely on the presentation slides to develop an understanding of the material and prepare for the homework, examinations and assignments.

Class attendance and participation is expected. Your class participation will be evaluated largely on your discussion and presentations of the brand focus segments in each of the chapters as well as your brand audit presentation.

Quizzes

There will be two quizzes, one in week 3 due on 09/10 and the other in week 12, due by 11/12. See the class schedule. These will be open book open notes.

Examinations

The exams will consist of short essay type questions and/or cases. The final will be comprehensive. As the schedule permits, the class will review major concepts before the exam.

The exams will cover the textbook materials, supplemental materials from the class and all in-class presentations.

Please note the date and time of the final exam. You must take the exam at the assigned time. Do not plan to begin travel before or during the final exam. If someone else is scheduling these travel plans, make sure they know.

If an examination is missed due to a provable or documented absence, you must make up the exam within one week. Unless you have made prior arrangements with me, a missed exam will result in a penalty of 10 percent of the total for the examination.

You must read the text. Lecture notes and summaries will help you understand the text, but they cannot be considered an adequate substitute for reading the text.

Cases

There are five cases that need to be analysed and a written analysis will have to be submitted by the team leader by due date. The cases will be discussed in class as per the schedule. The class will be divided into groups of between 5 and 6 people and you will have to discuss the cases in your groups and prepare written answers to the questions given to you by the instructor.

Class Assignment

The class will be divided into groups of between 5 and 6 people. Each group will have to conduct a Brand Audit

The goal of the brand audit is to conduct an in-depth examination of a major brand of your choosing and suggest ways to improve and leverage the brand equity. The criteria for choosing a brand lies in the brands: 1) interest/value to you, 2) an understanding of the brand’s target market and 3) access to brand and company information, and 4) brand presence in social media conversations. Selecting a brand undergoing a challenge regarding its brand architecture, brand portfolio, brand extension, or brand revitalization generally provides greater information for critique.

You are required to hand in a preliminary report that consists of parts 1, 2 and 3a I, ii and iii of the brand audit on Tuesday 10/08. (Recommended length between 7 and 10 pages)

The final brand audit (part two), consisting of the complete audit is due on Tuesday 11/19. This will be parts 3 b to 5. You need to attach the corrected version of part 1 to this part two section so the complete audit is handed in and evaluated. (Recommended length 10-15).

You are also required to submit your presentation on Tuesday 11/19. (Recommend 10 slides).

Components of Brand Audit Report

(The sequence may vary depending on the organization, product and or service)

History and Overview

The first section is an overview of the brand and its history. Include a statement of brand’s positioning.
Key Challenges Facing Brand

The second page should set-up the key challenges facing brand. The challenges may relate to brand architecture, brand portfolio, brand extension, and/or brand revitalization.
Brand Inventory

Brand inventories are comprehensive summaries of a firm’s marketing and branding program.
1. Detail the brand architecture.
  1. Graphically display the brand hierarchy.
  2. Discuss the roles of brands in the portfolio. Focus on your selected brand and other brands deemed relevant to your brand.
  3. Discuss the hierarchy relationship of your brand.
2. Analyze the firm’s branding and marketing programs. How do they contribute to brand knowledge? How consistent have they been over time? Is there consistency between the brand and marketing elements?
  1. Analyze the brand graphics (logos, names, packages).
  2. Analyze the brand’s past and current advertising and social media campaigns.
  3. Analyze the brand’s product, promotions, distribution, and pricing.
3. Profile competitive brands and market situation.
Do a brand exploratory. (You don’t have to go out and discuss the brand among consumers. You can discuss it amongst your team members in your role as consumers).
Recommendations

Make 3-4 recommendations to the brand concerning how the brand should be managed over the next 5 years by critically analyzing the brand inventory. Your recommendations need to be supported by data from your brand inventory. Recommendations may address:
1. Consistency between consumer-based brand equity meaning and firm’s perception of brand equity meaning
2. Effectiveness of brand identity and brand marketing program.
3. Effectiveness of brand management strategies over time and suggestions to revitalize and rejuvenate the brand
4. Opportunities to leverage the brand including brand extensions

Class Participation

Exercises and discussion will be a part of almost all classes. All students are expected to be prepared for discussions and to participate in them.

Marketing is enhanced by dialogue, and this class will be greatly enhanced when students actively participate. Discussion and dialogue are essential to develop communication skills and explore topics in depth.

Class participation will be worth up to 100 points toward the course grade. You will be evaluated on participation including both speaking and listening, demonstrating the ability to evaluate others’ comments constructively, demonstrating familiarity with assigned readings and working effectively in class. You are not graded on attendance, though you cannot participate if you do not attend class. However, simply showing up and not participating will not earn you very many points.

To earn the full points, you should:

Volunteer examples, insights and responses in class.
You do not have to wait until a question is asked, especially if you are unclear about the topic being discussed.
Demonstrate having read assignments, thought about the questions and analyzed materials.
Build on the comments of others—disagreeing where appropriate but also supporting the comments and integrating viewpoints.
Share expertise and experiences relevant to the discussion.
Comment on the substance and topic of the classes demonstrating integration of the materials.

Not everyone likes speaking up in a class situation. If, however, a student does not enter into the discussions, there is no way to tell if he or she is learning or understanding the concepts presented. Each student is expected to contribute. You cannot participate if you do not attend class.

You will be required to speak up and participate in business. It will be essential for your career growth. Consider this a safe environment where you can practice these skills.

Grades

You may earn up to 1,000 points during the course of the class. Your grade will be determined by the total points you earn. Exams and assignments are not given letter grades.

Excellent demonstrations of understanding, application, integration, clear understanding and critical thinking will distinguish efforts that receive the highest points in assignments. Concise, insightful responses and comments are preferred over rambling, unfocused responses.

Points may be earned as follows:

Mid-term exam 200 points
Final exam 200 points	exams total 400 points
Quiz 1	50
Quiz 2	50
Brand Audit assignment preliminary report 100 points
Final brand audit report 100 points	term assignment 200 points
Case analysis and discussion (5 at 40 points each)	200
Class participation (including brand audit presentations)	100
Total	1000

Please note the date and time for the final exam. You must take the exam at the assigned time. Do not plan to begin travel before or during the final exam. If someone else is scheduling these travel plans, make sure they know.

You must read the text. Lecture notes and summaries will help you understand the text, but they cannot be considered an adequate substitute for reading the text.

Points	Letter Grade	Grade Points
930 - 1,000 points	A	4.0
900 – 929 points	A-	3.7
870 – 899 points	B+	3.3
830 – 869 points	B	3.0
800 – 829 points	B-	2.7
770 – 799 points	C+	2.3
730 – 769 points	C	2.0
600 – 729 points	D	1.0
Below 600 points	F	0.0

Please note that the University considers a B to be a good grade. The School of Business considers a B to be a good grade. I consider a B to be a good grade. An A is a grade that is not earned automatically.

Final grades are not negotiated. You will have opportunities to earn points throughout the semester, and in a variety of ways. There is no rounding, and there is no curve.

Written Materials

All work is due at the beginning of the class on the due date. Late work will not be accepted unless specific, prior arrangements have been made with the instructor. If accepted late, late work will receive a lower grade. All work must be completed by the final examination.

You will receive a specific assignment on the course-long project. You will be required to do some research on the brand. You should be able to complete a great deal of this using the electronic databases available at the University Libraries.

In scoring your written materials, I look for internal validity (that the recommendations are based on appropriate principles and are consistent) and external validity (the recommendations are reasonable given the environment in which the organization functions).

Additionally, organization, understanding, originality, breadth, depth of coverage and clarity of expression are important evaluation criteria.

All written reports should be neatly typed, legible and free of errors in grammar and spelling. Documents should be formatted as follows:

1.5-spacing, Times New Roman font, 12-point font, with one-inch margins. Pages after the first page must have a header showing the course title, assignment title and page number.

To cite and reference professional or academic sources, please use APA style. Specific instructions for in-text citations and referencing are found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, latest Edition or at the Purdue Owl. To help manage the citations and seamlessly create reference lists, Mason supports free software called Zotero.

Group deliverables should have a title page showing a title for the report, course name and number, date due and the students’ names.

Part of the evaluation of each written assignment will be the quality of the writing, with specific emphasis on solid business prose.

Unless otherwise stated, you must submit an electronic version of the assignments along with the written assignments.

Class Schedule

Class Days and Dates	Key Topics	Milestones and Key Events
Week 01	Brands and Brand Management Customer-Based Brand Equity and Brand Positioning	Read chapter 1 and 2
Week 02	Brand Resonance and Brand Value Chain	Read chapter 3
Week 03	Choosing Brand Elements to Build Read Brand Equity Quiz 1 on Canvas	Read chapter 4 Quiz on Canvas Chapters 1 to 4, opens at 8 am on 09/10 until 09/10 at 11.59.
Week 04	Designing Marketing Programs to Build Brand Equity Case: Linc Pen and Plastics Limited	Read chapter 5 Read Linc Pen and Plastics Limited due 09/17 before 1.30 pm.
Week 05	Integrating Marketing Communications to Build Brand Equity Case: Dove and Real Beauty	Read Chapter 6 Read Dove and Real Beauty due by 1.30 pm on 09/24
Week 06	Branding in the Digital Era	Read Chapter 7
Week 07	Leveraging Secondary Brand Associations to Build Brand Equity	Read Chapter 8
	Hand in Brand audit part 1.	Hand in Brand audit part 1by 1.30pm on 10/08 on Canvas and a bound copy in class
Week 08	Mid-Term Exam online on Canvas	Revise chapters 1 to 8 for the exam Mid-term opens at 8 am on 10/15 and closes at 11.59 on 10/15
Week 09	Designing and Implementing Brand Architecture Strategies Case: Marriott-Starwood Merger	Revise chapters 1 to 8 for the exam Mid-term opens at 8 am on 10/15 and closes at 11.59 on 10/15
Week 10	Introducing and Naming New Products and Brand Extensions Case: Kinsip: Marketing Spirits, Maple Syrup and Hand Sanitizer	Read chapter 12 Marriott-Starwood Merger due on 10/22 by 1.30 pm.
Week 11 (no class today as it is election day)	Election Day no class as university is closed.	Read chapter 13 Kinsip: Marketing Spirits, Maple Syrup and Hand Sanitizer due on 10/29 by 1.30 pm.
Week 12	Managing Brands Over Time Quiz 2 in Canvas	Read chapter 14 Quiz 2 due 11/12 chapters 9 to 13 Quiz opens at 8 am on 11/12 and closes at 11.59pm on 11/12
Week 13	Managing Brands Over Geographic Boundaries and Market Segments Brand Audit due. Brand Audit presentation PowerPoints due on Canvas	Read chapter 15 Submit brand audit on 11/19 paper copy in class and on Canvas by 11.59 pm Submit brand audit presentation in Canvas on 11/19
Week 14	Closing Observations Case: Harley Davidson	Read chapter 16 Harley Davidson due by 11/26 at 1.30 pm.
Week 15	Final Exam on line in Canvas on December 03 between 8 am and 11.59 pm.	Final: Prepare Chapters 9 to 16.

Case Questions

A. Case: Linc Pen and Plastics Limited

How would you justify the decision to create a new brand for positioning among other options?
Identify and evaluate the differences in positioning for Linc and Pentonic, carrying out an analysis of a. competition, b. target customers, c. value propositions.
Based on Keller’s Brand Equity model, what are the principal differentiators of LPPL’s value brand Linc and its premium brand Pentonic?
Keeping consumer behavior in mind, do you support Jalan’s decision to defy industry norms in terms of packaging?
What are your views regarding the waiting for Pentonic pens to succeed beforelaunching other categories under the Pentonic brand?

B. Case: Dove and Real Beauty

What is Doves competitive positioning in the industry? Has this changed over time? Where are the growth opportunities?
Is body image an important social issue? What qualifies Dove to take on this issue?
How important is having a purpose to Doves success? How necessary is the DESEP program to the brand’s sales?
How were the DSEP and CFRB activities funded? What are the strengths and weaknesses of that approach across different markets?
Should Dove continue with the DSEP and CFRB beyond 2019? What changes, if any, would you make?

C. The Marriott Starwood Merger

Assess the health and efficiency of the post-merger brand portfolio. What are you most concerned about? How might you going to address these concerns?
Are 30 brands too many, just right or too few at Marriott? Why?
What is Marriott’s optimal brand portfolio? Which brands should be retired? What brands should remain? Why or why not?
How do you feel about dual brand hotels? How do you feel about Marriott’s multi- brand advertising campaign, “golden rule”? Are these good or bad solutions to Marriott’s brand portfolio dilemma?
What should Marriott do with the Starwood brand? Why?

D. Case: Kinsip: Marketing Spirits, Maple Syrup and Hand Sanitizer

Discuss the characteristics of Kinsip customers. What could Kinsip do to get to know them better?
Analyze Kinsip’s product mix from the perspective the sensory experience of the consumer. How does hand sanitizer compare to the other products in the mix?
Assess the strategic advantages and disadvantages of including hand sanitizer in the product mix.
Explore the possibilities of rebranding the hand sanitizer. Discuss whether this will add value to the consumer and be advantageous to Kinsip.

E. Case: Harley Davidson

Define the most important problem that Harley Davidson faced and identify its primary actionable cause.
What proposed changes (if any) would you make to the Harley Davidson product line? Outline key recommendations, their rationale, and any potential drawbacks.
What proposed changes (if any) would you make to the Buell product line? Outline key recommendations, their rationale and any potential drawbacks.

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