Course content
Purpose
The "Excellence in Brand Strategy and Analytics" minor offers a rigorous and comprehensive education inthe strategic management of brands. It equips you with the knowledge, skills, and practical experienceneeded to excel in branding across a variety of contexts and industries, making you well-prepared for thechallenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the field of brand management.
In today's dynamic and competitive business landscape, the significance of branding and its strategic management cannot be overstated. Brands serve as the cornerstones of organizational identity and market positioning, influencing various stakeholders both within and outside the company.
As markets experience acceleration there is a need for organizations to reflect on their purpose based on a deep understanding ofthe interplay between brand orientation (their vision, mission, values, and competencies) and marketorientation (proposing credible and compelling value propositions to key customer groups and widerstakeholder audiences). Balancing these orientations requires deep understanding of the organization, its market, and its customers.
This minor presents the student with real-world case studies, and advanced analytical techniques to fosterthe development of analytical, critical, and creative skills essential for driving business growth throughbranding. Using a variety of pedagogies, the minor focuses on student-led learning to create anenvironment where students are exposed to and explore multiple perspectives that will equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the multifaceted world of brands effectively.
Content
This program is built around three key skillsets.
Firstly, the ability to understand and work at the intersection between brand strategy and business processes. When managed properly, brands can be the driving force of organizational and market transformation by providing a common meaning and purpose across diverse, multiple stakeholders both outside and inside the organization. This requires brand leadership that operates at the strategic level in the organization, where brand managers have a deep understanding of innovation and change processes on the one hand, and brand leadership skills on the other.
Secondly, students are exposed to theoretical diversity to develop their skills sets in reflection and analysis. Brands and branding are contested terms: they can be understood from different theoretical perspectives which, in turn, has profound implications for how they are managed. This enables students to develop skillsets and language sets that enable them to work with multiple stakeholders and to develop deep and critical insights into how brands and the value they (co-) create is perceived by these diverse stakeholders.
- Thirdly, students need to understand how to measure and strategically manage the value of brands by organizing marketing activities around positioning, communication, and optimization of brands and brand portfolios. This requires the ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data from different sources to assessbrand performance, develop and optimize brand strategies based on market information and theoretical insights.