Fall 2019-20

BS-MKT-711: Brand Management

Prof. Laknath Jayasinghe

Vice Dean (Research) & Associate Professor in Marketing

Email: ljayasinghe@jgu.edu.in

INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE

This course introduces business school students to the scholarly and ‘best practice’ fundamentals in the field of brand
management. It understands brand management from both a firm and consumer perspective. The current branding
literature is critically and systematically evaluated to assess brand management strategies including brand
extensions and brand architecture planning. The unit is designed so students can understand dimensions of brand
management practice that involve a customer co-creation approach to understanding brand equity.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

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

• Evaluate recent developments in brand management, including how recent shifts in marketing
strategy and consumer behaviour have relevantly impacted the field;
• Examine the shifting relationship between brand building and consumption as a result of the
development and mass consumption of social and mobile media;
• Explain how brand meaning and brand value across various consumer contexts are built through
brand extension, architecture, and co-branding strategies;
• Critically assess the debates around brand management across various contexts including the
importance of building strong levels of customer-based brand equity;
• Effectively communicate brand building and consumer co-creation knowledge and outcomes in oral
presentation, written research report, and sit-down exam contexts.

LEARNING GOALS

In addition to the specific course related objectives, this course is designed to achieve the following learning goals

1. Critical and Integrative thinking: Each student will be able to identify key issues in brand management
settings, develop a perspective that is supported with relevant information and integrative thinking, to draw
and assess conclusions. This learning goal will be measured through assignments, submissions, and the
final exam.
2. Awareness of Global Issues affecting Branding Decisions: Each student will be able to identify key relevant
global issues and be able to analyze the impact of the global environment on branding decisions, as
compared with domestic market and brand related management issues. This learning goal will be assessed
through student discussions examining local and global perspectives in assignments and the final exam.
3. Interpersonal Awareness and Working in Teams: Each student shall demonstrate an ability to work
effectively in a team, exhibiting behavior that reflects an understanding of the importance of individual roles
and tasks and the ability to manage conflict and compromise so that team goals are achieved. (e.g. the
team-based in-class presentation and written research assignment will be a major component for
measurement of this learning goal).

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 4. Effective Presentation Skill: Each student shall be able to communicate verbally in an organized, clear,
persuasive manner and be a responsive listener. (e.g. in-class participation and the group presentation will
be used to assess effective presentation and communication skills).

TEACHING METHOD

The approach of this course is to combine conceptual information with real world practice via in-class discussion,
presentations, and assignments. Prescribed readings and books provide information and detail on concepts. The
course emphasises continuous learning through in-class activities and assessments.

You will be expected to familiarise yourself with sources of marketing and consumer research information such as
relevant industry organisations, publications, and academic databases and journals.

One of the aims of this course is to assist in developing oral and written communication skills. Such skills will be
important for all other courses you undertake at and for professional life after university.

Assignments will give you the chance to apply theoretical concepts from course readings and research to real-life
branding contexts. Besides, you will have the opportunity to learn from other students in collaborative activity.

To pass this course, you will need to make a satisfactory attempt at all assessment tasks (see below).

Assessment consists of four assessed tasks:

1. Individual Assessment: Class Participation.

2. Group Assessment: Brand Strategy Oral Presentation.
3. Group Assessment: Brand Research Written Report.
4. Individual Assessment: Final Exam: There will be a scheduled final examination that is compulsory to
pass to pass this course.

TEAMS AND TEAMWORK

You will be informed about your team members and will prepare both a 20 mins presentation for class discussion and
work together on a team-based written research report. You will have 3 to 5 members in your team. At the end of the
term, each team member may be asked to grade other members’ participation in the course work. The final grade may
be adjusted downward (sometimes significantly) if a person on a team has not pulled her/his weight.

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ATTENDANCE POLICY

Attendance to all the sessions is as per the university rules (minimum 75% excluding all leaves). The following
instances will also be treated as absence unless prior permission is taken:

• Attending only part of the session; or either entering or leaving during the break;
• Arriving in class more than ten minutes after the session has started.

GRADING

The course grade will be determined based on the following:

Evaluation Item Weightage Nature of Explanation

Assessment
Class Participation 10% Individual Due: Continuous throughout the semester (i.e., from
sessions 2-14).

Weighting: 10%.

Your participation in the course will be evaluated mainly by

the course lecturer but will include a self-assessment
component:

• It is expected that students will arrive on time,

participate in class discussions and activities,
and not leave until the class ends.
Group-Based 15% Group • In-class presentations begin Session 3 and run
Brand Strategy to Session 14;
Research • Group presentation per group of 3-5 students;
Presentation • Groups selected randomly;
• Group presentations are to apply theoretical
concepts from the scholarly research literature to
closely evaluate a brand’s strategies.
Group-Based 25% Group • Group Written Report due Sessions 9 & 13;
Written Brand • Written Report 2,000 words (max).
Research Project
Individual 50% Individual • End of term exam period.
Assessment – Final
Exam
Total 100%

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Assessment Task 1 (Ongoing, Session 2-14, 10% of final mark)
Class Participation

The class participation assessment task will be assessed continuously throughout semester (sessions 2-14).

• Assessment based on the following dimensions:

1. content of contributions;
2. classroom contributions;
3. language and style;
4. timeliness of contributions.

• Self-evaluation of class contributions will be performed -- assessment is not based wholly on quantity of
contributions but more on the quality of what you have to say;

• Assessment rubric available at the start of semester.

Assessment Task 2 (Ongoing, Session 3-14, 15% of final mark)

Group Brand Strategy Presentation

The group brand strategy presentation is for 20 minutes, followed by 5-10 minutes of class questions & discussion.

• Student teams will present on an assigned brand management topic and must incorporate theories and
concepts discussed from the scholarly research literature relevant to the topic.

• Topics allocated in Session 1 for a Session 3 presentation, then weekly afterwards.

• A formal / professional presentation format is expected.

• First group presentation is in Session 3.

• Each group member must speak for at least 4 minutes. All presentations will be presented as a group and
marked as a group effort. Each student will be awarded the group presentation mark.

• Emphasis during the presentation should be on the critical evaluation of the identified brand strategy using
theories and concepts from the scholarly research literature, not mere description.

• Scholarly work is essential for deep analysis, but professional / marketing media / journalistic coverage of
the case must also be included to provide context.

• APA or Harvard citation & referencing style to be used.

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 • At least 6 (SIX) relevant, peer-reviewed scholarly research articles from 2012+ must be included, and
applied to examine your case study, as a minimum research requirement.

• Hand in: (a) 2-page presentation summary report (with an official cover sheet); (b) plus a copy of the
presentation slides (each slide must include the name and student number of the student presenting it); (c)
plus a formal list of references constructed using APA or Harvard referencing style.

• Assessment rubric available at the start of semester.

NB: If a team is not ready to present on the assigned date and time, zero marks will be awarded.

Assessment Task 3 (due in class Session 9 & 13, 25% of final mark)
Group Brand Research Written Report

Group Brand Research Report (25%), comprised of two components:

a. Research report outline (max. 5%, due Session 9);

b. Complete research report (max. 20%, due in class Session 13)

• Topics announced during class in Session 7;

• Formal academic writing style required;
• APA or Harvard referencing style to be used;
• At least 6 (SIX) relevant, peer-reviewed scholarly research references from 2012+ must be included, as a
minimum research requirement;
• Hand in: Official JGU assessment title page, 2,000-word strategy report, plus references (submit hardcopy to
lecturer in class and electronic copy via Turnitin by 6pm on due date);
• Assessment rubric available at the start of semester;

NB: No extensions will be granted. Late tasks will be accepted up to 72 hours after the submission deadline. There
will be a deduction of 20% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24-hour period or
part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 40% penalty). This penalty does
not apply for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved.

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Assessment Task 4 (50% of final mark)
Final Examination

The final examination is an individual assessment of your understanding of the basic principles of brand
management. It will be a closed-book exam that covers: the lecture material, relevant chapters from the textbook
(see course schedule), and in-class discussion.

DELIVERABLES

Each team will turn in a hard-copy 2,000 word (max) written report (1.5 spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman; 1
inch margins on all sides, exhibits extra) and submit a copy over email to ljayasinghe@jgu.edu.in on or before the
class in Session 13 and upload a copy to Turnitin by 6pm on the due date. The project report submissions are to be
written using only MS Word.

Students are not permitted to copy from websites and they will be penalized if found copying/lifting from the website
(there will be a plagiarism check through Turnitin). However, they can quote the source and accession at the end of
the text by using APA-formatted citations. Maximum permissible words will be 50 words in a sentence on continuous
basis.

All word documents should be in standard report formats with required headings to make for easy reading. They
should be as per the above guidelines and on a A4 paper with 1-inch default margin. In general appendices and
tables do not count towards the page limit. Please use the tables and appendices in the report; otherwise the reader
would get the impression that there just there to add ‘weight’ to the report.

TEXT BOOK, COURSE PACKAGE AND OTHER READINGS

The required textbook for the course is Keller, K. L., Parameswaran, A. M. G., & Jacob, I. (2015). Strategic Brand
Management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity. 4th edition. New Delhi: Pearson India.

The secondary textbook for the course is: Michael Beverland (2018). Brand Management: Co-creating Meaningful
Brands. New Delhi: Sage Publications.

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Limited copies of both texts are in the JGU library. Chapters from both books will be assigned as required readings in
the class schedule below. It is assumed that you have completed those readings when you come to class. The
lectures will take the book material as a starting point and probe deeper into the issues--it will not regurgitate the
book material. If something in the book is not clear to you, please don’t hesitate to ask.

CLASS SCHEDULE (Each session is of 90 minutes’ duration)

Session No-1 Course Administration and Course Overview; Introduction to Brands and
Brand Management (1)
Objective of the session At the end of this session you will learn:
• Course administration and overview; what a brand is; why brands matter;
brand challenges and opportunities.
Readings Keller Chapter 1: Brands and Brand Management
Pedagogy Lecture / class discussion.
Assessment • Group allocations (Groups 1-12)
• Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 1 topic announced

Session No-2 Introduction to Brands and Brand Management (2)

Objective of the session At the end of this session you will learn:
• What a brand is; why brands matter; brand challenges and opportunities.
Readings Keller Chapter 1: Brands and Brand Management
Pedagogy Lecture / class discussion /class activity
Assessment • Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 2 topic announced

Session No-3 Understanding Brand Users (1)

Objective of the session At the end of this session you will learn:
• How brand users co-create value; changes in understanding users and
brands; value of brands to users; how brands connect to identity goals.
Readings Beverland Chapter 2: Understanding Brand Users
Pedagogy Lecture / class discussion / class activity
Assessment • Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 3 topic announced
• Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 1 presentation

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Session No-4 Understanding Brand Users (2)
Objective of the session At the end of this session you will learn:
• How brand users co-create value; the changes in understanding users
and brands; the value of brands to users; how brands connect to identity
goals.
Readings Beverland Chapter 2: Understanding Brand Users
Pedagogy Lecture / class discussion / class activity
Assessment • Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 4 topic announced
• Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 2 presentation

Session No-5 Brand Equity and Brand Resonance (1)

Objective of the session At the end of this session you will learn:
• The difference between brand value and brand equity; the financial
power of brands; customer-based brand equity (CBBE); sources of brand
equity; brand equity / brand resonance pyramid.
Readings Keller Chapters 2 & 3.
Pedagogy Lecture / class discussion / class activity
Assessment • Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 5 topic announced
• Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 3 presentation

Session No-6 Brand Equity and Brand Resonance (2)

Objective of the session At the end of this session you will learn:
• The difference between brand value and brand equity; the financial
power of brands; customer-based brand equity (CBBE); sources of brand
equity; brand equity / brand resonance pyramid.
Readings Keller Chapters 2 & 3.
Pedagogy Lecture / class discussion / class activity
Assessment • Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 6 topic announced
• Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 4 presentation

Session No-7 Brand Co-Creation using Brand Elements and Brand Positioning (1)
Objective of the session At the end of this session you will learn:

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 • The 8 steps of brand building; the mindshare vs. cultural models of brand
positioning; using brand elements to create a distinct brand position.
Readings Beverland Chapter 5
Pedagogy Lecture / class discussion / class activity
Assessment • Brand Research Group Written Report: Topics Announced in Class
• Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 7 topic announced
• Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 5 presentation

Session No-8 Brand Co-Creation using Brand Elements and Brand Positioning (2)
Objective of the session At the end of this session you will learn:
• The 8 steps of brand building; the mindshare vs. cultural models of brand
positioning; using brand elements to create a distinct brand position.
Readings Beverland Chapter 5
Pedagogy Lecture / class discussion / class activity
Assessment • Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 8 topic announced
• Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 6 presentation

Session No-9 The Challenge of Maintaining a Brand Position (1)

Objective of the session At the end of this session you will learn:
• The challenge of stability and change; using IMC to craft a meaningful
brand experience; communal brand strategies; branding via social media
Readings Beverland Chapter 6.
Pedagogy Lecture / class discussion / class activity
Assessment • Brand Research Group Written Report: Report Outline due in class (5%)
• Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 9 topic announced
• Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 7 presentation

Session No-10 The Challenge of Maintaining a Brand Position (2)

Objective of the session At the end of this session you will learn:
• The challenge of stability and change; using IMC to craft a meaningful
brand experience; communal brand strategies; branding via social media
Readings Beverland Chapter 6.
Pedagogy Lecture / class discussion / class activity

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Assessment • Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 10 topic announced
• Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 8 presentation

Session No-11 Sustaining Brand Equity: Extensions, Co-Branding & Brand Architecture (1)
Objective of the session At the end of this session you will learn:
• What a brand extension is; creating brand alliances via co-branding;
using brand architecture to create brand portfolios.
Readings Keller Chapters 11 & 12.
Pedagogy Lecture / class discussion / class activity
Assessment • Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 11 topic announced
• Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 9 presentation

Session No-12 Sustaining Brand Equity: Extensions, Co-Branding & Brand Architecture (2)
Objective of the session At the end of this session you will learn:
• What a brand extension is; creating brand alliances via co-branding;
using brand architecture to create brand portfolios.
Readings Keller Chapters 11 & 12.
Pedagogy Lecture / class discussion / class activity
Assessment • Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 12 topic announced
• Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 10 presentation

Session No-13 Global Branding (1)

Objective of the session At the end of this session you will learn:
• How globalization impacts branding; debates about adaptation or
standardization; the brand culture perspective
Readings Keller Chapter 14
Beverland Chapter 9
Pedagogy Lecture / class discussion / class activity
Assessment • Brand Research Group Written Report: Final Report due in class (20%)
• Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 11 presentation

Session No-14 Global Branding (2)

Objective of the session At the end of this session you will learn:

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 • How globalization impacts branding; debates about adaptation or
standardization; the brand culture perspective
Readings Keller Chapter 14
Beverland Chapter 9
Pedagogy Lecture / class discussion / class activity
Assessment • Brand Strategy Group Presentation: Group 12 presentation

Session No-15 Course Overview and Revision

Objective of the session At the end of this session you will learn:
• Course overview / exam brief
Readings Keller Chapter 15.
Pedagogy Lecture / class discussion
Assessment • Class Participation Self Evaluation to be completed in class

DELIVERY DEADLINES FOR PROJECTS/ASSIGNMENTS

The delivery deadline for the Group-Based Brand Research Written Report is: end of class sessions 9 & 13.

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