Course Title: Brand Management

Semester: Term III B – 2020 Class: MBA 2021

Instructor: Dr. Adnan Zahid Email: adnan.zahid@lums.edu.pk

Room # 402 Telephone:

Office Hours: By Email Secretary/TA Tauseef Z Alvi

COURSE OVERVIEW

The purpose of this course is to provide a thorough understanding of branding processes in

the 21st century. The role of brands and branding will be examined both from a managerial
and a consumer perspective. More specifically the course will review global best practices
that guide managers how to build strong brands in the marketplace. Any MBA participant
who wants to take up a career in Marketing would like to consider enrolling in this course.
The following course is structured across 3 modules:

Module 1 – The ‘Why’ and ‘How to’ Brand? The section aims to orient students with the
basic understanding as to why should companies brand their products or services. Advantages
of brandings are highlighted. Subsequently, participants will focus on understanding how
brands are built over a period of time.
Module 2 – Moving the Brand Forward! Building brands require substantial resources from
firms. A successful brand doesn’t only ensure long term revenue stream for the firm but also
provides avenues for further growth. In this module, students will be exposed to situations
outlining ways of leveraging strong brands and risks associated with it.
Module 3 – Brand Culture & Communities Brands are intangible assets that exist in the
minds of consumers. They remain assets for as long as they are relevant to customers. This
section focuses on issues that brands face over the course of their lives and how companies
can ensure that they remain socially relevant and connected with their customers.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of this course you will be able to answer the following six questions:

1) What is branding?

2) Why do I want it?

3) How do I get it?

4) How can I most strategically leverage it?

5) How do I measure it?

6) How do I keep it?

MBA PROGRAM LEARNING GOALS & OBJECTIVES

1. Leadership and teamwork: Students will be able to assume leadership roles, perform
leadership tasks responsibly, and work effectively in teams.
2. Functional, integrative and strategic abilities: Students will demonstrate
understanding of the functional and strategic aspects of business and management, be
able to integrate across functional areas, and develop feasible strategies and action
plans.
3. Critical thinking and decision making: Students will be able to identify key
problems, collect and use information critically, and generate viable alternatives and
solutions.
4. Global perspective and flexibility: Students will demonstrate understanding of
global and multi-cultural perspectives within the local context and be able to work
effectively in multi-cultural settings.
5. Social, ethical, economic and environmental responsibility: Students will be able to
understand the broader ramifications of their decisions and assess the impact of
economic, ethical, environmental factors on the policies, strategies and operations of
the organization.
6. Effective communication: Students will be able to communicate clearly and
persuasively in writing and verbally, in ways appropriate for a variety of objectives
and audiences.
7. Entrepreneurialism and innovativeness: Students will be able to create, identify,
assess, shape and act on opportunities in a variety of contexts and organizations.
8. Managing pressures, complexities and uncertainties: Students will be able to
manage pressures and resource constraints, and think, decide and act in complex and
ambiguous situations.
Indicate below how the course learning objectives specifically relate to any program
learning goals and objectives.
Program Learning Goals
and Objectives
Goal 1 – Leadership and
Teamwork
Goal 2 – Functional,
integrative and strategic
abilities
Goal 3 – Critical Thinking –
Decision making capabilities
Goal 4 – Global perspective
and flexibility
Goal 5 – Social, Ethical,
Economical and
Environmental
Responsibility
Goal 6 – Communication
competency
Goal 7 – Entrepreneurialism
and innovativeness
Goal 8 – Managing
pressures, complexities and
Uncertainties
Course Learning Course Assessment Item
Objectives
Students will work in groups Group Project
to evaluate a successful
brand’s strategy.
Key areas of brand CP, Quizzes, Project
management are discussed
Application of critical CP, Project
thinking and decision
making through case studies.
Some cases are also
supplemented with
quantitative exercises.
Most of the cases are from CP
foreign markets with one
case specifically dealing
with issues related to global
brand management
A case on how to brand CP
social ideas is included.
Students have multiple CP and Group Project
opportunities to demonstrate
their ability to communicate
effectively
Not directly related to the Not directly assessed
course objectives. However,
innovative solutions are
encouraged.
Brand management is CP, Quizzes, , Project
considered to be an ‘art’ and
an abstract discipline. Using
multiple cases, participants
will be oriented on how to
simplify complex situations
and rationalize uncertainties.
COURSE ASSESSMENT/GRADES

Grading Instruments

The following instruments of evaluation shall be used to assess individual performance.

1) Class Participation* 35%

2) Group Project 20%
3) In Class Exercises / Quizzes 45%

*Note: Students who get 3 calls in a class are supposed to lower down their name tags.
Session SESSION OUTCOME(S)
SESSION TOPIC/TITLE OF CASE
No. At the end of the session, students will be able to …

Module 1 –
The ‘Why’ and ‘How to’ Brand?

Case: Paper Boat Beverage Creating Brands Understand how Brands are built
Industry: Beverage ground up
1
Topic: Branding Commodities
Topic: Understanding Basics of Branding Understanding Brands Demonstrate basic understanding
of the branding, brand equity &
Readings: Brand Equity an brand health tracking
2 overview

Case: Under Armour

3 Brand building continued
Industry: Clothing
Case: One fine stay Building two-sided Brands Demonstrate how platform
Industry: Hospitality
4 business build brand on the
supplier and buyer sides
Case: Brand activism: Nike and Colin Should brands be political To understand the diverse
5 Kaepernick possibilities of brand positioning
Industry: Footwear
Module 2
– Taking
the Brand
forward
6 Case: Armamium How to use partnerships to grow
Industry: Clothing
 Topic: Line Extensions (Vertical – Upward)
Case: Altius Golf and the Fighter Brand
7 Industry: Sports
Topic: Line Extensions (Vertical – downward)
Brand Architecture Analyze situations where line
extensions help improve brand
image and abilities to tap into high
margin segments.

Brand Extensions Appreciate brands as portfolio

Case: Black & Decker Corporation (A)r: Power
growth engines and risks
tool division
associated with line extension.
8 Industry: Electronics

Case: IKEA invades America Maintaining a Brand over time Analyze how successful brands can
9 Industry: Retailing retain their position over time by
Topic: Brand Evolution providing an experience.

Case: Domino’s Pizza Brands in crisis Analyze how brands respond in

times of crisis
10 Industry: Fast Food

Case: Away: Scaling a DTC Travel brand E-commerce Understand how e-commerce
11 brands are built
Industry: Luggage
Module 3 –
Brand Culture & Communities
 Creating a subcultural brand Will understand how strong
customer-brand-customer
Underdog brands relationships are forged and what
12 & 13 Brand Narratives value does such linkages have for
Storytelling
the brand.
Case: Vans
Cultural Branding
Branding Ethics

14 Project Presentations