Brand Strategy

Introduction

This course builds on MRK 3564 Branding. The course is a continuation and an extension of MRK 3564, but will also go deeper into overall brand strategy and different tactics and strategies one can choose from to succeed. In addition, the course focuses on more practical skills in developing a brand strategy. The students will get experience in collecting and analyzing data on the brand’s current strategic situation, and how to formulate a clear brand strategy. An important part of the course is to collect qualitative data from consumers and be able to analyze these data to get a better understanding of brand strength.

Course content

The course applies a management perspective, which is the basis for its approach to strategic branding. The course’s goal is to develop knowledge and skills to analyze and develop a brand strategy, and choose among different strategies on how to achieve this strategy in the market.

Whether you plan to develop a new brand or an existing one, the brand analysis and understanding the target groups are important. The students must get knowledge and experience through a set of analytical approaches to understand the brand's positioning in the market. This analysis will lead to an understanding of a brand's strategic opportunities.

Companies and organizations working with brands have a need to understand brand strategy and positioning. Brand strategies change over time when markets, consumers, competition and the general economy change. To understand brand strategy, students must therefore have knowledge about the market the company and organization operate.

Strategic choices concern which strategies should be used towards different target groups and brands. In this course, increased understanding of how different strategic tools can be used to succeed with the brand strategy will be important. Important strategies are for example brand elements, brand alliances, brand communication and the use of employees as brand champions.

Brand strategy consists of the following topics:

1. Basic understanding of brands and key constructs
2. Knowledge about the market and consumers
3. Categorization theory
4. Strategic brand positioning
5. Brand portfolios and positioning
6. Methods for mapping brand associations and qualitative data analysis
7. Data collection and analysis to understand the brand’s current strategic situation
8. Choice of strategies and developing the brand platform
9. Brand strategy and brand platform document
10. Choice of strategies to achieve the brand strategy
11. Brand growth opportunities
12. Brand strategy in practice – simulation game