Objectives

Brand Building course focuses on challenges and opportunities of marketing new and existing products and services to the global marketplace. It builds on the knowledge acquired in previous Marketing and Advertising courses and applies key marketing and branding concepts in the international business context. It introduces students to international-level strategic and operational marketing tools and decision and influence techniques for building brands.

The course accomplishes its objectives through lectures, analyzes and discussions of real business cases of current global marketing issues, and through the establishment of a Brand's marketing and advertising strategy. It pays special attention to strategies used by international brands. Specifically, the course analyzes the impact of cultural, economic, technological, political, and legal differences on the branding and marketing process.

On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

• Understand the nature of marketing strategy and its linkages to brand strategy vis-à-vis local and international companies
• Develop analytical frameworks in the screening of national markets defining the key factors in the firm's internationalization process by evaluating the international business environment, stressing particularly the economic and cultural dimensions
• Discuss the complexities and paradoxes that are prevalent in so many successful and failing international brands
• Explore the tensions in adopting a global standardized Brand as opposed to a locally responsive brand in international marketing and relate these to the overall corporate strategy of companies
• Consider ethical and social responsibility issues, in the development and implementation of the marketing strategy

Learning outcomes

• Understand the nature of marketing strategy and its connections to brand strategy, both in local and international companies
• Learn the most significant brand research techniques for the brand building process
• Define the key factors in the brand building process
• Acquire and demonstrate advanced knowledge of the theoretical and practical aspects and working methodology in the fields of communication and international business
• Prepares written reports and documents (mainly of a technical nature) with spelling and grammar correction in Catalan, Spanish and English

Content

Topic 1: The Global Marketing Imperative
Topic 2: Marketing Macro-environment: Socio-cultural and economic Marketing Macro-environment: Political and legal
Topic 3: International Marketing Micro-environment: Competition. suppliers Customers
Topic 4: Segmentation, targeting and positioning. Strategic Planning
Topic 5: Product Management, Parfitt and Collins Model and Branding
Topic 6: Marketing Research and Brand Value Discovery. The Total Brand Experience
Topic 7: Pricing, Brand Value and Affordability.
Topic 8: Sales Management: The Brand Ambassadors and the Competitive War.
Topic 9: Brand Building and Advertising Process: Strategic Partners for Brand Building
Topic 10: Promotional and Communication Strategies (1)
Topic 11: Promotional and Communication Strategies (2)
Topic 12: Brands Value Assessment, Share of Market and P&L

Evaluation

Regular term evaluation

The final grade will be determined by the weighted average of various continuous evaluation activities and a final exam.

Class participation

• Time period: Throughout the course
• Type of assessment: Comp
• Type of activity: Conceptual and synthesis
• Grouping: Individual
• Weight (%): 10%

Case discussions and case presentations

• Time period: Throughout the course
• Type of assessment: Comp
• Assessment agent: Teacher
• Type of activity: Application and synthesis
• Grouping: Individual, Group
• Weight (%): 10%

Group Marketing Plan partial submittals

• Time period: Every two weeks
• Type of assessment: Comp
• Assessment agent: Teacher, Self-evaluation, Co-evaluation
• Type of activity: Application and synthesis
• Grouping: Group
• Weight (%): 30%

Group Marketing Plan final submittal and oral presentation

• Time period: May 19th
• Type of assessment: Comp
• Assessment agent: Teacher
• Type of activity: Application and synthesis
• Grouping: Group
• Weight (%): 20%

Final Exam
(A minimum score of 4 is required)

• Time period: Exam week
• Type of assessment: Comp
• Assessment agent: Teacher
• Type of activity: Conceptual and synthesis
• Grouping: Individual
• Weight (%): 30%

Taking the final exam and obtaining a minimum score of 4 are necessary conditions in order to pass the course.

If the student does not obtain a minimum of 4 in the exam, the final
grade will be the minimum between 4 and the average of the exam and the
continuous evaluation elements.

IMPORTANT further specifications on grading and assignment rules:
Participation in this course is graded as a bonus. Participation grade can increase your final grade for no more than 1.0. Your participation mark will be based on your class contribution. Some of the behaviors that contribute to effective class participation are captured in the questions that follow:

• Is the participant a good listener?
• Are the points that are made relevant to the discussion? Are they linked to the comments of others?
• Do the comments add to our understanding of the situation?
• Do the comments show evidence of analysis of the case?
• Does the participant distinguish among different kinds of data (that is, facts, opinions, beliefs, concepts, etc.)?
• Is there a willingness to share?
• Is there a willingness to test new ideas, or are all comments "safe"? (For example, repetition of case facts without analysis and conclusions or a comment already made by a colleague.)
• Is the participant willing to interact with other class members?
• Do comments clarify and highlight the important aspects of earlier comments and lead to a clearer statement of the concepts being covered?

The questions above deal with both the process of class participation and (of equal or greater concern) the content of what you say. Please trust that both quality and frequency are important, but that quantity can never make up for low quality.

Please do not confuse participation with assistance. Having a perfect attendance record may still result in a zero participation mark if you do not actively participate in the class discussions. However, if you do not attend classes, then neither can you participate. Thus, if your attendance falls below 80% of all classes (6 or more absences), your participation will be set to zero regardless of your contribution during the classes you were present at.

At the beginning of the term, you will self-form groups of 5 students that will develop a Company's Marketing Plan.
Although each group will get one mark, individual marks will be adjusted (upwards or downwards) based on the 360º evaluation that you will have to complete during the final exam.

Methodology

The course is composed of a mixture of lectures, tutorials, seminars, team groups and case discussions. The purpose of the lectures is to present and discuss theories, concepts, analytical techniques and empirical findings. We will supplement lectures with tutorials that will allow us to practice the analytical techniques introduced during the lectures. Furthermore, we will discuss a number of comprehensive business cases. The goal of the case discussion is to apply the concepts to the context provided by the case and to make decisions based on both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Students are expected to be prepared and participate actively in class discussions.

In Classroom
Teacher:

• Professor's exposition
• Doubts and questions resolved

Student:

• Case study discussions
• Group Branding and Marketing Plan presentations
• final exam

Directed (Outside Classroom)
Teacher:

• Reading and assessment of case study reports.
• Reading and assessment of branding and marketing plan sections.

Student:

• Case study preparation
• Group Marketing Plan elaboration

Autonomous
Student:

• Reading of material before class
• Personal individual study of the subject
• Preparation for the final exam