Brands constitute one of the most important assets for companies, serving as pillars for establishing sustainable competitive advantage. However, building and managing robust brands has become increasingly complex in our contemporary and hyperconnected society. In this course, you will understand how to manage and communicate strong brands that effectively meet contemporary challenges and foster value creation for businesses and consumers.

To do that, this course will merge a customer-centric approach with strategic management principles, with the goal of providing you with the knowledge of how to manage strong and inspired brands. 

We will have a series of interactive sessions aimed at building an understanding of the foundational perspectives in branding and their evolution in the current hyperconnected context. 

By using papers, case studies, and having guest speakers we will discuss various opportunities and challenges that may confront brands. These activities will bridge theoretical frameworks with real-world cases.

Together, we will also explore qualitative methodologies that can be used to collect insights from consumers and that can be useful to understand how consumers perceive a certain brand and which strategy can be applied to solve potential challenges. 

Additionally, you will apply the contents of the course to a final group project with Campari Group. This group work allows you to conduct a comprehensive analysis of an existing brand using both primary and secondary data. You will apply your knowledge to assess the brand’s current state and develop recommendations to address potential challenges.

This course aims to expand your knowledge of branding in a hyperconnected world, with a specific focus on understanding how to create and manage strong brands.

By completing this course, you will:

• Develop a deep understanding of branding by integrating consumer and company perspectives, and recognizing the role of both in shaping a brand's meanings and values.
• Gain familiarity with research tools that collect consumer insights and support strategic decision-making for a brand.
• Enhance your ability to think creatively and critically about the strategies and tactics required to craft, adapt, and effectively manage a brand in response to contemporary challenges.
• Conduct a comprehensive analysis of a brand using both primary and secondary data to identify challenges and propose actionable solutions.

Additionally, you will strengthen the following skills:

• Working effectively in teams.
• Giving and receiving constructive feedback.
• Professionally presenting the results of group work.

You need to attend at least 80% of the sessions to pass the course. 

The teaching method combines theory with real-world cases and it is based on different types of sessions: (1) Interactive lecture sessions, (2) "Real-world cases" sessions, and (3) Student presentations. 

(1) Interactive lecture sessions: 

Interactive lectures where we discuss core concepts and theories around branding, considering changes due to hyperconnection in the modern world. Part of these sessions will be also dedicated to understanding how to use qualitative methods (e.g., focus groups) to collect insights from consumers. This part is also related to the group project work where you will be asked to collect consumers' primary data about a brand. 

(2) "Real-world cases" sessions

These sessions aim to discuss challenges that brands can face by discussing real cases and interacting with external guests.

During external guest lectures, professionals will present you with opportunities and challenges they face when managing a brand and you will have the opportunity to learn about their experience in various industries. 

(3) Student presentation

The final part of the course is dedicated to your group's final presentation, which is the outcome of your final group project for Campari Group. 

Your overall course grade will be determined based on your performance in the following areas, with the corresponding weightings:

• Class participation 15%
• Individual assignments 25%
• Group project 20%
• Final presentation 30%
• Peer rating 10%

Grading key: <51=5, 51-60=4, 61-75=3,76-90=2, 91 or higher =1

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