Postgraduate Course: Understanding Brands (CMSE11162)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 15 |
ECTS Credits | 7.5 |
| Summary | This course considers the theories and concepts of products/services and brands and the implications of this for marketing managers. The course considers how companies introduce and manage product portfolios and individual brands so as to meet the needs of consumers and the strategic goals of the organisation. It provides students with insights into the management of products/services throughout their life cycles, including new product development, and the use of branding strategies through a consideration of the relevant literature and real-life examples in a variety of sectors. Moreover, the course encompasses analytical tools and practices, which help students to gain a better understanding of the management of the product/service offering and the challenges facing marketers in the present business climate. |
| Course description |
Taking a socio-cultural perspective, this course looks to provide students with a deeper knowledge of the place of brands in the lives of consumers and the strategies/techniques used to manage them. It does this by considering the meanings of brands and by outlining different brand strategies available to companies to both meet the needs of consumers and achieve strategic organisational goals.
Syllabus
What is Branding?
Emotion and Brands
Reflecting Identity through the Brands we consume
Consumer Communities and Brands
Brand equity
Branding in Context
Managing brands
Service and corporate brands
The dark side of branding
Student Learning Experience
The lectures will explore a range of key branding concepts, real life examples, guest lectures and case studies. During lectures students will be asked to be active, completing exercises and discussing issues with their fellow students. Students will be expected to keep a comprehensive personal brand diary for a period of 7 days during the course. This will form the basis of the assignment. Students will be expected to search on e-journals and databases for wider reading.
Each 2hr session will consist of a range of teaching methods within the lecture structure
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | For Business School PG students only, or by special permission of the School. Please contact the course secretary. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
150
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 3,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
125 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Assessment of this course is through an exam (weighted 60%) and essay (weighted 40%). |
| Feedback |
All students will be given at least one formative feedback or feed-forward (advice on how to improve for future assignments/assessment) event for every course they undertake. This will be provided during the semester (Semester 2 for Understanding Brands) in which the course is taken and in time to be useful in the completion of summative work on the course. Such feedback may be at course or programme level, but must include input of relevance to each course in the latter case.
Feedback on assessed work will be provided within 15 working days of submission, or in time to be of use in subsequent assessments within the course, whichever is sooner. Summative marks will be returned on a published timetable, which has been made clear to students at the start of the academic year.
Feedback will take form of discussion and oral feedback during lecture sessions, written feedback on Individual Assignment, generic examination feedback, and one-to-one meetings with the lecturer.
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| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | Understanding Brands | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Discuss critically how consumer involvement and emotions affect consumers choice of, and relationship with, brands
- Discuss critically the post-modern consumer uses brands as a resource to manage their identity
- Discuss critically how brands gain their meanings from various cultural agents including marketers and consumers.
- Critically evaluate strategies used in the management of brands ¿ both functional and symbolic
- Discuss critically symbolism and the meaning of brands, and the concept of brand equity.
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Reading List
Required Text
Elliot, R., Percy, L. and S. Pervan (2011) Strategic Brand Management, (2nd Ed.) Oxford University Press: Oxford.
Appropriate readings will be provided in advance of each lecture.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Cognitive Skills
Students will develop analytical skills such as:
* The ability to apply concepts and theories to real life brand management;
* The ability to critically evaluate brand portfolios;
* The ability to critically appraise brand strategies and make suggestions for improvement;
* The ability to use introspection as an analytical tool
Subject Specific Skills
Students will gain:
* The ability to recognise and respond to challenges associated with the management of brands;
* The ability to make recommendations to overcome and avoid specific brand challenges and threats.
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
* Be able to work individually and in a team;
* Be able to communicate and exchange ideas in oral and written formats
* Be able to critically analyse and use problem solving skills when considering possible courses of action.
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| Keywords | Mark-UB |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Mary Brennan
Tel: (0131 6)51 5550
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Ashley Harper
Tel: (0131 6)51 5671
Email: |
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