Great brands stand for many different things in the minds of customers. But they all succeed in generating consumer interest, loyalty, even passion… and enormous value for the companies that manage them.

Our focus is on strategic and creative management of brands. We will examine how innovative managers create brands that connect with customers by studying customer lifestyles, tapping into cultural meanings, managing customer experiences, and executing brand strategies across touchpoints—from naming and visual identity to advertising, new media, retail, packaging, product innovation, and service. We will also touch upon brand valuation and analytics, but these topics are covered in more depth in other classes.

Class sessions will combine lectures, case studies, industry speaker perspectives, and group exercises.

The course will be providing an integrated brand-management model.  The concepts and tools of this six-step model will be presented and discussed in various class session. Students will apply the model as part of Part I of their final group presentation.

Students are evaluated for their ability to master new concepts, think strategically, and generate truly creative solutions to everyday branding challenges.

The objective of the course is to familiarize you with

• The creative and strategic nature of branding
• Practical frameworks for managing a brand and experience project
• Tools for implementing a brand strategy in visual identity, communications and new media
   

The course will be useful for managing a brand and experience focused consulting projects, and to position or reposition a brand as a brand manager in various industries (e.g., consumer goods, services, and technology).

Bernd Schmitt

Robert D. Calkins Professor of International Business

Professor Schmitt researches, teaches, and advises corporations on branding, innovation, creative strategy, and customer experience management. Schmitt's books include (among others) Happy Customers Everywhere, Big Think Strategy, Customer Experience Management, Experiential Marketing, which have been translated into more than 20 languages. He teaches the course Managing Brands, Identity and Experiences, and won an award for innovation in...

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