Brand

Management
(MKT 724)
Course Overview

Sara Hussain, Lecturer

Brand Management
Course Overview:

Developing and launching brands is prime focus for all companies nowadays. The course is
designed primarily with intention to let students know regarding brands. Brand management is
all about managing brands in competitive market where lots of different brands are already
playing with the minds of customers. It talks about how brands emerged and how they create
awareness and value among customers. With the advent of new technology and changing needs
and wants of the customers, compels businesses to manage their brands effectively and
efficiently to sustain their position in the market. Thus, strong brands are able to get high market
share, competitive edge and have strong roots in the market. Moreover, it will explain about
strategies, companies adopt in order to stay in the market.

Target market:
Target market for this course is MS scholars as brand management is specialized course. They
need to have brand knowledge, how they get competitive edge and how they play with the minds
of the customers, and what are the issues they are facing in competitive environment etc.

Course Synopsis:

The course is designed with intention to develop the understanding regarding brands and
primarily brand management. The focus is to sharpen the analytical skills of the students with the
teaching of case studies and research articles. It provides insight that how companies play with
brands and understanding brand planning and management is the key to success.

Course Objectives:

• Students knowledge will increase regarding contemporary issues, brands are facing
around the world.
• Student’s knowledge regarding core concepts will be enhanced.
• Moreover, they will be equipped with the knowledge required for taking competitive
decision. Additionally, students’ knowledge will increase by attempting GDB’s and
assignments regarding contemporary issues that brands are facing around the world more
specifically in Pakistan.

Learning Outcomes:

• Students will acquire knowledge regarding brands and how to manage brand in
competitive environment.
• It will make them knowledgeable enough to develop strategies for brands working in
Pakistan.
• The case studies and research articles regarding contemporary issues, brands are
facing will make them knowledgeable enough to develop strategies for brands
working in Pakistan.
• Student’s knowledge will be enhanced regarding research papers.
 • They will get to know how reflection is written and implications are analyzed of
research papers that plays imperative role in conducting new study
• They will have the analytical ability to understand, what brands are doing in the
market, and at which stage which strategy should develop and how brands should be
positioned to get maximum share of customers.

Assessment Scheme
GDBs = 5 marks
Assignment = 5 marks
Quizzes = 5 marks
Midterm = 40 marks
Final term = 45 marks
Total = 100 marks

Course Content:

Dear Students:

You are warmly welcomed to the course of “Brand Management”. This is very interesting
course in which you will learn how organizations manage their brands in order to save
themselves from competitors, market fluctuations and different in-house problems. Your in-
depth understanding regarding the course is mandatory.
The lectures starts with understanding the brand, introduction and brand manifestation which
will let you know what is brand. It covers the contents of brand challenges, strategic brand
management and building brand vision, picture and persona. It also includes brand based
customer model, positioning and guiding principles to position your brand exceptionally in the
minds of the customers. The concepts like brand extension, line extension and diversification
explains how brands increase their portfolio and what they do to get competitive edge in the
market. We have also added the model of brand extension in our course content to understand
the phenomena. The role of channel of distribution and its importance is discussed. Creating
value for customers is one of the major concerns of the organizations. Beside this, how brands do
co-branding, significance of co-branding and customer response hierarchy is argued. The role of
advertising, sales promotion and other communication tools are also discussed in order to make
students familiar with the concepts that plays imperative role in building brands. It is vital to
understand return on brand investment, brand dynamics and service brands. Moreover, brand
planning is one of the essential chores of the organizations. In the end, I would like to say that
after understanding all these concepts I am sure that you will be able to implement learned
strategies in your professional life because managing brand is the top concern of the
organizations nowadays.

Sr. Topics Lessons Relevant Articles (Available in

Download section of VULMS)
1 Understanding brands-introduction 1, 2
2 Brand manifestation 3, 4
Service branding: suggesting an
interactive model of service brand
Development

3 Brand challenges 5
4 Strategic brand management 6
5 Brand vision 7, 8, 9
6 Brand picture 10
7 Brand persona 11
Brand personality and brand
equity: evidence from the
sportswear industry

8 Brand contract 12, 13, 14

9 Brand based customer model 15, 16
10 Positioning 17, 18, 19, Consumer perceptions of cobrands:
20 the role of brand positioning
strategies
11 Brand extension 21, 22, 23,
24, 25

12 Brand portfolio 26
13 Brand architecture 27, 28
14 Channels of distribution 29
15 Creating value 30
16 Co-branding 31
17 Customer response hierarchy 32
18 Advertising 33, 34

19 Sales promotion 35
20 Other communication tools 36
21 Pricing 37, 38

22 Return on brand investment 39

23 Brand dynamics 40
24 Brand based organizations 41
25 Service brands 42

26 Brand planning 43
27 Brand planning process 44
28 Brand plan 45
29 Digital branding Articles Online branding

Branding for digital marketing and

 social media

Recommended Books:

1- Brand Asset Management

Davis (2nd edition)
Scot M. Davis
Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated

2- Strategic Brand Management ( Building , Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity)

Keller (3rd edition)
Kevin Lane Keller
Prentice Hall
3- The New Strategic Brand Management
Kapferer (4th edition)
J N Kapferer
Kogan Page Limited

Course Strategy:

• During the semester the lectures will be aired on VU channels. Three lectures per
week will be opened for discussion. Lectures are also available on LMS, you
tube, VU open courseware and CDs.
• Students will be able to ask the question regarding lectures through moderate
discussion board (MDB).
• Online sessions will be conducted to discuss the course related issues and new
further topics.
• Multiple articles will be available in download section for further study.
• Students have to prepare and present any brand management topic.
• The student’s performance will be assessed while giving graded activities.

Note: For Assignments topics you are advised to see course calendar.

HAVE A HAPPY LEARNING!!