Course profile

Strategic Branding (MKTG7502)

Study period
Sem 2 2024
Location
St Lucia
Attendance mode
In Person

Course overview

Study period
Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
Study level
Postgraduate Coursework
Location
St Lucia
Attendance mode
In Person
Units
2
Administrative campus
St Lucia
Coordinating unit
Business School

Marketing theory & practice emphasising management decisions; strategic marketing planning; advanced concepts in product management, pricing strategy & promotion; strategic brand management; emphasis on positioning as the core of marketing strategy; examine the strategy of company of your teams' choice as the course content is applied to the analysis of a real world business.

This course is intended for postgraduate students who want to learn about brand strategy. Building on students' understanding of core marketing principles, brand positioning is viewed as the core marketing strategy decision and provides a major source of equity for contemporary firms. This course considers the fundamentals of branding and how to use brand strategy to grow and maintain equity for the firm by studying theories and perspectives of brand management. Knowledge of these foundational theories will equip students with an evidence-based marketer's toolkit to develop their ownﾠbrand strategies in a range of applied brand contexts.

Course requirements

Assumed background

Students should have completed at least an introductory marketing course (MKTG7501), or have a good understanding of marketing principles.

Recommended prerequisites

We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:

MKTG7501

Restrictions

Quota: Minimum of 15 enrolments

Course contact

Course staff

Lecturer

Dr Ursula Bougoure

Tutor

Mrs Viobillyn Lapore

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Please note: Teaching staff doﾠnotﾠhave access to the timetabling system to help with class allocation. Therefore, should you need help with your timetable and/or allocation of classes, please ensure you emailﾠbusiness.mytimetable@uq.edu.auﾠfrom your UQ student email account with the following details:

  • Full name,
  • Student ID, and
  • the Course Code
Aims and outcomes

Aims and outcomes

Increasingly, firms of all types have come to the realisation that one of the most valuable assets they can strategically utilise is the brand name reputation associated with their products or services. This course introduces you (students) to strategic marketing managementﾠwith the prime aims of enhancing your ability to : 1) increase your understanding of the important issues involved in planning and evaluating brand strategies, 2) make more informed choices as to the most appropriate theories, models, and related tools for making effective branding decisions, and 3) provide a forum whereby you may apply the principles learned to practical business contexts. In other words, a core aspect of contemporary strategy from a marketing perspective is strategic brand management.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

LO1.

explain strategic brand marketing concepts, principles, and application

LO2.

conduct analysis of brand evidence to evaluate brand strategy

LO3.

justify strategic choices to maintain and grow brand equity in a range of business contexts

LO4.

develop group work and communication skills to consider alternative perspectives in brand analysis and decision making

Course overview
Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Category Assessment task Weight Due date
Examination In-Semester Concept Test
  • In-person
 25%

4/09/2024

A1 will be held during our lecture time.
Project Brand Strategy Audit
  • Team or group-based
  • In-person
 35%

7/10/2024 - 21/10/2024

In tutorials in Weeks, 11, 12 and 13.
Paper/ Report/ Annotation Contemporary Case Evaluation
  • Online
 40%

End of Semester Exam Period

2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024

This assessment will be centrally scheduled and run for 24 hours during the examination period.

Assessment details

In-Semester Concept Test

  • In-person
Mode
Written
Category
Examination
Weight
25%
Due date

4/09/2024

A1 will be held during our lecture time.

Learning outcomes
L01

Task description

In the lecture in wk 7, you will sit a mid term test covering the course content from weeks 1 to 6. This includes the following 8 chapters from your course textbook: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10.

The test is 1 hour long.

This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.


Exam details

Planning time no planning time minutes
Duration 60 minutes
Calculator options

No calculators permitted
Open/closed book Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted
Materials

pen, pencil, eraser, white out.

Exam platform Paper based
Invigilation

Invigilated in person

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Brand Strategy Audit

  • Team or group-based
  • In-person
Mode
Oral, Written
Category
Project
Weight
35%
Due date

7/10/2024 - 21/10/2024

In tutorials in Weeks, 11, 12 and 13.

Other conditions
Peer assessed.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes
L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Students will practice with and apply the brand strategy theory and methods from the course to a brand of their choosing from a pre-approved list. This is a team project with 4-5 students per group. In teams, students will research brand evidence, conduct a focus group with students in their tutorial as participants, analyse the focus group data and prepare a multimodal (PowerPoint) presentation of their findings with strategic recommendations for their chosen brand, which all team members will present during a live oral presentation during tutorials to their tutorial classmates and tutor. Students will analyse the current brand strategy and make recommendations for brand strategy planning.

Detailed project guidelines will be available on Blackboard. Student teams will present their completed brand strategy audit in class time during their allocated weeks during tutorial 10 (week 11) and tutorial 11 (week 12). Tutorial 12 will be used only for groups that missed their presentation in tutorials 10 and 11 (week 11 and 12).

Peer Assessment. It is important that groups work well together and that everyone does their fair share of the work. This course uses the UQ Group Peer Assessment tool called Buddycheck. All students must complete Buddycheck on Blackboard.  If the peer assessment result indicates that a team member has not been doing their fair share of the work, their marks may be adjusted downward based on peer assessment results. Peer assessment forms are due by the end of the day after your project presentation. To facilitate a shared understanding about how the team will function, team members should agree on a team charter for how the team will operate (a model team charter will be provided as a starter for your team). If your group is having problems, see your tutor as early as possible. If you fear that your team may assess you unfairly, it is important to discuss this with your tutor well before the project is finished. 

For help with how to effectively function in teams by building teams and managing team conflict see the online edX course “Working in Teams: A Practical Guide” www.edx.org/course/working-in-teams-a-practical-guide (link on the Blackboard website).  

This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Submission guidelines

Presentations will be performed during scheduled tutorial times, as per the schedule. One member of the group will submit a copy of the group presentation slides on the day of the presentation via the Learn.UQ site. All presentations will be audio and video recorded by the tutor for the purpose of moderation and potential re-marking as per University requirements.

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

Late submission

You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.

Failure to submit within the timeframe will result in a mark of zero for the whole group. It is your responsibility to communicate effectively with your tutor during this period to ensure you are allocated a time and date to submit during the last 3 weeks of tutorials.

Contemporary Case Evaluation

  • Online
Mode
Written
Category
Paper/ Report/ Annotation
Weight
40%
Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024

This assessment will be centrally scheduled and run for 24 hours during the examination period.

Learning outcomes
L01, L02, L03

Task description

The final assessment will be a time bound contemporary case evaluation. The task will apply theory and practice, where students will be provided the topics for analysis and will have 24 hours to complete the task and submit their response (before the deadline). All content covered in the course may be drawn upon for the topics. Further details will be discussed during the semester, particularly in the Week 13 tutorial, and noted in the Assessment folder in Blackboard.

Students are advised to allow enough time in their schedule for preparation which should focus on reviewing the topics covered in the course. 

If you have extenuating circumstances which prevent you completing this assessment within the timeframe given, please apply for an extension of assessment via my.UQ (not a deferral) as outlined in 5.3.

This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Submission guidelines

The written assignment must be submitted electronically through the Online Turnitin Submission on the course Learn.UQ site, based on the specific instructions provided. Students who fail to follow the submission instructions will incur late penalties until submission is resolved.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Late submission

You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Grade Cut off Percent Description
1 (Low Fail) 0 - 29

Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes.
2 (Fail) 30 - 46

Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes.
3 (Marginal Fail) 47 - 49

Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes
4 (Pass) 50 - 64

Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes.
5 (Credit) 65 - 74

Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes.
6 (Distinction) 75 - 84

Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes.
7 (High Distinction) 85 - 100

Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes.

Additional course grading information

Grades will be allocated according to University-wide standards of criterion-based assessment.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Aims and outcomes
Learning resources

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

Learn (Blackboard)
All courses are supported by the UQ Learning Management System, Blackboard Learn, which provides an interactive environment for the students and teachers. This is accessible via PC or Mac or Mobile (Apps) environment.
To log on to Blackboard, go to https://learn.uq.edu.au.

Assessment
Learning activities

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

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Learning period Activity type Topic
Week 1
Not Timetabled

No tutorials

No tutorials during Week 1.

Tutorials will commence in Week 2.
Lecture

Course introduction

Introduction to branding, considering brand management perspectives and contexts. Course assessment overview and resources to support the assessment.

Introducing the Edx Working Effectively in Teams module.

Read text Chapter 1.

Learning outcomes: L01, L04
Week 2
Tutorial

Course introduction

Introduce yourself to your peers and tutor.

Introduction to tutorial expectations, technology and plans.

Course assessment overview, discuss A1 and A2 task and marking rubrics.

Initial group formation and brand choice discussions for A2.

Learning outcomes: L01, L04
Lecture

Brand equity and brand positioning

Examination of customer-based and financial-based perspectives of equity, as well as an introduction to brand basics and emerging perspectives.

Foundations of positioning and guidelines for implementation and development of valued associations.

Read text Chapter 2


Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04
Week 3
Tutorial

Brand equity and brand positioning

Exploring brand equity in practice and consider brand positioning.

Refine groups and discuss the role of the peer review process for A2.

Concept check on CBBE and financial equity.

Overview of referencing guidelines for A2.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04
Lecture

Brand resonance and audit

Examination of the brand resonance pyramid.

Consideration of how to use a brand audit (including the difference between a brand inventory versus a brand exploratory) to measure and manage brand equity.

Read text chapters 3 and 9.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04
Week 4
Tutorial

Brand resonance and audit

Practical activities to understand resonance and to conduct a brand audit, including discussion of the major assessment.

A2 group finalisation and registration, with group contracts and brand choice due in tutorials.

Royal Queensland Show Public Holiday - No tutorial Wednesday 14 August 2024 - Please attend alternative tutorial this week only.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03
Lecture

Brand strategy designing elements

Examination of seven distinct brand elements, including brand name, logos and symbols, characters, slogans, jingles, packaging and URLs to build brand equity.

Different criteria for strategically choosing brand elements as part of a brand strategy.

Read text chapter 4.

Royal Queensland Show Public Holiday - Wednesday 14 Aug 2024 - Check Blackboard for announcements about affected classes.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04
Week 5
Tutorial

Brand strategy designing elements

Practical discussions and activities to understand the nuances of brand elements and to explore marketing of the brand.

A2 focus groups commence: In your group, you will collect focus group data from your tutorial classmates during your tutorial. Focus group order will be pre-determined either by groups volunteering to present first or random allocation. All group members must come ready to collect data.


Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03
Lecture

Brand strategy using marketing programs

Examining how brand strategies can be implemented to build equity, using marketing programs.

Read text chapters 5 and 10.


Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04
Week 6
Tutorial

Brand strategy using marketing programs

A2 focus groups continue: In your group, you will collect focus group data from your tutorial classmates during your tutorial. Focus group order will be pre-determined either by groups volunteering to present first or random allocation. All group members must come ready to collect data.


A1 information, plus example questions.


Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04
Lecture

W6: Brand marketing communication

Integrated marketing communications to build brand equity.

Understanding the new media environment and how integrated marketing communications can aid brand equity.

Read text chapter 6.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03
Week 7
Tutorial

Brand marketing communication

Activities to explore the ways in which brands are communicated to their customer, digital brands and digital branding practices. A2 focus groups for those yet to present.

In-class time to work on your group assessment with your tutor present.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04
Lecture

In-Semester Examination

A1 is held during our lecture this week and covers lecture content from weeks 1-6 of the semester.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04
Week 8
Tutorial

Measuring brand equity

Activities for measuring brand equity. (Chapters 10 and 11)

In-class time to work on your group assessment with your tutor present.


Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04
Lecture

Managing brands over time, geography, segments

Exploring the ongoing management of brands to maintain and grow equity: Consider the differences between brand reinforcement or brand revitalization strategies to manage brands over time and different ways to segment a market.

Read text chapters 11, 14 and 15.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03
Week 9
Tutorial

Managing brands over time, geography, segments

Activities for managing brands over time, geography and segments.

In-class time to work on A2 with your tutor present.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04
Lecture

Branding in the digital era

Exploring brand management implications in the digital age.

Read text chapter 7

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03
Mid Sem break
No student involvement (Breaks, information)

In-Semester Break
Week 10
Tutorial

Branding in the digital era

Activities involving digital brands and digital branding practices.

A2 final Q&A session.

Discuss features of effective oral presentations and considerations for designing effective PowerPoint slides.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04
Lecture

Leveraging secondary associations

Considering secondary brand associations as mechanisms for brand equity growth.

Read text chapter 8.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03
Week 11
Tutorial

In-class presentations

A2 due this week during tutorials via in-class group presentations. All group members must be ready to present. Group presentation order will be pre-determined either by students volunteering or random allocation where no volunteers are present. Note: Peer review is also due at the time of your A2 group presentation.

King's Birthday Public Holiday - Monday 7 October 2024 - Check Blackboard for announcements about affected classes.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04
Lecture

Brand equity growth

Considering the design and implementation of brand architecture strategies to grow and sustain brand equity.

Read text chapter 12.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03
Week 12
Tutorial

In-Class Presentations. Secondary associations, brand equity growth

A2 presentations during tutorials via in-class group presentations only for groups that missed their presentation last week.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04
Lecture

Introducing new products and brand extensions

Exploring the role of new products brand extensions and their impact on brand equity.

Read text chapter 13.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03
Week 13
Tutorial

New products, brand extensions, course review

Discussion of new products and brand extensions.

Course review and A3 preparation with Q&A.

Any groups yet to present A2 will present this week.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04
Lecture

Course review

A brief overview of lecture and tutorial content covered throughout the semester.

Read text chapter 16.

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03
Learning resources
Policies and procedures

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.

Learning activities