Course: Strategic Brand Manager credits: 15

In this 15 ECs block you will demonstrate your competences as Strategic Brand Manager in an integrative consultancy-based strategic branding project. You are supported by study units in applied research methodology, strategic brand management and intercultural communication: 

Capstone Project 2
As part of an international consulting team, the student works closely with a client on a consultancy-based strategic branding project to solve a communication problem for a brand or organisation. The purpose is to contribute to key insights in brand positioning, brand story and develop a strategic international brand strategy. The brand strategy is translated into tactics appropriate to the international and the intercultural business context. Student takes position and to motivate his/her vision behind the choice made. The pedagogy is approached from an evidence-based mindset and according to the logic of the research cycle. The student integrates recent developments with respect to digital marketing and social media in the final consultancy-based report. 

Applied Research Methodology 2 
The student is offered intensive seminars in quantitative research methodology relating to communication-based research. The study unit is supportive in carrying out the capstone project.  The student learns the mastery of the research cycle, critical thinking (logic and reasoning, conceptual thinking), problem solving (planning and data collection), analysis (data analysis) and communication (dissemination, data visualisation).

Strategic Brand Management  
The purpose of a positioning or marketing communication strategy frequently boils down to aligning image and identity. Two approaches are conceivable: an inside-out approach emphasizing the identity of the organization and the outside-in approach as incorporated by the market- or customer-driven view. The student will be introduced to these two approaches and will be encouraged to select and motivate his/her own point of view. Branding strategy is frequently operationalized with the acronym STP: Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning. Positioning a brand or organization involves an attempt to influence customer behavior into a certain desired direction. Traditionally, positioning implies influencing the psychological processes that guide customer behavior. According to this perspective, influencing these psychological processes reinforces the brand image or corporate image, resulting in stronger brand attachment and a higher probability that the targeted audience becomes or remains customer. The approach of authors such as Keller exemplify this perspective. Currently, this perspective is challenged by a perspective that emphasizes physical and mental availability. Sharp and Romaniuk advocate this vision. This is a vision in which the customer journey receives a lot of attention: optimization of customer experience in all relevant touchpoints by using the most appropriate marketing (communication) tools. The student learns, during hands-on seminars and workshops, how to deliver optimized customer experiences and how to integrate social media channels into an effective international strategic branding strategy for the client.

Intercultural Communication 2 
In this practical study unit, the student is challenged to put him-/herself in the shoes of an international communication consultant who operates in an intercultural context. The student produces various types of content for a variety of international business settings, targeting internationally diverse stakeholders. The student discusses and practices cultural rules for establishing relationships looking at authority, assertiveness, harmony, formality, and ethical considerations. Lastly, the student assesses his/her personal conflict dynamics profile from an intercultural perspective and practices different cultural approaches to conflict. 

Persuasive Writing: training 
In hands-on workshops the student analyses texts and persuasive writing strategies, from a business as well as from a cultural perspective. Topics include persuasive messages, unwelcome messages, problem-solving messages, role and force of words, direct and indirect messages, channels of business messages. 

The different elements are assessed as integrative parts of the block master portfolio and in a criterion-based Interview. 

Contact person: Dania Fang MSc.  
Contact information: r.fang@pl.hanze.nl