STRATEGIC BRAND MANAGEMENT

Spring 2015 Instructor: Miro Copic

Welcome to Strategic Brand Management (MKTG 772). This will be a challenging, fun and rewarding course.

There has been a lot written about brands over the last few years, even though brands have been around for a long time. Today, there are brands
that are worth billions (Apple, Coca-Cola, Disney, GE, IBM, and McDonald’s) and others that have lost their value over night (Enron and MCI). Can
brands be worth this much? What is the role of brands in driving a company’s sales, profits, image and market position? This course focuses on the
practical aspects of branding, positioning and product management.

You will learn to evaluate a great brand from other brands. You will learn the terminology and concepts to create a brand, reposition or turn a brand
around, or take an existing, successful brand and keep it relevant. We will use a case study format and use relevant timely (local if possible)
examples. We will examine the brand development process, who’s involved from your organization, the role of agencies and how to most
effectively organize your marketing group. While many of the case studies will focus on consumer-oriented products/services, this course will have
a strong technology focus. While many of the same branding/marketing principles apply, technology marketing has its own distinct approach and is
a core focus of many companies Southern California.

In this course you will utilize and apply all that you have learned in previous marketing and branding courses as well as applying your own real world
experiences. This course emphasizes the core essence of marketing—brand development. Without product management and branding, much of
any organization’s marketing investment would be wasted. Once we understand the branding process and how to get the most from your
organization and agencies, then we will explore how to develop broad marketing strategies that will work for your business, no matter if it’s a Fortune
500 company or a start-up.

Because of the quick pace necessary to complete this course, the workload and energy will be intense for all. I will try to make this course
educational, interesting, practical and fun. I ask that you work in earnest to complete all assignments on time and come to class prepared so the
entire class can benefit from your insights and we can all move forward in a timely fashion.

1. ASSIGNMENTS:

 Topics and reading assignments are listed in the Course Syllabus.

The outline may be changed as necessary.

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  Supplemental readings and/or assignments will be handed out.

 All readings and assignments should be completed prior to and in preparation for each class. All students are expect to
read all of the cases and should be prepared to discuss them in class.

 All students will participate in a group project. Teams will be selected and the topic will be assigned on March 2nd and will be due on
April 13th.

 All written assignments must be typed, spell-checked, appropriately referenced and double-spaced

2. GRADES:
Your grade will be based on your accumulation of points as outlined below. The grading curve will be the following: 90%>A; 80-89% B; 70-
79% C; 60-69% D; <59% F. The top 10-15% of the total points will receive grades in the A/A- range (A- (90-92%; A>92.0%); 65-75% will
receive grades in the B range (B+ (88%-89.99), B (>82% and 88%<), B- (80-82%); and 15-20% will receive grades in the C range (C+, C,
C-). It is expected that all students will achieve a minimum number of points to qualify for a C. It is possible that a student can fail the course
if their performance were judged to be inadequate (i.e., missed several classes, did not participate in class discussion, poor quality of
exams, etc.).

35% Class Attendance and Participation (350 points)

Your attendance and participation in class are important to the success of this course and to your understanding and application of
the concepts of brand and marketing strategies.

25% Group Project/Case Analysis (250 points)

There will be one written group exercise and presentation. Teams and topics will assigned on March 2, 2015 and due on April 13,
2015.

15% Midterm Exam (150 points)

A mid-term exam will be given on Monday, March 16, 2014. The exam will cover all material covered in the course up to that point,
excluding case studies. It will consist of two parts: a multiple choice test and an essay question/case analysis.

25% Final Exam (250 points)

The final exam will include all material covered in the entire course, focusing on material after the midterm. It will consist of two
parts: a multiple choice test and a case analysis. The final will be on Monday, May 11 from 7-9 PM

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3. SUMMARY OF CLASS OUTCOMES:
Once you finish this course, it is expected that you will be able to:
 Define branding and understand terminology related to branding
o Differentiate terms like brand equity, brand loyalty, etc.
 Evaluate a brand and differentiate a great brand from other brands
 Understand and apply the brand positioning framework to:
o Develop a brand
o Develop long term, sustainable brand strategies and position a product
o Expand/introduce a brand internationally
o Reposition or revitalize a brand
o Manage a brand portfolio
 Apply branding techniques in technology companies
 Understand the role of social media in shaping a brand
 Explain the role of outside agencies in branding
o Develop criteria and a process to select an agency
 Develop integrated marketing campaigns to grow a brand

4. INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:
Miro Copic
Office: (Office Hours: 5:45-6:45 PM Monday’s or by appointment)
EBA (Education and Business Administration) 337D
Phone: (619) 733-3745 mobile
Fax: (858) 720-1628
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

Miro Copic is a co-founder and principal of Bottom Line Marketing (www.bllmllc.com), a San Diego-based business and marketing strategy
consulting firm. Bottom Line specializes in helping organizations develop effective strategic marketing platforms and marketing strategies to drive
profitable business growth, with a focus on ROI.

Over his 25-year senior marketing, sales and general management career, Copic has successfully developed and launched a broad array of
brands with leading multinational corporations, start-ups and turnarounds. Most recently, Miro has been consulting to clients in the entertainment,

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consumer and technology sectors. His clients include DIRECTV, Quidel, Smith + Noble, Honeywell, ProFlowers and the U.S. Air Force along with
other consumer, technology, software and wireless companies.

Prior to Bottom Line, Miro was Chief Marketing Officer at Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast division where he developed a successful portfolio strategy
that generated sales 30% ahead of plan. Miro also served as Chief Marketing Officer of News Corporation’s SKY Latin America satellite TV service
where he launch the most successful multi-channel television service in Latin America, reaching over 1 million subscribers in 24 months and taking
the business from zero to over $250 million in revenues. At Savoy Brands (Beatrice Foods), Miro turned around once leading brands against global
competitors; growing revenues over 40%, helping the company turn its first profit in 5 years, regained lost share and re-established brand
preference in all markets. He started his career at Frito-Lay where he held a number of senior level marketing positions both domestically and
internationally.

Miro earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and a MPP from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He earned B.A. in Economics and
International Relations from the University of Southern California. He serves on several corporate and non-profit boards.

5. REQUIRED TEXT:

A. Strategic Brand Management, Fourth Edition

Author: Kevin Lane Keller
th
Publisher: Pearson Prentice Hall 2013, 4 Edition
B. Course Reader: All cases and articles

6. STUDENT DISABILITY STATEMENT

If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability
Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as
possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until I have
received an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated

STRATEGIC BRAND MANAGEMENT – MKTG 772

Spring 2015 Instructor: Miro Copic
Course Syllabus: MKTG 772 Strategic Brand Management
Reading assignments are to be completed prior to and in preparation for class discussion. They are critical to the success of the
course and to your comprehension of branding and positioning strategies. Assignments are subject to change as may become
appropriate. The materials for the ASSIGNMENTS are found in the following books: Chapters are found in Strategic Brand

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Management, Fourth Edition by Kevin Lane Keller; the Course Reader will be available through Montezuma Publishing and some
articles and additional readings will be handed out in class. Class time is scheduled to be from 7:00-9:40: p.m. on Monday’s from
January 26 until May 4, 2015. The final exam will be on Thursday, May 11 from 7-9 PM.

DATE TOPIC(S) ASSIGNMENTS

Introduction and Foundational Elements

January 26 Course Introduction and expectations Note on Evaluating Case

Understand the definition of a brand and how a brand is created. Studies
Are brands overexposed and what can marketers do to develop a
winning brand in an era of the “24/7” brand? We will analyze some TV
commercials to determine what are good and bad brand positioning strategies.

February 2 Developing the Brand and Understanding Brand Equity Reading: Keller, Chapter 1 & 2
Understand the underlying aspects of developing a brand, the elements Article: Brands and Branding
that help create a brand and how to create and evaluate brand equity

February 9 Brand Positioning

Understand brand positioning, why it’s important, how it is developed and Reading: Keller Chapter 3
how it serves as the foundation of a company’s marketing effort. Without Case: The Gap, Building a Brand
a clear, effective and dynamic brand positioning, a company’s message and Articles: Differentiate or Die,
creative don’t stand a chance. Understanding Brands
We will have a guest speaker.

Planning and Implementing Brand Marketing Programs

February 16 Choosing Brand Elements and Leveraging Secondary Associations Reading: Keller, Chapters
to Build Brand Equity 4 and 7
Identify the core elements that help build a brand. Review companies Case: Dove
that have done it effectively. How do brand names, slogans and packaging Article: The Uninvited Brand

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 help you create a differentiated brand? How do marketers leverage contextual
factors, like country of origin, to enhance brand value

February 23 Designing Marketing Programs that Build Brand Equity Reading: Keller, Chapter 5
Looking beyond the 4 P’s in marketing to develop brand equity. We will evaluate Article: Branding in the Digital
the entire brand experience, with particular focus on social media and its impact Age
on brands. We will review trends and ways that brands can thrive in a 24/7 world. Case: Metabical

March 2 High Tech Brand Management Reading: Winer, Chapter 15

Focus on similarities and differences in marketing in high tech (and Case: TIVO
service) company brands. We will have a guest speaker. Article: What High Tech
Managers Need to Know
About Brands

March 9 Managing and Leading Agencies Case: Pepsi Refresh Project

Identify what agencies do, how they overlap in terms of services, how they can
add value to the branding process and what your responsibilities are as a client.
We will have a guest speaker.

March 16 Integrating Marketing Communications to Build Brand Equity Reading: Keller, Chapter 6
How do you communicate your brand to end customers? What tools Case: IKEA Invades America
are in a marketer’s arsenal and which are right for the task at hand.
(mid-term)

Measuring and Interpreting Brand Performance

March 23 Measuring and Interpreting Brand Performance Reading: Keller, Chapters 8-10
How do you track brand performance and what questions are the right Case: Sephora Direct:
ones to ask to drive brand insights? A practical look at how research helps Investing in Social Media

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 companies develop stronger brands. Article: Brand Asset
Management
March 30 Spring Break No Assignment

Growing and Sustaining Brand Equity

April 6 Designing and Implementing Brand Strategies Reading: Keller, Chapter 11

What are effective brand strategies and how can you create one for Case: Samsung Electronics
your company? How a brand strategy leads to the development of an Company
integrated marketing plan Article: How Customers .
Think

April 13 Introducing New Products and Line Extensions Reading: Keller, Chapter 12
How do you expand and grow your brand? How quickly can you grow? Case: Martha Stewart
What aspects of your brand can catapult you to success or stop you Article: Anatomy of Buzz
in your tracks?

April 20 Managing Brands Over Time Reading: Keller, Chapter 13

How do you make sure your brand stays relevant over time? We’ll discuss the Case: Callaway Golf
pitfalls of shifting brand focus and losing brand momentum and how to get it
back. Prioritizing communication elements so they have the most impact
on your brand. We will have a guest speaker

April 27 Global Branding: Is There Such a Thing as a Global Brand? Reading: Keller, Chapters 14
How do you expand a brand globally? How do you think about customers and 15
in different markets? How do they evaluate your brand? How do you maintain Case: Nike, Building a Global
consistency in your brand’s positioning as you expand into new markets? Brand

May 4 Final Observations: The New Branding Frontier Reading: Keller, Chapter 15
We will review key elements of the course prior to the final.

May 11 Final Exam 7-9 PM

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Required Text:
Strategic Brand Management, Fourth Edition
Author: Kevin Lane Keller
Publisher: Pearson Prentice Hall 2013

Recommended Texts:
Classic Brand Books New Brand Books
Brand Leadership The Brand Bubble
Author: David Aaker and Erich Joachimsthaler Authors: John Gerzema and Ed Lebar
Publisher: The Free Press 2000 Publisher: Jossey-Bass (Wiley Imprint)
A Brand New World Branding with Brains
Author: Scott Bedbury Author: Tjaco Walvis
Publisher: Viking Press 2002 Publisher: Prentice Hall/Financial Times
Emotional Branding Repositioning
Author: Marc Gobe and Sergio Zyman Author: Jack Trout
Publisher: Allworth Press 2000 Publisher: McGraw Hill 20110

Recommended Readings:
National: The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Fortune, Forbes
Local: The San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Business Journal, San Diego Daily Transcript
New Economy: Fast Company, Tech Crunch
Marketing Magazines: Ad Age, AdWeek (integrated BrandWeek), MediaWeek
Marketing Websites: MarketingProfs.com, MarketingSherpa.com, Mediapost.com, American Marketing Association
(marketingpower.com), MarketingCharts.com, MarketingNPV.com, AdAge.com, AdWeek.com, BDN International (www.bdn-intl.com),
eMarketer.com, BrandChannel.com

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