Education Abroad Program
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Hispanic and European Studies Program
Course title:
Corporate Brand Equity: The story on how cultural identity is
essential to 21st Century European business competitiveness
Language of instruction: English
Professor: Blanca Fullana
Professor’s contact and office hours: [email protected] –Anytime via email, response guaranteed in max. 3days time during the course.
Course contact hours: 45
Recommended credit: 3 US credits-6 ECTS credits
Course prerequisites:
“There are no pre-requisites for the course”.
However, it is recommended to have a general and global understanding of
Economic structures and Social, Cultural and Political dynamics around them as
well as a basic background on European culture. Studies in Advertising, PR,
Corporate Communications and Marketing are most related to the course’s
topic, however, the transversal meeting point of its content, makes this course
especially interesting for both Business, Economics, Politics, Marketing and
Advertising and Public Relations students that need a better understanding of
History, Sociology and Humanities’ legacy as a whole and vice versa: students
of Humanities, Arts, Literature and Philosophy that seek a better understanding
of business and global market realities and implications in the 21st Century
European context.
Language requirements: None
Course focus and approach:
Corporate Communications & PR. The concept of Corporate Brand Equity
in Today’s Context.
Hispanic and European Studies Program- Universitat Pompeu Fabra
2014-2015
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Education Abroad Program
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Hispanic and European Studies Program
Course description:
Since the globalization of the economy at the end of the last century, the
context of brand communications in today’s businesses has radically changed.
Communication strategies to reach any type of target group are challenged to
anticipate stakeholders’ interests, build brand equity beyond good products
and services and be able to remain competitive in a highly-active technological
context that has reversed some of the traditional ways of managing businesses.
In this global environment, corporate communications demand greater levels of
ethics and responsibility towards the society in which it operates and larger
collaborative synergies and collaboration processes. To this respect, Europe’s
competitive-edge is like any others, at stake, but the asset of intellectual capital
and cultural identity it portrays in its legacy, may be just the right kind of
differentiation brands need to successfully compete in the 21st C.
Learning objectives:
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Understanding the role of corporate communications in business
management
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Acknowledging corporate brand equity in relation to product brand
added-value (The full-length communications mix bonding traditional
advertising and corporate public relations)
o
Being capable to identify key corporate brand assets and stakeholders
o
Develop a critical and reflexive assessment over business challenges in
the 21st C and especially in relation to Europe
Hispanic and European Studies Program- Universitat Pompeu Fabra
2014-2015
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Education Abroad Program
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Hispanic and European Studies Program
Course workload and Teaching methodology:
Class lecturing and discussion seminars. Case studies review. Class portal with
information and wikis –according to opportunities.
Assessment criteria:
Individual mid-term exercise: 15%
End of term paper (in teams): 25%
End of term Final exam (individual): 50%
Class and seminars participation (individual –teacher’s assessment): 10%
Absence policy
After the add/drop, all registrations are considered final and HESP Absence
Policy begins to apply. For the academic year 2014-2015, such policy is as
follows:
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Attending class is mandatory and will be monitored daily by professors. Missing
classes will impact on the student’s final grade as follows:
Absences
Penalization
Up to two (2) absences
No penalization
Three (3) absences
1 point subtracted from final grade
(on a 10 point scale)
Four (4) absences
2 points subtracted from
final grade (on a 10 point scale)
Five (5) absences or more
The student receives an INCOMPLETE
(“NO PRESENTAT”)
for the course
The PEHE/HESP attendance policy does not distinguish between justified or
unjustified absences. The student is deemed responsible to manage his/her
absences.
Hispanic and European Studies Program- Universitat Pompeu Fabra
2014-2015
Education Abroad Program
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Hispanic and European Studies Program
Emergency situations (hospitalization, family emergency...) will be analyzed on a
case by case basis by the Academic Director of the HESP.
Classroom norms:
- No food or drink is permitted in class
- Students will have a ten-minute break after one one- hour session
Syllabus:
o
Definition and Relevance of 21st C Corporate Communications
o The corporate image and identity variables
o Corporate functionality: Evolution, challenges and opportunities of
strategic business contributions to society
o
Economic Paradigms: From a 20th C Industrial Revolution business
model to a 21st C Technology Revolution context.
o Processes of innovation in today’s consumer products and
services.
o Implications and consequences of technology
o Stakeholders implication in the perception of reputation
o Redefining the success asset
o
Social Movements:
o Liquid structures, democratization of opinion and feedback
platforms.
o Prosumers and Citizenship Journalism
o New Opinion leaders: reversing the influence chain
o The need of a more transparent Corporate Ethics and
Responsibility set-up
o
The concept of Equity:
o Corporate Brand Equity: The full value equation of brands today.
o ROE –Returns over Expectations- eventually ROI –Return over
Investment-. The concept and flow of Money in today’s society is
cause or effect of how well we sell it!?
o Redefining the Corporate Value equation. Equity is not about
money, but about being relevant to society.
o
LEADERSHIP FACTOR 21st C Communications Activity:
o Turning the Marketing Mix upside down! From launching a product
to manufacturing personalized goods and services.
o Reshaping space dimension in Communications strategies today:
The rise of Participation and Engagement.
o Re-active, non-controlled communications activity trends.
o Reshaping time dimension in Communications strategies today:
The Nowness mantra of stakeholders: “I was here”.
Hispanic and European Studies Program- Universitat Pompeu Fabra
2014-2015
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Education Abroad Program
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Hispanic and European Studies Program
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Europe’s Competitiveness:
o Europe’s cutting-edge: Intellectual Capital vs Man-Power
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The role of Culture. The interrelation of Corporate Cultural
Responsibility (CCR) and Europe’s primary assets
Europe’s industries and discourses
Europe’s SWOT (strengths, opportunities..) The competitive-edge
of a quality added-value proposition
Corporate Brand Equity, Europe’s Best Practices.
o Case study reviews of relevant European brands
Weekly schedule
Week 0. Day 1 –September 22nd : 1)Introduction to the course and course requirements.
Presentation of students, teacher and the course. Introduction to the course’s basis
content: Brand strategy today.
Week 1 –September 29th, October 1st: Introducing the concept of Brand Equity –
Definitions and class discussion. Tangible and intangible variables referenced by current
European Brand experts.
Week 2 –October 6th and 8th: Reading assignment 1, class seminar and briefing on
individual mid-term assignment (deadline Nov.3rd). Economic paradigms in
contemporary Europe –needs and expectations of European consumers and citizens.
Socialness in Europe.
Week 3 –October 13th and 15th. Corporate’s context and expectations today. The
concept of Trust. Analyzing data efficiently for the development of strategic SWOT
brand variables. Mind-share factors in glocal market-share logic.
Week 4 –October 20th and 22nd. The re-thinking model set through technology and
digital opportunities. Open source working methods in innovation and creativity. The
concept of “uncontrolled” communications and mind-set risk management.
Technology’s curtain, Knowledge data management, privacy and cultural differences of
intimacy standards.
Week 5-October 27th and 29th. Management of Brand Equity. Referenced models and
the definition of Corporate Culture responsibility. “Europe’s nut-crackers.”
Hispanic and European Studies Program- Universitat Pompeu Fabra
2014-2015
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Education Abroad Program
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Hispanic and European Studies Program
Week 6-November 3rd and 5th. (Assignment 1 deadline) Europe’s top industries,
brands and competitive assets. Identity (vs. image) values. Class seminar 2.
Week 7- November 10th and 12th. The leadership factor. 3 leading European brands
and its leaders. Brand’s footage, campaigns and projects: BMW, Michelin, Ikea, El Bulli,
RedBull, BUFF, Rijksmuseum, ING, The Body Shop, Zara, Givenchy, Volvo, BBC, Heineken,
among others.. Class wiki.
Week 8-November 17th and 19th. Brand Experience, Relationships and Engagement.
Exploring mixed-contexts and new platforms. Review and class seminar based on a
European top brand. Double-speed Brand Management.
Week 9-November 24th and 26th. Sketches of History, Art and Culture factors in Europe.
The relevance of city/country branding in Europe. The Barcelona case study. Outside
speaker and/or class fieldtrip.
Week 10 –December 1st and December 3rd. Recap, review, check exam and final
assignments scheduling during the course.
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Required readings:
-Please download reading assignments literature in the Aula Global intranet for
the course-
Recommended bibliography:
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AAKER, David A., McLOUGHLIN, Damien. Strategic Market Management: Global
Perspectives. Ed. John Wiley & Sons, UK, 2010.
BAUMAN, Zygmunt. Liquid Modernity. Ed. Blackwell Publishers Ltd., UK, 2000.
CHERNATOY, Leslie de. From Brand Vision to Brand Evaluation. Ed. Elsevier, 2010.
CRAINER, Stuart. The Real Power of Brands. Editorial Eresma&Celeste Ediciones, 1997.
CRANE, Robert. European Business Cultures. The FT Prentice Hall, NY, 2000.
GAY, Paul du. Organizing Identity. Sage Publications, 2007.
HESSEL, Stéphane. Time for Outrage: Indignez-vous!. The Hachette Book G., NY, 2011.
KAPFERER, JN. The New Strategic Brand Management: Creating and Sustaining Brand
Equity Long Term. Kogan Page, 2008. (4th edition)
KORNBERGER, Martin. Brand Society: How Brands Transform Management and
Lifestyle, Cambridge University Press, 2010.
MATTELART, Armand. Networking the World: 1794-2000. University of Minnesota Press,
USA, 2000.
STEINER, George. The Bluebeard’s Castle: Some Notes Towards the Redefinition of
Culture. Yale University Press, UK, 1971.
Hispanic and European Studies Program- Universitat Pompeu Fabra
2014-2015
Education Abroad Program
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Hispanic and European Studies Program
©B.Fullana -Last revision: September 2014
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Hispanic and European Studies Program- Universitat Pompeu Fabra
2014-2015