Business M740E Corporate Reputation and Brand Management Fall 2012 Course Outline. Marketing Area DeGroote School of Business McMaster University

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1 M740E - Fall of 11 Business M740E Corporate Reputation and Brand Management Fall 2012 Course Outline Marketing Area DeGroote School of Business McMaster University COURSE OBJECTIVE This course is designed to build on your understanding of the role a brand plays in driving shareholder value for an organization and how an organization can influence that brand and value. Particular attention will be paid to the organization as a brand with value itself. INSTRUCTOR AND CONTACT INFORMATION Course Website: Section 1: Monday 7:00 10:00pm Paul Tedesco Instructor tedesco@mcmaster.ca Office: RJC 223 Office Hours: after class Tel: Class Location: RJC249 COURSE ELEMENTS Avenue: Yes Leadership: Yes IT skills: No Global view: Yes Participation: Yes Ethics: Yes Numeracy: Yes Written skills: Yes Evidence-based: No Innovation: Yes Group work: Yes Oral skills: Yes Experiential: Yes Guest speaker(s): Yes Final Exam: No

2 M740E - Fall of 10 COURSE DESCRIPTION This course combines the view that corporate reputation is an important asset entrusted by the shareholders and board to the CEO and the management team with an examination of the art and science of Brand Management. This course is taught through a variety of methods: case studies, readings, lectures, group projects, and guest lectures. The goal is to understand the importance and elements that help achieve sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. The course will focus on the development of strong brands from the consumer perspective and how this will support a business s own brand and result in increased shareholder value. Class time will be comprised primarily of lecture and discussion. Lecturers will be the instructor and a variety of outside experts. LEARNING OUTCOMES Upon completion of this course, students will be able to complete the following key tasks: Understand how corporate reputation is measured by a variety of stakeholders, both internal and external; Understand and appreciate the importance of having a balanced approach to reputation management and branding with a focus on employees and key stakeholders, as well as on financial success; Understand the evolution of corporate reputation in the digital age Identify the important opportunities and challenges facing a business and setting out a course of action for dealing with them; Understand the process involved in building a brand and why it is an important and powerful part of the guiding philosophy for most organizations and an important element in a cohesive and sustainable business strategy To develop the knowledge and perspective necessary to facilitate the development of strong brands and businesses To become familiar the opportunities and boundaries presented by brand management tasks and decisions in a wide cross section of industries To develop an understanding of how to manage brands for continued growth and profitability REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS AND READINGS 1. Fombrun, C. & Van Riel, C. (2004). Fame and fortune: How successful companies build winning reputations. New York: FT/Prentice Hall. 2. Keller, K.L., (2008). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, measuring and managing brand equity (3 rd Ed.). New York: Pearson/Prentice Hall 3. Case package will be available for purchase at the book store

3 M740E - Fall of 10 EVALUATION Learning in this course results primarily from in-class discussion and participation of the students in discussions with the instructor, with outside speakers, and in case analyses. The balance of the learning results from the work each student does in evaluating a current issue from the corporate reputation management or brand management literature, the contribution of a case study/literature review and in the interactions one has with other class members. Work will be evaluated on an individual basis. When group work is requested, group members will share the same grade adjusted by individual efforts in presentations and writings. Your final grade will be calculated as follows: Components and Weights Participation In-Class Participation (individual) 20% Assignment #1 Brand Management Case Study (group) 20% Assignment #2 Assignment #3 TOTAL Corporate Reputation Assignment (individual) 20% Brand Plan Proposal Final Brand Plan In-class Presentation (group) 5% 25% 10% 100% Grade Conversion LETTER GRADE PERCENT A A A B B B F 00-49

4 M740E - Fall of 10 Communication and Feedback Students that are uncomfortable in directly approaching an instructor regarding a course concern may send a confidential and anonymous to the respective Area Chair or Director: Students who wish to correspond with instructors or TAs directly via must send messages that originate from their official McMaster University account. This protects the confidentiality and sensitivity of information as well as confirms the identity of the student. s regarding course issues should NOT be sent to the Administrative Assistant. Instructors should conduct an informal course review with students by Week #4 to allow time for modifications in curriculum delivery. Instructors should provide evaluation feedback for at least 10% of the final grade to students prior to Week #8 in the term. Assignments and Expectations Participation (20% of overall grade) Name cards are used to help give credit for your participation. You must have a name card with your full first and last name clearly written and displayed in front of you for every class. The discussions will be based on the assigned reading material, case presentations and assigned class discussion topics. Students are expected to perform some preliminary research on the assigned discussion topics and have an understanding of the background and current issues. Instructors and TAs will feel free to cold-call on anyone at any time. Hence, it is imperative that you prepare for each and every case and reading. In general, contributions are evaluated in an ascending order from physically but not mentally present, to good chip shots, to quite substantial comments, to case cracking contributions. Debate and challenge are important activities that help in the learning process and the willingness of individuals to engage in such activities with their classmates is appreciated. However, using airtime involves an obligation to actually contribute. None of us has time for recitation of case facts, bland summaries of prior discussion, and so on, that are devoid of implications. Before you speak, always answer the question sowhat? Participation will NOT be graded by counting each contribution a student makes. Participation will be graded by examining the quality of contributions in each class.

5 M740E - Fall of 10 Assignment #1 Brand Management Case (20%) This is a group assignment. Students will be assigned a case in brand management to prepare and present as a group in the following classes. Students are expected to prepare for a 20-minute presentation and 10 minutes of questions. All cases are included in your case pack. Each group is required to provide the instructor and TA with a copy of the presentation at the beginning of the class in which their presentation is due. Your case study should include: Executive summary Background Key issue Analysis Recommendations (What would you do different?) Rationale Case Studies Due In Class: Oct. 15, 2012: Oct. 22, 2012: Nov. 5, 2012: Nov. 12, 2012: Nov. 19, 2012: Redefining the AXA Brand Building Brand Community on the Harley-Davidson Posse Ride Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy: Expanding Brand Dominance in Asia The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC): The Evolution of a Sport Rachel Ray: Cooking Up a Brand Assignment #2 Corporate Reputation Assignment (20%) This is an individual assignment. The digital age has brought about many changes in how companies must view the development and protection of their corporate reputation. Students will prepare a paper that contrasts the key issues in Corporate Reputation pre and post the advent of modern digital communication and media. Your paper should cover: What are the key differences? What effect has this had on corporate business strategies? What are the biggest issues facing companies today? What do companies need to do differently to address these issues? Provide an example of a company that didn t adapt well to the change and what they should have done differently DUE: The full, six-eight page paper is due in class on October 29, 2012.

6 M740E - Fall of 10 Assignment #3 Brand Management Assignment (40%) This is a group (maximum of 5 per group) assignment. Working with your team, you will select an industry and current brand within that industry (please do NOT choose a brand that you are working on for another class). The most effective brands to choose are those that could value from a new brand plan (RIM is better than Apple). Students will then create a brand plan for that brand. The assignment will be divided into three distinct segments: 1. Proposal (5%): Before beginning the assignment, I must sign-off on your proposal. This should be a written document of no more than 5 pages containing the following: Group members Industry Overview Description of your brand, it s features and it s relation to the competition in the industry An explanation of why you chose the brand Due: September 24, Report (25%): Your report should take the form of a brand plan and could include the following elements: Introduction/Background Competitive Situation Review of brand environment (SWOT) Long-term and short term brand objectives Brand Architecture and Hierarchy Brand Target Brand Positioning Product/Pricing/Place/Promotion strategies Recommended Marketing Mix Brand evaluation/measurement plan Your written plan will be due in the class on December 3, Presentation (10%): On either November 26 or December 3, you will present a minute summary of your brand plan. The key to an effective presentation, with limited time, is to present the key elements of your plan. You will be evaluated on the effectiveness of your group presentation (5%) and on your presentation material including PowerPoint presentation (5%).

7 M740E - Fall of 10 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY It is the student s responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. Please refer to the University Senate Academic Integrity Policy at the following URL: This policy describes the responsibilities, procedures, and guidelines for students and faculty should a case of academic dishonesty arise. Academic dishonesty is defined as to knowingly act or fail to act in a way that results or could result in unearned academic credit or advantage. Please refer to the policy for a list of examples. The policy also provides faculty with procedures to follow in cases of academic dishonesty as well as general guidelines for penalties. For further information related to the policy, please refer to the Office of Academic Integrity at: MISSED ACADEMIC WORK Missed Mid-Term Examinations / Tests / Class Participation Where students miss a regularly scheduled mid-term or class participation for legitimate reasons as determined by the MBA Academic Services Office, the weight for that test/participation will be distributed across other evaluative components of the course at the discretion of the instructor. Documentation explaining such an absence must be provided to the MBA Academic Services Office within five (5) working days upon returning to school. To document absences for health related reasons, please provide the Petition for Relief for MBA Missed Term Work and the McMaster University Student Health Certificate which can be found on the DeGroote website at Please do not use the online McMaster Student Absence Form as this is for Undergraduate students only. University policy states that a student may submit a maximum of three (3) medical certificates per year after which the student must meet with the Director of the program. To document absences for reasons other than health related, please provide the Petition for Relief for MBA Missed Term Work and documentation supporting the reason for the absence. Students unable to write a mid-term at the posted exam time due to the following reasons: religious; work-related (for part-time students only); representing university at an academic or varsity athletic event; conflicts between two overlapping scheduled mid-term exams; or other extenuating circumstances, have the option of applying for special exam arrangements. Such requests must be made to the MBA Academic Services Office at least ten (10) working days before the scheduled exam along with acceptable documentation. Instructors cannot themselves allow students to unofficially write make-up exams/tests. Adjudication of the request must be handled by the MBA Academic Services Office.

8 M740E - Fall of 10 If a mid-term exam is missed without a valid reason, students will receive a grade of zero (0) for that component. Missed Final Examinations A student who misses a final examination without good reason will receive a mark of 0 on the examination. All applications for deferred and special examination arrangements must be made to the MBA Academic Services Office. Failure to meet the stated deadlines may result in the denial of these arrangements. Deferred examination privileges, if granted, must be satisfied during the examination period at the end of the following term. There will be one common sitting for all deferred exams. Failure to write an approved deferred examination at the pre-scheduled time will result in a failure for that examination, except in the case of exceptional circumstances where documentation has been provided and approved. Upon approval, no credit will be given for the course, and the notation N.C. (no credit) will be placed on the student s transcript. Students receiving no credit for a required course must repeat the course. Optional or elective courses for which no credit is given may be repeated or replaced with another course of equal credit value. Requests for a second deferral or rescheduling of a deferred examination will not be considered. Any student who is unable to write a final examination because of illness is required to submit the Application for Deferred MBA Final Examination and a statement from a doctor certifying illness on the date of the examination. The Application for Deferred MBA Final Examination and the McMaster University Student Health Certificate can be found on the DeGroote website at Please do not use the online McMaster Student Absence Form as this is for Undergraduate students only. Students who write examinations while ill will not be given special consideration after the fact. In such cases, the request for a deferred examination privilege must be made in writing to the MBA Academic Services Office within five business days of the missed examination. Special examination arrangements may be made for students unable to write at the posted exam time due to compelling reasons (for example religious, or for part-time students only, workrelated reasons): Students who have religious obligations which make it impossible to write examinations at the times posted are required to produce a letter from their religious leader stating that they are unable to be present owing to a religious obligation. Part-time students who have business commitments which make it impossible to write examinations at the times posted are required to produce a letter on company letterhead

9 M740E - Fall of 10 from the student s immediate supervisor stating that they are unable to be present owing to a specific job commitment. In such cases, applications must be made in writing to the MBA Academic Services Office at least ten business days before the scheduled examination date and acceptable documentation must be supplied. If a student is representing the University at an academic or athletic event and is available at an overlapping scheduled time of the test/examination, the student may write the test/examination at an approved location with an approved invigilator, as determined by the MBA Academic Services Office. In such cases, the request for a deferred examination privilege must be made in writing to the MBA Academic Services Office within ten business days of the end of the examination period. Note: A fee of $50 will be charged for a deferred exam written on campus and a fee of $100 for deferred exams written elsewhere. In cases where the student s standing is in doubt, the Graduate Admissions and Study Committee may require that the student with one or more deferred examination privileges refrain from re-registering until the examination(s) have been cleared STUDENTS ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES Student Accessibility Services (SAS) offers various support services for students with disabilities. Students are required to inform SAS of accommodation needs for examinations on or before the last date for withdrawal from a course without failure (please refer to official university sessional dates). Students must forward a copy of such SAS accommodation to the instructor immediately upon receipt. If a student with a disability chooses NOT to take advantage of an SAS accommodation and chooses to sit for a regular exam, a petition for relief may not be filed after the examination is complete. The SAS website is: POTENTIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE COURSE The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check their McMaster and course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.

10 M740E - Fall of 10 COURSE SCHEDULE Business M740 Corporate Reputation and Brand Management Fall 2012 Course Schedule WEEK DATE ASSIGNMENT 1 Sept. 10 Introductions. Syllabus Review. The case for reputation and brand management Readings: Keller: Chapter 1 Student Groups to be formed 2 Sept. 17 Deconstructing Reputations Readings: Fombrun and VanRiel: Chapters Sept. 24 Corporate Reputation Management Readings: Fombrun and VanRiel: Chapters 5-10 Due: Final Brand Strategy Group Assignment Proposal Discussion Topic: News Corp. 4 Oct. 1 Brand Equity Readings: Keller: Chapter 2,4 Guest Speaker 5 Oct. 8 Thanksgiving: No Class 6 Oct Oct. 22 Brand Positioning Readings: Keller: Chapter 3 Case Due : Redefining the AXA Brand Building Brand Equity I: Marketing Communications Readings: Keller: Chapter 5,6 Case Due : Building Brand Community on the Harley- Davidson Posse Ride

11 M740E - Fall of 10 8 Oct. 29 Social Branding Guest Speaker Due: Corporate Reputation Assignment Discussion Topic: TBA 9 Nov. 5 Measuring and Interpreting Brand Performance Readings: Keller: Chapter 8,9,10 Case Due: Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy: Expanding Brand Dominance in Asia 10 Nov. 12 Building Brand Equity II: Associations and Extensions Readings: Keller: Chapter 7,12 Case Due: The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC): The Evolution of a Sport 11 Nov. 19 Developing a Brand Strategy Readings: Keller: Chapter 11,13,14 Case Due: Rachel Ray: Cooking Up a Brand 12 Nov. 26 Final Presentations Brand Plan Due Today 13 Dec. 3 Final Presentations Brand Plan Due Today