EDBA Corporate Branding

Corporate Branding EDBA Program

Certificate / Diploma – EDBA Corporate Branding
Research or Project / Distance Learning
Program Duration: 3 semesters / 9 monthes

The Corporate Branding Program is based on extensive practical material, and successfully implemented branding and re-branding projects of various institutions and enterprises in the machinery sector, service enterprises of premium class, financial organizations and FCMGs. Corporate branding is presented as a strategic management tool. The program pays considerable attention to the methods and methodologies of building a model (platform) of the brand; the model of the brand and the procedures of building the model are custom-made and are not offered anywhere else in this configuration by any other authors.

Executive DBA Corporate Branding

Corporate Branding EDBA program presentation

We view the brand as an image and interpret the perception of the brand according to the totality of communicative projections. Communicative projections are viewed as sign systems in this context. The course emphasizes the methods of analysis of sign systems perceptions and diagnostics of their wholeness, gaps and contradictions in perception. The communication system is the totality of communication projections; for the successful image that meets the criteria, the communication system must be foreseeable and manageable.

The program presents the logic of branding, allowing to formulate an effective system of communications and criteria for assessing the results of promoting the business. Branding must begin with formalizing the strategy and/or strategic ambition of the branding object, determining the uniqueness of the brand and its USP. 

In the “Brand Model” section you will learn about the international methodology of branding, the essence of notions of a “brand product,” “brand essence,” “brand personality,” etc., study the role of business-processing and ideology in modeling the brand, and examine the functioning meaning of the brand model. The brand model gives a clear understanding of the criteria for building the entire system of the brand’s internal and external communications. The strong points of the course include the sections dedicated to materializing the brand: the guided naming method, which is applied in practice on many international projects, and the visual program based on the system of five elements, which allows creating any brand communication formats, while fully retaining and expanding its identity (the LEGO technique).

A creative concept is necessary for an effective program of brand creation. We discuss this method on the example of successful cases, when the creative project based on the brand model, its verbal and visual concepts helped significantly optimize brand communications with various target audiences. The special interest to doctoral students are the methodologies dedicated to real branding/rebranding strategies, their instruments and procedures, as well as the section of the course dedicated to integrated brand communications. 

In this section we study the classical theory of marketing and branding and international practical achievements to discuss brand communications as a part of the investment process directly influencing brand capitalization and business as a whole. The final most significant section in the doctoral study program is dedicated to corporate culture and its relationship to the brand culture. The course studies various types of brand cultures, meanings and functions of the corporate culture for the successful introduction and life of the brand. 

 

Corporate Branding EDBA program content

Topic 1. Why Does the Company Need a Brand

Chapter 1.1. Brand as added value. New rules of the game: switching from industrial and marketing economy to the economy of values. Values palette (combinations) as an opportunity to paint a unique picture and work effectively in the competitive environment. Brand is more than the sum of its parts. Value as the factor of choice. Supported and consolidated value.
Chapter 1.2. Brand as the subject of relationships. Relationships based on values - how fast they emerge, how durable and long they are. Factor of trust and harmoniousness. Formation of an “umbilical” relationship with target audiences. Cutting the costs of “capturing” and retaining audiences: time, human and financial costs.
Chapter 1.3. Brand as a strategic asset. Brand asset and its management. Measurement of the brand assets using the Brand Asset Valuator technology (Young & Rubicam): differentiation, relevance, respect and knowledge (understanding). Measuring the brand margin and brand capitalization. Value of the brand as an asset.
Chapter 1.4. Brand as an instrument of strategic management. Difficulties of strategic planning, deficit of strategies, crisis and market conjuncture. Reducing strategic planning horizons. Strategy and strategic ambition: parameters, time horizon, resources, dynamics and the current state. Comparative and contextual character of parameters. Requirements for formalizing strategic ambition. Zone of strategic ambition - a field of brand "binding"..

Topic 2. Definition of the Brand

Chapter 2.1. Brand as an image. Perception of an image through the totality of communication projections. Identity as the foundation for projections. Communication projections as sign systems. Conscious and subconscious issues in perceiving sign systems. Wholeness, gaps and contradictions in sign systems. “Futility” of communication expenses.
Chapter 2.2. Brand as a system of expectations. Communications system as a totality of communication projections. Manageability of the communications system. Symmetry of the system of expectations and the system of promises of the brand - deviations and gaps. Requirements for formalizing identities. Tying the identity to strategic ambitions. Reality of the future. Absolute truthfulness and responsibility of the brand.
Chapter 2.3. Brand as a mechanism for shaping the system of expectations. Functional definition of the brand. Boundaries of the brand. Wholeness, harmoniousness and uniqueness. Necessity and sufficiency for the management of strategic tasks.
Chapter 2.4. Target audience of the brand - do we know it? Target audiences and stakeholders: participating in forming the capital of the brand. Needs and motivation of target audiences. Consumer behavior as the most important factor in the stratification of target audiences (TAs). Tactics and strategies of consumer behavior. TA studies: criteria of necessity. Qualitative and quantitative studies of TAs: results and choice of the research project. Typology of TAs as an opportunity for defining risk zones for strategy implementation.

Topic 3. Brand Positioning and Platform

Chapter 3.1. Brand positioning - perceived and strategic. Positioning of the brand as the place in consumer conscience of the target audience in relation to competition. Identification of competitive environment based on the strategy of consumer behavior and selection. Distancing from competition. Typical mistakes in understanding competitive environment. Uniqueness and leadership - absolute, functional, and mental. Requirements for formalizing strategic positioning. “Joining” the strategic competitive environment. Breakthroughs into the future as the ways of winning in a competition. Risk of losing applicability and significance.
Chapter 3.2. Brand Platform. Definition and Functions. Components of the brand platform: essence, values and promises of the brand, RTB, brand individuality, style and voice of the brand. Review of the methods of building brand platforms.
Chapter 3.3. CBI Consult Pyramid of Characteristics. Platform of Uniqueness. Structure and functions of the pyramid. Platform of uniqueness - base and foundation for shaping values. Stability of the platform of uniqueness and ways of reformatting it (new interpretations). “Crystal deployment” techniques.
Chapter 3.4. Values and differentiating characteristics. Declared and perceived values - gaps and contradictions with strategic positioning. Evolution of values as the technology of managing brand capital growth. Differentiating characteristics in the eyes of their audiences. Managing perceptions, improving characteristics, unexpected aspects.

Topic 4. Brand Models. Brand Modeling According to CBI Consult Exclusive Method 

Chapter 4.1. Why does a brand need a model? Review of the most famous brand models: Brand Wheel, Brand DNA, Brand Code. Instrumental approaches to building models.
Chapter 4.2. CBI Consult Brand Model. Brand Product. Model Construction. Systemic Principle. Analysis and synthesis of each element. Requirements for formalization, its necessity and further interpretations. Model levels. Business product and brand product. Requirements for product formalization: uniqueness and relevance for all target audiences. Second level - providing for product replication: management organizational structure and corporate culture: risks, necessity and sufficiency.
Chapter 4.3. Personal component of the brand and symbols. Brand is the animated subject of relationships. Parameters of relationships. Necessity of brand’s personality archetypes for the universal perception of the brand by target audiences. Theory of archetypes in branding. The role model of the brand’s personality. Communicating the brand’s personality: determining the vocabulary, distance and the character of relationships. Personality as the criterion and source of generation of various formats and instruments of communications. Symbols - the entire line of associations, metaphors, signs and images. Strengthening relationships. Ties to product.
Chapter 4.4. Core idea of the brand - the crowning jewel of the model. Requirements for formalization - uniqueness, truthfulness, relevance to all audiences, inspiring at emotional and spiritual levels. “Turnover” model: basis for business-processing and ideology. Interpretation of the model according to various factors. Model functions: management tool, mechanism for reproducing identities, criteria for communication.

Topic 5. Materializing the brand: semantic, syntactic and pragmatic phases. Patent Protection

Chapter 5.1. Naming - name of the ship means a lot... The technology of guided search for a good name. Creating a decision field based on the brand concept. Choice of assessment criteria. Designing a name: concept variants, lists of names. Testing: according to selected criteria, semantic testing, communication environment testing, online frequency testing, patent checking.
Chapter 5.2. Visual program of the brand. Five elements system: logo, typography, color palette, company’s copyrighted textures, company’s copyrighted images. Necessity and sufficiency of the system for “playing out” any communications. LEGO Principle. Forming the decision field. Visual concept variants: brand worlds based on communication formats. Assessment of the communicative potential of the visual concept by the method of expert assessment using non-structured scales. Brand power criteria. Types and particularities of patent checks. Patent protection matters - expanding opportunities. Economic benefits of protection.
Chapter 5.3. Creative concepts. An important element for brand communications is the pragmatic phase of development of the brand as a system. Checking viability. The principle of bringing all brand communication under one core idea. Brand awareness and efficiency. Prolonged effect principle. Patent protection objects.
Chapter 5.4. Brand book: Standards and Rules. The syntactic phase of system development. Brand book as an instrument of managing brand communications. Standards, system and degrees of freedom. Brand book structure.

Topic 6. Branding and Rebranding Program

Chapter 6.1. Main parts of the program. Brand audit (market analysis, target audiences, business strategies, etc.): formation of the brand concept (strategic ambition, values, model, etc.); building the visual program of the brand; development of integrated brand communications (internal and external) program, formation of the necessary corporate culture. Notion of brand architecture. Types of corporate brand architecture.
Chapter 6.2. Implementing the program. Program input and output. Algorithms and procedures for each block. Necessity and consistency criteria. Main implementation tools: brand concept, brand book, brand manifesto, brand communication strategy, corporate behavior protocols, public communications protocols. Procedures: brand - systemic and team work.
Chapter 6.3. Rebranding need and results: criteria and assessment. Factors external to the brand: changing market conjuncture, changes in business strategies, mergers and acquisitions, changing needs of target audiences. Internal factors: growth and changes in the product brand. Approaches and models of the financial assessment of the brand. Brand assessment in mergers and acquisitions: Buy side and Sell side. Rebranding for IPO/presale preparation - Russian and foreign practices.
Chapter 6.4. Brand life cycle. Determining the brand age. Perceived, subjective, cognitive, biological and chronological ages of the brand. Diagnostics of getting old, reasons for getting old. Rejuvenation factors. Factor No. 1 - consistent strategy; No. 2 - actual identity. Anti-aging strategies: modifying identity, activating promotion, renewing the target market, growth of assortment, continuous management of innovations, globalization, capture of new markets. Analysis of anti-aging program feasibility.

Topic 7. Integrated Brand Communications

Chapter 7.1. Viewing communications as investments rather than costs. Evolution and revolution of marketing and communications. Marketing diagonal. 21st century market: from functions to processes, from deals to relationships, from monolog to dialog, from tactics to strategy, from purchasing communications programs to investing in consumers for generating profit, from effectiveness to efficiency.
Chapter 7.2. From planning campaigns to planning brand communications. Advertising campaign planning process. Viewing communications from the perspective of the consumer. Brand communications matrix planning: short-term and long-term recall, messages and stimuli of the brand. Understanding the database of real and potential consumers and their behavior. Identification and assessment of consumers. Aggregation and segmentation. Real consumer behavior indicators. Nine steps in choosing the strategy of integral communications.
Chapter 7.3. Five steps toward planning integrated brand communications. Starting point - business analysis of the brand (positioning, competition, distribution). Step 1: Forming the consumer database. Step 2: Their assessment in terms of the share of the brand in their needs, influx of profits. Setting consumer-related goals (retaining, growth, reassignment, etc.) Step 3: Creating and implementing communications, determining marketing instruments (product, price, distribution, communications) and communications formats (AD, sales stimulation, BTL, PR, event marketing, website, social network promotion, exhibitions, forums). Step 4: Planning and distributing resources. Setting business and brand time frames. ROCI (return on consumer investment) forecast. Step 5. Assessment of the real ROCI, repeated cycle.
Chapter 7.4. Forming the integrated brand communications program. Analysis of effectiveness of various communications formats. Covering target audiences. Cumulative and synergetic effect. Determining message semantics and structure for target audiences with the consideration of stratification. Consumer decision-making model according to John A. Howard. Consumer persuasion model according to R. Petty and J. Cacioppo. Determining communication instruments in the selected formats.

Topic 8. Corporate Culture and Brand Culture

Chapter 8.1. Corporate culture is the foundation for brand reproduction. Company culture as a system: corporate culture, organizational culture, company style (iceberg principle). Company style: attributes, environment, communication instruments, staff appearance. Organizational culture: organizing business processes, organizational structure, organizational behavior (business communication style). Corporate culture: system of basic norms and values (corporate religion), epos, customs, folklore. Scheme of interaction between organizational culture and corporate culture: formal and informal cultures, goal-oriented and value-oriented management.
Chapter 8.2. Types of organizational and corporate cultures. Historic types of organizational cultures: organic, entrepreneurial, bureaucratic, participatory. Types of organizational cultures according to K.S.Cameron and R.E.Quinn: clan, adhocracy, hierarchy, market. Types of corporate cultures: incubator, guided missile, family, Eiffel Tower.
Chapter 8.3. Functions of corporate culture and subcultures. Functions: integrative, stabilizing, controlling, communicative, innovative, assessment, goal-setting, image-setting. Culture and subcultures. Types of subcultures: locomotive, innovative, conservative, braking, marginal. Their interaction and contradictions. Corporate culture as the object of strategic development. Determining productive types of culture for implementing the brand strategy of the company.
Chapter 8.4. Introducing the brand culture. Brand culture “dress” on the body of corporate culture: correspondence, “dressing up” procedure. Staff motivation and engagement. Maslow pyramid and mistakes in HR management. Determining the motivation profile and the company’s motivation system. The balance of stimulating responsibility depending on the company’s development stage. Breaking stereotypes and other dramatic instances of innovative development. The role of the leader. Teambuilding. Political and managerial will. Dependence of brand culture on the quantitative parameters of engagement and value. Increasing the effectiveness of HR expenses in conditions of sustainable brand culture. From brand culture to brand religion. “We broadcast outside only what is born inside.” Illustrative materials include cases of international and Russian practice of corporate branding. Other materials include cases from the company’s 20 years of practice.

 

Status & Diploma

Graduates of the EDBA Corporate Branding program receive Official Diploma and International Qualification Certificate.

Academy

"I am confident that with time you will become leaders among business professionals, and, perhaps, return to the academy to share your knowledge and experience with new doctoral students.."

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