After successfully completing the module, students know:

• the definitions and meanings of common brand and brand strategy terms
• the five core disciplines of branding (differentiation, collaboration, innovation, validation, cultivation),
• the principles of strategic positioning,
• ways to differentiate a brand,
• frameworks for rapid collaboration and disruptive ideation (swarming, six hats, assumption reversal, and others),
• different ways to evaluate, test, and reinforce ideas in anticipation of competitors' moves (among others: wargaming, judo strategy, opposite test, can't/won't test),
• how to think about visualizing ideas and narrative design, and
• ways to condense elaborate thinking into impactful statements of strategy.

• collaborate effectively with others to multiply ideas,
• critically reflect upon challenges, reframe a strategic problem in different ways, and evaluate the best-right problem to solve,
• come up with disruptive ideas for any size challenge,
• design and pressure-test alternative strategies to solve the problem,
• position a brand advantageously,
• translate their ideas and thinking into visuals, and
• frame statements of strategy.

• confidently use disruptive thinking to develop, visualize, and present ideas,
• design powerful strategies for brands to challenge any size competitor.

None

• Brand and branding basics
• The five core disciplines of branding
• Rapid and disruptive ideation
• Strategic positioning
• The brand strategy design process
• Visualization methods

Bielenberg, J., Burn, M., Galle, G. & Evitts Dickinson, E. (2016): Think Wrong: How to Conquer the Status Quo and Do Work That Matters. Instigator Press.
Lafley, A.G. & Martin, R. (2013): Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works. Harvard Business Review Press.
Neumeier, M. (2005): The Brand Gap, Revised Edition: How to bridge the distance between business strategy and design. 2nd edition. New Riders.
Neumeier, M. (2006): ZAG: The #1 Strategy of High-Performance Brands. New Riders.
Neumeier, M. (2008): The Brand Flip: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it. New Riders.
Rumelt, R. (2017): Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The difference and why it matters. Profile Books.
Wedell-Wedellsborg, T. (2020): What's your problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve. Harvard Business Review Press.

Lecture, discussion, self study and group work, case study

Integrated module examination
Immanent examination character:
Case studies