Strategic Brand Management

The purpose of a positioning or marketing communication strategy frequently boils down to aligning image and identity. Two approaches are conceivable: an inside-out approach emphasizing the identity of the organization and the outside-in approach as incorporated by the market- or customer-driven view. You will be introduced to these two approaches and will be encouraged to select and motivate your own point of view.

Branding strategy is frequently operationalized with the acronym STP: Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning. Positioning a brand or organization involves an attempt to influence customer behavior into a certain desired direction. Traditionally, positioning implies influencing the psychological processes that guide customer behavior. According to this perspective, influencing these psychological processes reinforces the brand image or corporate image, resulting in stronger brand attachment and a higher probability that the targeted audience becomes or remains customer. The approach of authors such as Keller exemplify this perspective. Currently, this perspective is challenged by a perspective that emphasizes physical and mental availability. Sharp and Romaniuk advocate this vision. This is a vision in which the customer journey receives a lot of attention: optimization of customer experience in all relevant touchpoints by using the most appropriate marketing (communication) tools.

You will learn, during hands-on seminars and workshops, how to deliver optimized customer experiences and how to integrate social media channels into an effective international strategic branding strategy for the client.