My job of interest is a brand/product manager. This area lies in the field of marketing. This paper shall first describe the brand/product management and the role of a product/brand manager, before designing the program.
Brand/product management is the hub of marketing. The brand/product manager is the focus of a collection of activities, including market research, purchase, pricing, advertising, sales promotions, sales, distribution, strategy and R&D (Glynn, 2009; Murphy, 1987). Therefore, he/she needs general knowledge on every feature of marketing. The brand/product manager’s role differs from corporation to corporation, depending on the size of the corporation and profit significance of the entity brand. Brand Managers can be found in corporations such as P&G and HUL, where the corporation brand is in the backdrop.
The term Product manager is preferred over Brand Manager in some companies (Glynn, 2009). Brand/product managers are liable for the failures and achievements of a product and are remunerated well for this task. Product management specialists are usually at the whirlpool of corporation life, since their actions can influence the triumph of a business directly.
Branding and strategic brand management are apt to turn into the lone source of sustainable competitive advantage in prospect (Elliott, 2007). This is possible since technology and capital and can be reproduced with relative simplicity in the current globalized world of production. Brand structure continues to be the most taxing frontier of promotion. For every 20 launches, 17 of them are likely to fail. Introducing and growing a prevailing brand is the vision and crucial challenge of each marketing specialist, as well as, every advertising manager (Mathur, 2007).
Needs Assessment
The amount of experience required for a brand manager is typically three to five years as an assistant product manager or a marketing assistant (Keller, 2008). The most used path, to the initial position, in a brand group, is through a communications/advertising or sales environment. Nearly all product/ brand manager positions will, in addition, need a post graduate degree (MBA).
My Current Skills and Ability
Currently, I have adequate experience in the marketing field since I previously worked in the sales department. I also have strong communications skills, which I believe will be crucial for this position. However, I do not have a post graduate degree in business.
Task Analyze
Building band equity and running product markets entails managing brands in the environment of other brands, in addition to, administering brands over several categories and across numerous market subdivisions (Aaker, 1996; Sengupta, 2009). So as, to be well acquainted with product/ brand management, we shall design a program that will equip us in this area. First, we will give a structure within which a learner can be able to recognize and appreciate variables that force the triumph of brands and product lines, as well as, the interactions amid these variables. We shall examine structures from industries, proprietary sources and scholars. Subsequently, we shall present handy techniques to build and execute brand strategies. Lastly, we shall relate the PBM tools and notions to the realities of companies.
Objective
The chief purpose of the Product and Management program is to provide the basic knowledge on how to construct, measure, evaluate and manage product and brand groups for a corporation.
Training to Increase Employability
In this section, we shall focus on the basic concepts and activities that we need, in order to serve as product managers. Just like constructing brands is an extremely interactive practice, amongst a multiplicity of teams, so is the education process for this program on PBM. So as, to be fully equipped in the field, we shall use four processes for this program, including class exercise related to PBM issues, seminars by staffs (backed by required readings) the brand audit project and case analysis.
These four modes of learning make an incorporated course. The seminar will center on key concepts, techniques and common practices in schools and industries. The case analysis and class activities, which are mainly founded on Indian case lets, and brand audit task are all connected with the content of readings and seminars. Perceptive from a single mode has an impact on the rest. Attentiveness on all the four fronts shall outcome in a profound appreciation of the topic and a rich viewpoint.
Power points for every seminar will be accessible via e mails or from the classroom computer. The power points will be from numerous sources. Nevertheless, the content will be drawn mainly from the book by Keller. Learners will be expected to take notes in all classes, as the slides will have concise material. Seminars will take about an hour, from the first to the fifteenth session. The analysis for all sessions is provided in the lesson plan.
In this program, we shall make utilization of case lets and cases extensively. This is the critical approach for learning to relate the frameworks and models enclosed in readings and seminars. Every learner will be expected to be ready for case discussions and presentations.
The brand audit project is, as well, a vital element of the course. The purpose of this project is to provide us with first hand experience in brand management. In the course of this project, we will evaluate the roots of brand equity for their selected brand and propose methods to leverage and advance and that brand equity. We will be expected to do this in consultation with the instructor.
This task is extremely vital, since we will be able to relate theoretical learning to the actual context. In fact, this forms the most resourceful element of the learning course. We will be expected to read the text by Keller so as to obtain procedures for the task. We will, also, employ the Rolex Brand Audit as the standard (Lehmann, 2002).
Every learner must note that several features might vary, depending on the brand selected. We will be required to select a brand, which has sufficient secondary information. We will be expected to use a suitable sample of 15 interviewees, with a feedback form that includes qualitative research constituents, in order to determine imagery and relations. A consumer product will fit the project well. The analysis may be restricted to a single renowned brand.
Before beginning the project, we will be required to record the brand selected by the group with the instructor. We will be expected to plan a primary outline of the Brand Audit, depending on the background knowledge of group members. Field with information gap must be noted, in this case. We will, subsequently, be required to search for relevant secondary sources in order to close the existing gaps in the text.
The instructor will avail himself for consultation about the guidelines and any other relevant issue. After consultation, we will be expected to perform the brand tentative research. Later, we will be required to do a SWOT analysis, since proposals on brand strategy and plan are derived from SWOT analysis.
The evaluation of this course shall consist of quizzes, class involvement the Brand Audit project and the concluding exam, which will involve analysis of cases. Every learner will be expected to present the provisional report of the brand audit project before the 11th session. The refined paper will be collected after the terminal examination.
Lesson Plan
The instructor, in this program, will be a facilitator. He/ she will be there to offer directions and guidance where required. Most activities in the program will require active participation of learners. So as, to thrive in this course, one has to be dynamic as a listener and a partaker in presentations and discussions. Every learner will be expected to conform to the program, as indicated in the lesson plan. Those who encounter difficulties in the process of the program will be expected to contact the instructor promptly. Learners will be allowed to e-mail any academic matter to the instructor of the program.
In conclusion, the brand/product manager is the focus of a collection of activities, including market research, purchase, pricing, advertising, sales promotions, sales, distribution, strategy and R&D. Therefore, he/she needs general knowledge on every feature of marketing. The brand/product manager’s role differs from corporation to corporation, depending on the size of the corporation and profit significance of the entity brand.
Product management specialists are usually at the whirlpool of corporation life, since their actions can influence the triumph of a business directly. The amount of experience required for a brand manager is typically three to five years as an assistant product manager or a marketing assistant. The most used path, to the initial position, in a brand group, is through a communications/advertising or sales environment.
Building band equity and running product markets entails managing brands in the environment of other brands, in addition to, administering brands over several categories and across numerous market subdivisions. So as, to be well acquainted with product/ brand management, we designed a program that could equip us in this area. The chief purpose of the Product and Management program is to provide the basic knowledge on how to construct, measure, evaluate and manage product and brand groups for a corporation.
We focused on the basic concepts and activities that we needed, in order to serve as product managers, including class exercise related to PBM issues, seminars by staffs (backed by required readings) the brand audit project and case analysis. The seminar centers on key concepts, techniques and common practices in schools and industries. The case analysis and class activities, which were mainly founded on Indian case lets, and brand audit task are all connected with the content of readings and seminars.
The brand audit project is, as well, a vital element of the course. The purpose of this project is to provide us with first hand experience in brand management. In the course of this project, we will evaluate the roots of brand equity for their selected brand and propose methods to leverage and advance and that brand equity. The instructor, in this program, will be a facilitator. He/ she will be there to offer directions and guidance where required. Most activities in the program will require active participation of learners.
References
Aaker, D. (1996) Building strong brands. Michigan, Free Press.
Elliott, R. (2007) Strategic brand management. Oxford New York, Oxford.
Glynn, M. (2009) Business-to-business brand management: theory, research and executive case study exercises. Bingley, JAI Press.
Keller, L. (2008) Strategic brand management, 3/E. London, Pearson Education.
Lehmann, D. (2002) Analysis for marketing planning. Boston, Mass, McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Mathur, U. (2007) Product and brand management. New Delhi, Excel Books.
Murphy, J. (1987) Branding: a key marketing tool. London, McGraw-Hill University Press.
Sengupta, P. (2009) Product and brand management. Delhi, Pacific Publication.