GRA 6143 Corporate Branding and Storytelling
GRA 6143 Corporate Branding and Storytelling
The course prepares students to analyze and understand corporate branding, its psychological and sociological basis, fundamental concepts, and its role in strategic management. It integrates traditional perspectives of corporate branding with a narrative approach, viewing corporate branding through the lens of storytelling. Students will apply concepts and theories related to developing and managing Brand Stories.
The course bridges theory and practice, integrating content from lectures and guest speakers with course assignments, case analyses, and small-group exercises. The coursework culminates in a final brand-storytelling project and presentation, which will then be presented in a research paper.
Learning outcomes - Knowledge
By the end of the course, students should:
- Understand the nature and components of corporate brand strength and brand equity – the set of assets (or liabilities) associated with a brand that adds (or subtracts) value.
- Understand how corporate brands and related (product and service) brands interact through brand architecture and metanarratives
- Understand the psychological and behavioral foundations which form the basis of successful brand management
- Have in-depth knowledge of the foundations and structural principles of story and storytelling
- Have in-depth knowledge of identification and narrative transportation theory
Learning outcomes - Skills
By the end of the course, students should:
-
Think critically about corporate brand stories
- Be able to identify the relevance of storytelling based on corporate goals (reputation, identity, brand differentiation, etc.)
- Identify a corporate metanarrative
- Analyze relevant (and at times competing) stories inside and outside of an organization
- Create strategies for restructuring and aligning stories
- Manage corporate story (organize and coordinate storytelling, transmedia storytelling, etc.)
General Competence
By the end of the course, students should be able to integrate traditional and narrative perspectives on corporate branding and reflect on the ethical dilemmas involved when approaching corporate branding through storytelling and story-building.
Topics covered:
- The Value of Corporate Branding and Positioning:
- Understanding the organization as a force for differentiation.
- The Vision-Culture-Image (VCI) Alignment Model.
- Corporate Branding in a Storytelling Perspective:
- How the fundamental story elements relate to corporate branding
- Corporate storytelling
- Identity, Character, and Identification:
- Identity understood through character attributes
- Identification and alienation
- Determinants of brand personality
- Corporate Storytellers
- Business Stories
- Founder Stories
- Customer Stories
Organizing storytelling and story building
- Brand Communities
- Multiplatform Storytelling
The course includes selected cases representing diverse corporate branding opportunities and challenges.
The course is structured as a combination of lectures, case discussions, and other in-class activities. It emphasizes action learning and relies on active participation in class. Students are expected to read and analyze assigned case-materials, articles, and book chapters prior to each lecture so that they are theoretically informed and well prepared for small group in-class discussions.
Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class.
All parts of the assessment must be passed in order to get a grade in the course.
The examination for this course has been changed starting acadmic year 23/24. It is not possible to resit the old version of the examination.
All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have specific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.
Disclaimer
Deviations in teaching and exams may occur if external conditions or unforeseen events call for this.
| Assessments |
|---|
Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Written submission Weight: 30 Grouping: Individual Duration: 1 Semester(s) Comment: A selection of assignments completed throughout the semester Exam code: GRA 61432 Grading scale: ECTS Resit: Examination when next scheduled course |
Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Written submission Weight: 70 Grouping: Individual Duration: 3 Week(s) Comment: Research paper Exam code: GRA 61433 Grading scale: ECTS Resit: Examination when next scheduled course |
All exams must be passed to get a grade in this course.
| Activity | Duration | Comment |
|---|---|---|
Teaching | 36 Hour(s) | Students are expected to attend every lecture. |
Student's own work with learning resources | 70 Hour(s) | |
Prepare for teaching | 18 Hour(s) | |
Examination | 36 Hour(s) |
A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.