Sources: Sources are unlimited, but please use at least 2. I attached 3 of the core books for your reference, but feel free to use any other references, as you wish.
Assessment brief
1. Choose a major consumer brand (the choice is yours)
2. Drawing on your own research from secondary sources, write up an account of the brand’s evolution over its lifetime to the present day (25 marks).
3. Analyse the brand’s positioning and strategy using relevant frameworks e.g. Keller’s 6 brand elements (25 marks).
4. Describe the environmental factors that in your opinion present the most pressing challenges to the brand over the coming 20 years (15 marks)
5. Using Kotler and Sarkar’s framework (from Capsule 6), outline a programme for brand activism through which the brand might assert an overriding moral, environmental and/or social purpose (25 marks)
6. Explain how this brand purpose might benefit the brand in the long term (10 marks).
Assessment guidelines:
• All questions must be answered. The word limit for the entire report is 2,500 words excluding references and appendices.
• Please note that all questions do not carry the same marks, and the space and detail you devote to each question should be divided proportionately.
• There is no specified structure, and there is no requirement for an introduction or executive summary. However, a brief introduction summarising the key conclusions is permitted if you choose to have one, Please note that if you do, the introduction (and title) are included in the word limit, so, if you wish to have an introduction, then you will have to keep the entire work within the world limit by not using up all the suggested word limits for each of the six questions.
• As a suggestion, you could use this rough word limit guideline for each of the 6 components:
Suggested word limit proportionality:
1. Choose a major consumer brand (the choice is yours) 100 words
2. Drawing on your own research from secondary sources, write up an account of the brand’s evolution over its lifetime to the present day (25 marks). 500 words
3. Analyse the brand’s positioning and strategy using relevant frameworks e.g. Keller’s 6 brand elements (25 marks). 500 words
4. Describe the environmental factors that in your opinion present the most pressing challenges to the brand over the coming 20 years (15 marks) 500 words
5. Using Kotler and Sarkar’s framework, outline a programme for brand activism through which the brand might assert an overriding moral, environmental and/or social purpose (25 marks)500 words
6. Explain how this brand purpose might benefit the brand in the long term (10 marks). 400 words
NB These are suggested word limits for each component. Any division of words is acceptable, only the 2500 word overall word limit (excluding references and appendices) is mandatory.
Guidance (continued)
– Bear in mind that the choice of brand is yours so this work could cover a wide variety of very different contexts depending on the sector and the nature of the brand. You may choose any sector you wish, product, service, charity or non-profit.
– Note that if you choose a more well-known global brand it might prove easier for you to complete this assessment because there is likely to be more publicly available information on well-known brands than on obscure ones.
– You are expected to draw on the knowledge and understanding you have gained in the capsule and this should be reflected in your analysis of this brand.
– Use citations, Harvard style, to academic papers where relevant. However, given that this assessment has a practical emphasis, it is likely that practitioner and trade press pieces and non-academic secondary sources may be more relevant.
