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A brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design—or a combination of these—intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers, and to differentiate those of the competition. The essence of formulating competitive strategy is relating a brand to its environment. Although the relevant environment is very broad, encompassing social as well as economic forces, the key aspect of the brand’s environment is the industry(ies) in which it competes. Therefore, the goal of competitive strategy for a brand is to find a position in the industry where the brand can: 1) articulate a compelling value proposition, 2) defend itself against competitive forces, and 3) leverage communication resources to sell the brand message and build brand equity. In this course, students examine how a favorable brand and memorable brand experiences can influence a firm’s ability to withstand competitive pressures and thrive in dynamic market conditions. Students will study brand management from the consumer perspective to highlight the importance of customer perceptions in bringing brands to life and the role of brand knowledge in building brand equity. Students will become acquainted with cutting-edge frameworks, concepts, and tools that have been adopted across industries and around the globe to build lucrative brand franchises. Additionally, students will consider the role of marketing communication vehicles and platforms in effective brand management.