Students
MKTG8011 – Strategic Branding
2026 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Rico Piehler
Contact via via email
4 Eastern Road, Room 230
Please make an appointment for an individual slot
Lecturer
Shveta Sharma
Contact via via email
Lecturer
Gaki Wangmo
Contact via via email
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
((Admission to MMktg or MCom) and MKTG6096) or (Admission to GradCertResMQBS or GradDipResMQBS)
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
Brands are important assets for companies. Developing strong brands and managing them over time is crucial in sustaining competitive advantages. Moreover, brands are also valuable for consumers because they simplify decision making and represent important symbolic devices. This unit develops students’ ability to critically analyse and evaluate branding theories and concepts. Students will also learn to apply branding theories and concepts and communicate marketing solutions. Finally, students will practice developing and communicating branding strategies to launch and manage brands in collaboration with peers. |
Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Critically analyse and evaluate branding theories and concepts.
- ULO2: Apply branding theories and concepts and communicate marketing solutions.
- ULO3: Develop and communicate branding strategies to launch and manage brands in collaboration with peers.
General Assessment Information
Late Submission Penalties
If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days. Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.
Example 1 (out of 100):
If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.
Example 2 (out of 30):
If you score 27/30 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.
Extensions
Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date.
Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration. Need help? Review the Special Consideration page for further details.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due | Groupwork/Individual | Short Extension | AI Approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional practice: Brand development | 30% | No | 26/04/2026 | Group | No | Open AI |
| Professional practice: Brand implementation | 50% | No | 31/05/2026 | Individual | Yes | Open AI |
| Formal Examination | 20% | No | Week 13 | Individual | No | Observed |
Professional practice: Brand development
Assessment Type 1: Presentation task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 26/04/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI
The purpose of this assessment is for you to provide hands-on experience in developing a brand strategy for a new brand and presenting the results. This assessment aims to enhance your understanding of branding theories and concepts and your ability to apply these in the practical context of brand development.
You will collaborate with your group to select an industry of your choice, come up with an idea for a new offering and develop a brand strategy for a new brand to market the new offering.
Skills in focus:
- Collaboration and communication
- Work readiness
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Discipline knowledge
Deliverable(s): Video-recorded presentation submission [max. 20 minutes/slides] Group assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Apply branding theories and concepts and communicate marketing solutions.
- Develop and communicate branding strategies to launch and manage brands in collaboration with peers.
Professional practice: Brand implementation
Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: 31/05/2026
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open AI
The purpose of this assessment is for you to gain hands-on experience in developing an implementation strategy for the brand created by your group in the Brand Development Presentation. This assessment aims to deepen your understanding of branding theories and concepts and your ability to apply these in the practical context of brand implementation.
You will, individually, develop a plan to build customers’ knowledge of the brand by leveraging secondary brand associations.
Skills in focus:
- Communication
- Work readiness
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Discipline knowledge
Deliverable(s): Written document submission [max. 2,000 words] Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Critically analyse and evaluate branding theories and concepts.
- Apply branding theories and concepts and communicate marketing solutions.
Formal Examination
Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 20%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed
The purpose of this assessment is to demonstrate your understanding and application of branding theories and concepts, ensuring that you have a solid knowledge of the foundational principles of branding and can apply these concepts to real-world scenarios.
You will solve a set of questions in relation to branding theories and concepts and their application based on content covered in class.
Skills in focus:
- Discipline knowledge
Deliverable(s): In-class written test submission [30 minutes] Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Critically analyse and evaluate branding theories and concepts.
- Apply branding theories and concepts and communicate marketing solutions.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- Academic Success for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.
3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.
Delivery and Resources
Delivery
- 1-hour pre-recorded lecture (2-3 short lecture videos: 20-30 minutes each)
- 2-hour seminar (face-to-face on campus)
Resources
All weekly material will be released one week ahead on iLearn:
- pre-recorded lecture videos
- additional external resources
- lecture slides
- required readings
The seminar slides will be uploaded after the seminars.
It is expected that students watch the lecture videos and the additional external resources and read the prescribed literature before attending the weekly seminars.
There is no prescribed textbook in the unit. The compulsory reading consists of academic journal articles (e.g., from the Journal of Brand Management, Journal of Product & Brand Management, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, International Journal of Research in Marketing, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Management) and chapters in branding textbooks.
Unit Schedule
Week 1: Introduction to Branding
Week 2: The Relevance of Brands for Consumers and Companies
Week 3: Brand Management Process, Objectives and Knowledge
Week 4: Brand Identity
Week 5: Brand Positioning
Week 6: Brand Elements
Week 7: Building the Brand Internally
Week 8: Building the Brand Externally
Week 9: Group Presentations
Week 10: Brand Architecture
Week 11: Brand Evolution
Week 12: Brand Controlling
Week 13: Managing Global Brands
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Complaints Resolution Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Academic Integrity
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Academic Success
Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
- Workshops
- Chat with a WriteWISE peer writing leader
- Access StudyWISE
- Upload an assignment to Studiosity
- Complete the Academic Integrity Module
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
- IT Support
- Accessibility and disability support with study
- Mental health support
- Safety support to respond to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault
- Social support including information about finances, tenancy and legal issues
- Student Advocacy provides independent advice on MQ policies, procedures, and processes
Student Enquiries
Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Unit information based on version 2026.04 of the Handbook