52664 Branding and Reputation
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 8 credit points of completed study in spk(s): STM91123 Public Relations Stream OR 12 credit points of completed study in spk(s): MAJ09480 48cp Strategic Communication Major OR 12 credit points of completed study in spk(s): MAJ09482 48cp Media Business Major OR 12 credit points of completed study in spk(s): MAJ09483 48cp Media Business Major OR 12 credit points of completed study in spk(s): MAJ09484 48cp Media Business Major OR 8 credit points of completed study in spk(s): STM91124 Advertising Stream
Anti-requisite(s): 54048 Brand Advertising Strategies AND 59330 Advertising Practice
Description
This subject examines the evolution and logic of contemporary branding and reputational capital. Students develop a strong understanding of branding principles and learn how these drive consumer perceptions of brand reputations; and they examine how reputations are built, maintained and threatened in various contemporary contexts. Students apply theoretical knowledge and critical concepts – such as crowd cultures, brand equity and image restoration – to contemporary brand campaigns, individuals and organisations, and consider how these sit within culturally diverse, globalised contexts.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| a. | Contextualise the evolution of contemporary branding and the logic of reputational capital |
|---|---|
| b. | Analyse the political, cultural and economic contexts within which contemporary branding and reputation management occur |
| c. | Clearly explain the cultural logic of emerging brand and reputation imperatives |
| d. | Apply pertinent academic concepts and research skills to analyse brand and reputation phenomena |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:
- Act in a professional manner appropriate to communication industries (1.1)
- Apply theoretically informed understandings of communication industries to independent and collaborative projects across a range of media (1.2)
- Employ appropriate research and inquiry skills to independently gather, organise and analyse information across diverse platforms (2.1)
- Demonstrate a strong awareness, knowledge of, and sensitivity to, diversity, equity and global contexts (3.1)
- Exemplify effective and appropriate communication in different communication industry contexts (6.1)
Teaching and learning strategies
Lectures are pre-recorded and followed by online tutorials. Lectures provide a broad overview of the weekly topic and point students to relevant examples and theoretical positions. Tutorials require students to engage with the weekly content in a thoughtful way, discussing the topic with reference to the lecture, the weekly readings and any examples students bring to the topic. In addition, there will be 2 online drop-in sessions, held in weeks 7 and 12; students are invited to raise questions about upcoming assessments in these sessions. In week 3, students are asked to identify which brand they have chosen for A1 and nominate one brand element that they will discuss in A1; they receive in-class feedback on the pertinence of this element.
Content (topics)
This subject covers the key issues, trends and technologies that drive and underpin contemporary branding and reputation management and inform professional practice in advertising and public relations. Students examine fundamental principles and practices of brand and reputation management, such as brand equity and brand audits, to understand both the dynamics of diverse brand phenomena, and the relationship between branding and reputation, across myriad sectors and institutions. The subject engages with the following: crowd cultures, place branding, cause branding, crisis branding, branding diversity, image restoration, and experiential branding. A dominant consideration throughout the subject is the extent to which digital contexts have generated particular challenges and opportunities for brand professionals and public figures and the various responses to these from iconic global brands and organisations.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Brand Audit
| Objective(s): | c and d | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 6 minutes of screencast recording, capturing approximately 750 spoken words. | ||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Brand Equity Analysis
| Objective(s): | a, b, c and d | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 60% | ||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 1500 words | ||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
Attendance at tutorials and guest lectures are essential in this subject. These classes are based on a collaborative approach that involves essential workshopping and interchange of ideas with other students and the tutor to build capacities towards meeting the subject learning objectives. A roll will be taken at each online class. Students who have more than two absences from class will be refused marking of their final assessment (see Rule 3.8).]. Students should also note that they are required to attempt and submit both assessment tasks in order to pass the subject.
Required texts
There are no required texts for this subject. Weekly readings will be available via UTS Library and through the subject site.
References
Banet-Weiser, S. (2012) Authentic: The Politics of Ambivalence in a Brand Culture. New York University Press, New York.
Benoit, W. L (2014) Accounts, Excuses, and Apologies: Image Repair Theory and Research. State University of New York Press, Albany.
Brownsell, A. (2019) Trend snapshot: Virtual Influencers. WARC Trends.
Carah, N., & Angus, D. (2018) Algorithmic brand culture: Participatory labour, machine learning and branding on social media. Media, Culture & Society., 40/2. 178-194.
Carah, N. (2017). Algorithmic brands: A decade of brand experiments with mobile and social media. New Media & Society, 19, 3, 384-400.
Davis, J. (2019). Harnessing the Influencer Ecosystem. Admap Magazine.
Djafarove, E., & Trofimenko, O. (2018) Instafamous - credibility and self-presentation of micro-celebrities on social media. Information, Communication & Society, 1-15.
Keller, K. (2016). Reflections on customer-based brand equity: perspectives, progress, and priorities. AMS Review, 6.1-16.
Khamis, S. (2019) There's nothing wrong with the picture: representations of diversity through cultural branding. Media International Australia, 172, 1, 89-102.
Klewes, J. and Wreschniok, R. (eds) (2009). Reputational Capital: Building and Maintaining Trust in the 21st Century. Springer, New York.
Moody-Ramirez, M. et. Al. (2018) Race, Gender, and Image Repair Theory: How Digital Media Changed the Landscape. Lexington Books, Lanham.
Striphas, T. (2015) Algorithmic Culture. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 18, 4/5, 395-412.
TrendWatching (2017) Glass Box Brands