Course Outline

BUS710 Digital Branding

Course Coordinator:Jacqueline Burgess (jburgess@usc.edu.au) School:School of Business and Creative Industries

2026Session 2

UniSC Sunshine Coast

Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Online

Online You can do this course without coming onto campus, unless your program has specified a mandatory onsite requirement.

Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

A brand is a firm’s most valuable asset and knowing how to develop and maintain a brand’s equity is a vital skill for every marketer. This course will provide you with an in-depth understanding of how to creatively design marketing strategies and activities to develop and maintain strong brands. Further, you will also learn how to evaluate the positioning and performance of a brand in the current market. Branding theories, concepts, strategies and practices will be examined across a range of real-world contexts, product types and industries.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Interactive online learning activities. 2hrs Week 1 6 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Scheduled face to face workshops. 3hrs Week 1 6 times
Information session – Task information sessions. 1hr Week 4 2 times
Online
Learning materials – Interactive online learning activities. 2hrs Week 1 6 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Scheduled online workshops. 3hrs Week 1 6 times
Information session – Task information sessions. 1hr Week 4 2 times

Course Topics

  • Brands and brand management
  • Customer-based brand equity and brand positioning
  • Brand resonance and the brand value chain
  • Using brand elemnets to build brand equity
  • Designing marketing campaigns to build brand equity
  • Integrating marketing communications to build brand equity
  • Leveraging secondary brand associations to build brand equity
  • Developing a brand equity measurement and management sustem
  • Measuring sources of brand equity: capturing customer mind-set and capturing market performance
  • Designing and implementing brand architecture strategies
  • Introducing and naming new products and brand extensions
  • Managing brand over time and geographic boundaries and market segments

What level is this course?

700 Level (Specialised)

Demonstrating a specialised body of knowledge and set of skills for professional practice or further learning. Advanced application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... Professional Standard Mapping * Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking to identify and solve complex business problems and arrive at innovative solutions. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
PC3, PC3.1
2 Demonstrate capacity and competence in the application of business discipline specific knowledge. Knowledgeable
Empowered
PC6, PC6.2
3 Demonstrate advanced oral communication skills in a business context Empowered
PC1.2
4 Demonstrate advanced written communication skills in a business context Empowered
PC1.1

* Competencies by Professional Body

CODE COMPETENCY
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
PC1.1 Written Communication
PC1.2 Oral Communication
PC3 Creative and Critical Thinking
PC3.1 Problem Solving
PC6 Career-adaptive
PC6.2 Discipline Knowledge

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

Enrolled in any PGRD Program

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

Microcredential Information

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

In the workshops there will be interactive sessions that progressively reflect upon and re-cap course content to enable students to evaluate their understanding and learning.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Oral and Written Piece Individual 50%
5 minutes and 2000 words.
Week 4 Online Submission
All 2 Report Individual 50%
2500 words
Week 7 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:Brand Audit
Goal:
To conduct an audit of a selected brand.
Product: Oral and Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format:
You will evaluate a selected brand and develop a written report and accompanying digital presentation. More detail will be provided on the course Canvas site.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Identification and critical analysis of pertinent issues in a brand management context
1
2
Use of appropriate verbal communication
3
3
Use of effective time management
3
4
Use of appropriate supporting materials
3
5
Accuracy and presentation of written work including English expression, discipline-based vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and punctuation
4
6
Ability to demonstrate consistent progress and planning.
2
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving
All - Assessment Task 2:Brand Strategy Report
Goal:
To provide strategic and tactical recommendations for the brand selected for Assessment Task 1.
Product: Report
Authorship Statement:
Format:
You will provide a thoroughly researched and justified brand strategy report building on Assessment Task 1. This task requires you to explain and justify your recommendations based on research and the sound application of branding theory.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Application of discipline specific knowledge and skills in a brand management context
2
2
Demonstrate critical thinking to develop and evaluate appropriate solutions to brand management problems
1 2
3
Critical analysis of existing sources of secondary data and literature in the field
4
4
Accurate presentation of written work including English expression, report format and correct referencing
4
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

You need regular access to the resource(s) below. Many texts are available as ebooks through the Library at no additional cost.

Required? Author Year Title Edition Publisher
Recommended Kevin Lane Keller,Vanitha Swaminathan 0 Strategic Brand Management 5th ed. n/a

Specific requirements

Internet access, access to a computer/laptop

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.

The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.  

For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: