Brand & Marketing Management

Brand Communication B.A. – Bachelor of Arts

Do you want to use your communication skills to create ground-breaking advertising campaigns? Do you seek a successful career in an agency, start-up or brand managing company? Do you want to rise above yourself?

At Brand University, in the media metropolis of Hamburg, you will lay the foundation for a thriving career in the advertising and branding industry. During your studies, you will gain professional know-how about brand communication and at the same time experience the freedom to develop into an independent problem solver.

Always by your side: professors and lecturers with many years of practical experience. As mentors they provide a creative and inspiring atmosphere, and guide you in small groups, working on practical projects for real companies and agencies.

Brand Communication at a glance

Start:	Winter Semester (October 1st)
Contents:	Media Sciences, Advertising Psychology, Market and Trend Research, Communications, Management, Public Relations, Content Marketing, Digital Branding, Business English
Credit Points:	180 ECTS
Apply until:	June 30th
Language	English
Location:	Hamburg
Degree:	Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Perspectives:	e.g. as Communication Manager, Brand Consultant, Marketing Manager, Social Media Manager, Strategic Planner, Advertising Manager

Impressions

Profile

Content

Brands make a difference.
What makes a product or service competitive and successful?
In modern society, quality is not a differentiating factor any more. What counts are associations we have with products and services, the ideas they provoke. That is why we need brands and advertising to state a difference from the competition.

Combine logic and magic.
In the Brand Communication course you will learn how to make brands desirable, how to position them successfully and how to communicate them with emotional stories.

Analyse and interpret data to create strategies – combine your conceptional and creative talents with a thorough understanding of consumer needs.
Create communication campaigns that are relevant in the life of consumers.
Find out where you meet target groups, which one is the right one for your brand and in which moments they are attentive.
Use the entire range of contemporary communication channels such as Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. And learn to distinguish hypes from important channels.

Brands are stories. By the end of your studies you will be an expert storyteller. You will be ready for the advertising world – because you’ve been part of it since your very first day at Brand University.

High quality teaching – safe environment
Whether face-to-face or online teaching: we stand by our promise of high-quality teaching – state-recognized and accredited for an unlimited period of time, by the German Science Council and AQAS.
High health standards are essential for us – especially during this time.

„If we want to create ideas that are humanly relevant we have to go beyond creativity and understand our target audiences. To develop strong brands we must find the difference that makes a differences in the life of the people.”

Course director Prof. Dr. Bongard

Study Preview

Get to know the study programme in the video preview and get first brief insights into the topics that await you in the Brand Communication study programme. Curious about our campus? Come along a guided tour to explore the Brand University.

Brand Communication

Tour of BU

Brand Thinking

Learning at BU

Rise above yourself

Of course we will teach you the latest and most useful knowledge in the field of brand communication, but we won’t stop there. We will also nurture and challenge your creative and conceptual talents. We will develop you into an opinion leader and help you organize in high-pressure situations. Not least, will show you how to be an effective team player in a truly international environment and how to transfer your intercultural competencies to the world of brands.

Most importantly, you will learn how to apply your skills to real-life problems during a host of practical projects brought to you by our carefully selected Project Partners.

„In the educational field knowledge is not an end in itself. And therefore, we have to offer academic, professional and social perspectives. I passionately believe that we must develop personalities that are as strong as the brands our students create.”

Course Director Prof. Dr. Bongard

Snacking cookies in class?
Our students taste their way through the differences between manufacturer brands and trademarks in the “Brand Management Basics” seminar.
In doing so they clarify questions such as: Are there differences in quality? How are the packages designed? How do the prices differ?

With the perfect elevator pitch you can convince any CEO of yourself or your idea in just 90 seconds.
Performing confidently – that’s something our students learn in their first semester.

During your studies, you will immerse yourself intensively in various markets and present your analyses.
For example, you discover the dairy products market with the question:
Where are the trends in the milk and cheese market heading?

What is the most effective way to order pizza on time with over 30 students as efficiently as possible and within a given budget?
This challenge was the conclusion of the seminar “Work Organization” in the 1st semester.

How does “brainwriting” work?
And what can I achieve with this brainstorming method?
Our students learn to sort out their thoughts together in the 3rd semester, while they exchange their expectations of the seminar “Price Policy”.

Lego is just for kids? That’ s not true!
The building blocks can also be used to visualise abstract topics. In the seminar “Internal Branding”, for example, the focus was on what is needed for successful teamwork.

How does a social media agency work? Under the guidance of experts from the field, our students in the 5th semester’s seminar “Digital Branding” worked in groups to develop creative storytelling ideas for an influencer marketing campaign.

How does a travel experience go from the customer’s point of view? To put themselves in the shoes of travelers, our students visualize the process from booking to departure on posters. They analyse the travel experience based on each individual point of contact that travelers have with their hotels.

Whether at a trade fair, a sales party or on the phone – selling is a skill that has to be learned. In the seminar “sales policy” our students in the 3rd semester therefore test their abilities as salesmen in role plays.

Identifying trends, knowing about the future of an industry, being inspired, creating your own ideas – quite a challenge!
That’s why our brand managers work with the tool “Trendexplorer” in the seminar “Trend Research”. The TrendOne expert showed how it works.

Projects

Our practice partners – your contacts, possibly your future employers

Our professors and lecturers are successful strategists, consultants, founders and managers. They accompany you on your way into the job by bringing practice into their lessons.
You will work in teams on real projects for large companies such as Bosch, Henkel, Mercedes-Benz and Unilever. Even renowned agencies such as Serviceplan or Jung von Matt are eager to hear the ideas of young talents. This way you can gain a head start on the job market through networking even during your studies.

Learn more about our past practical projects in the project reports:

Study Subjects

In the first year of your studies, we will lay a solid basis consisting of the foundations of brand management and brand design, current standards in scientific work, and more. In the remaining two years of the Brand Communication curriculum, we will equip you with everything you need for a successful and lasting communications career in an advertising agency, startup or brand managing company.

Brand Communication Subjects

Foundation of Brand Management
Foundations of Brand Design
Foundations of Economics
Business English
Standards in Scientific Work
Brand Management – Strategy & Concept
Media Sciences & Advertising Psychology
Market Research & Trend Analysis
Accounting & Financial Management
Communications Management & Integrated Brand Communication
21st Century Skills

HR & Project Management
Media Planning & Controlling
Strategic Planning in Brand Communication
Business Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility
Brand Communication
International Brand Management
Digital Branding
Interdisciplinary Practice Project
Economics in Advertising
Practice Transfer Project
Bachelor’s Thesis & Colloquium

Career Prospects

Your career in branding and advertising

The choice is yours! Brand Communication opens doors to advertising agencies, startups and brand managing companies alike.

Most of our graduates will be using their degree and our established network to enter agencies as Strategic Planners, Media Planners, or Communications Consultants. Their many projects will lead them from one product, service or industry to the next and no day will ever be the same.

Other graduates will start their career on the client side. As Communications Managers, Marketing Managers, or Advertising Managers they will be responsible for planning and implementing every facet of brand communication.

Thanks to the worldwide unique focus on the success factor brand, as a graduate of Brand University you are prepared for demanding tasks in leading brand companies and agencies.

Admission and Deadlines

Admission process

Key Admission Requirements:

Higher education entrance qualification
Successful interview
B2-level proficiency in English

If your application documents and the associated qualifications are considered sufficient by our Board of Examiners, you will be invited to an interview, which is usually conducted online. Among other things, you will be assessed based on your personal and social competencies, communications skills, motivation, goals, and your familiarity with the subject of study.

Once you have successfully completed the interview, you will be admitted to the programme.

Application Deadlines

Applicants who do NOT require an entry visa for Germany: September 15th
Applicants who require an entry visa for Germany: June 30th

Student advisory service

Do you have any questions about the programme? Contact us now.

Milena Goossen
International Advisory Service
Fon +49 40 38089356-23
Mail milena.goossen@brand-university.de
Zoom ID: 922 067 4047

student advisory service

Do you have any questions about the programme? Contact us now.

Nina Rubin

Student Advisory Service
Fon +49 (0) 40 380 893 56-14
Mail nina.rubin@brand-university.de