Brand & Marketing Management

Brand Management B.A. – Bachelor of Arts

What makes a brand successful today? A unique logo, a creative social media campaign or products for a digital lifestyle?
A brand is more than that – to be successful, it must embody an attitude to life, represent values and be authentic.

At Brand University, you will therefore receive the professional know-how about strategic development of brands – from identity and positioning in the minds of consumers to the social responsibility of companies.
In small groups you will become a brand expert in a creative atmosphere and have as well the freedom for your personal development into an independent problem solver.
Throughout your studies you will work on practical projects for real companies and agencies.

As mentors always by your side: professors and lecturers with many years of practical experience.

Brand Management at a glance

Start of Studies:	Winter semester (October 1st)
Contents:	Strategic Marketing Management, Digital Brand Management, Brand Basics, Market and trend research, Innovation and Price Management, Distribution Policy, Social Media Management, Practical Projects
Duration:	6 Semester (full-time)
Credit Points:	180 ECTS
Apply until:	September 15th
Language	German, English
Location:	Hamburg
Degree:	Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Perspectives:	e.g. as Strategic Planner, Brand Manager, Product Manager in the Brand Industry, as Consultant in Management Consultancies or as a strategist in branding and communication agencies

Impressions

Profile

Content

From an idea to a must-have
What makes a product or service competitive and successful?
Just think of the sneaker selection in online shops: Countless variations, but what do we decide on? Mostly on the brand – even if we have to pay 40% more for it.

Why are we willing to do this? Brands not only fulfill our needs, but also provide fascination and emotional attachment. That’s why a company must become a brand – and be both rationally convincing and emotionally inspiring. For this, it needs the right strategy.

Successful brands understand people
In the Brand Management course you will learn how to make brands desirable, how to manage them successfully and how to communicate them with emotional stories.

You need to understand the consumer, to run successful brands. Consumer behaviour tells us what touches people. Trend research shows what inspires them.
Develop and build brands, develop advertising campaigns – for international markets too.
By the end of your studies you will have mastered the basics of business administration and know that brands are not an end in themselves, but make companies economically successful.
Find out which channels you need to reach your target groups, which media they use and at which moments they pay attention.
Whether Instagram, TikTok and YouTube or TV, print and point-of-sale: Learn to distinguish hypes from important channels and use them for your communication.
With elective modules, you focus even more on selected key areas of “Strategic Marketing Management”, such as business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

High quality teaching – safe environment
Whether face-to-face, hybrid 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 brands that are humanly relevant, we have to go beyond creativity. We need to understand our target groups and develop holistic strategies that go far beyond products to build emotional connections with people. To develop strong brands, you need to find the factor that makes a difference in people’s lives.”

Course director Prof. Dr. Bongard

Learning at BU

Rise above yourself

Studies are not about learning by heart. That is why our lessons are interactive. In projects, you will find solutions together, use the latest tools and contribute to shaping the lessons. They teach you self-management, challenge the team player in you and turn students into independent and innovative problem solvers.

Study interdisciplinary, live interculturally – soft skills from which you benefit your whole life.

„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 Beiersdorf and Unilever. Even renowned agencies such as Serviceplan or Pilot 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:

Course Structure

1st Semester

Branding Basics
Digital Brand Management
Foundations of economics
Business English
21st Century Skills

2nd Semester

Strategic brand development
Media studies
Consumer behaviour
Trend research
Market research

3rd Semester

Innovation management
Pricing policy
Sales policy & CRM
Communication management
& integrated brand communication
Elective module:
Business ethics & sustainability
Elective module:
Marketing concept

4th Semester

Media planning and controlling
Brand entrepreneurship
Digital customer experience
Social media management
Elective module:
Sales policy II
Elective module:
Innovation management II

5th Semester

International branding
Digital branding
Applied statistics
Practice project
Elective module:
Communication management II
Elective module:
Service marketing

6th Semester

Practical transfer project
Bachelor’s thesis and oral examination

Career Prospects

What is a… ?

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.

Learn more about the career opportunities a degree in Brand Management opens up for you.

Brand Manager

Brand Managers are responsible for the creative concepting, strategic planning and coordination of brand development. Their goal is to build a distinctive and attractive brand image that will attract loyal customers and increase sales. To achieve this, Brand Managers need to know the market well, conduct competition and target group analyses and always keep an eye on the overall brand image. In companies they often work very closely with the production, marketing and sales departments.

What skills does a Brand Manager need?
Business management knowledge, strong communication skills, creativity, analytical and strategic thinking, a sense for trends.

This is what Brand Managers are also called:
Marketing Manager, Brand Specialist, Brand Consultant

Online Marketing Manager

Online marketing managers position companies in the digital media. This includes, for example, the conception and implementation of online marketing campaigns, search engine advertising (SEA) and optimization (SEO), social media management and e-commerce management. In large companies, the various areas are often taken over by several people who specialise in more detail and are then called, for example, Social Media Managers or E-Commerce Managers.

What skills does an Online Marketing Manager need?
Economic understanding, analytical thinking, creativity, sense of trends, basic technical understanding.

This is what Online Marketing Managers are also called:
Digital Marketing Manager

Content Manager

Content managers ensure that digital content reaches the right users on different channels. On the one hand, they work on the editorial side and create content in the form of text, videos or images, while on the other hand they take care of the technical distribution of the content. Mostly on the website, in social media or newsletters. Their work includes developing content strategies, creating content plans, producing content, and analyzing and – if necessary – optimizing its success after publication.

What skills does a content manager need?
Creativity, basic technical understanding, communication skills, a feel for trends, analytical and strategic thinking, writing skills.

Content managers are also called that way:
Online Editor, Content Specialist, Digital Content Manager

Product Manager

Product managers plan, manage and control the marketing of products and services. To do this, they actively monitor what customers want and always have an eye on how the competition is developing. Product managers organize, for example, product launches and sales promotion campaigns. They work closely with the marketing, sales, production and development departments. In contrast to brand managers, who design and build brands, product managers are responsible for individual products or parts of the range.

What skills does a product manager need?
Knowledge of the market, analytical and strategic thinking, marketing knowledge, customer orientation

This is also what product managers are called:
Online Product Manager

Social Media Manager

Social Media Managers are responsible for managing the social media channels of companies and organizations. They take care of building a community of potential customers and interested persons, maintain contact and create content in the form of text, images and videos. The tasks of Social Media Managers also include the management of campaigns. Therefore they also take care of advertising planning and controlling. The aim behind this is to improve the reach of websites and shops and to maintain the image of brands or companies.

What skills does a social media manager need?
Fun in dealing with social media, English skills, text confidence, creativity, strategic and analytical thinking, a sense of trends, diplomatic skills

Account Manager

Account managers in agencies take care of the acquisition, consulting and support of corporate customers.
They manage customer projects from the initial idea, through conception and design, to implementation. This includes the calculation of projects, budget controlling, as well as the creation and monitoring of timings. You are the first contact person for the customer and, in addition to consulting and organisation, you must also ensure a partnership-based cooperation with the customer. Which type of projects account managers supervise depends on the agency’s focus.

What skills does an account manager need?
Organisational talent, openness, customer orientation, negotiation skills, communication skills, flexibility, sociability, structure, diplomatic skills

This is also what account managers are called:
Project Manager, Client Advisor, Account Director

Communication Manager

Communication managers coordinate the communication of a company to the public. In doing so, they also determine how brands appear to the outside world. Their tasks include contact with journalists, writing press releases, organising press conferences and interviews. Active network maintenance is very important in this profession. In larger companies, communication managers also take care of internal communication with employees. Overall, they work closely with the marketing and product development departments and with the management.

What skills does a Communication Manager need?
Strong communication skills, empathy, a feel for topics and stories, writing skills, creativity, enjoy networking

This is also what communication managers are called:
PR Manager, Brand Communication Manager, Communication Specialist

Media Planner

When do customers see advertising where? This is the question media planners ask themselves. They ensure the optimal placement of advertising campaigns in the online, TV, print and radio sectors, but also on the street (out of home) or in shops (point of sale). To do this, they analyse markets, reach and target groups and select the appropriate advertising medium for each campaign. Working as a media planner is a varied interplay of dealing with numbers and advising customers.

What skills does a media planner need?
Analytical and strategic thinking, communication skills, organisational talent, economic understanding

This is also what media planners are called:
Online Media Planner, Media Consultant

Fees and Funding

Course fees

As a leading state-recognised, privately owned university, the Brand University of Applied Sciences is financed exclusively through course fees.

Course fees for students from Germany and the EU:
725,- Euro per month
890,- Euro one-off matriculation fee,
200,- Euro one-off examination fee.
Total costs: 27.190,- Euro

Course fees for students from countries outside the EU:
890,- Euro per month,
2.300,- Euro one-off matriculation fee,
200,- Euro one-off examination fee.
Total costs: 34.540,- Euro

Exceptions may be made for students who already have long-term residence permits for the EU.

Financing

You can obtain finance under the Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz (‘BAföG’ or German Federal Educational Assistance Act). If you want to know anything about financing you should contact the Student Financing Advice Centre.

Students at Brand University of Applied Sciences can also obtain financial support from foundations and financial institutions in Hamburg and further afield. At a national level there is the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) which offers the ‘KfW-Studienkredit’.

Admission and Deadlines

The following documents must be submitted for admission:

Higher education entrance qualification
CV and certificates
written application
letter of motivation

Detailed information on the formal requirements can be found
on the application form.

In case your application documents are not complete due to the current situation, it is possible to hand in later the missing documents.

After a positive review of your application documents, our
applicant manager Anna Braun and the course director
Prof. Dr. Joachim Bongard look forward to meeting you in a personal interview
and learning more about your individual career, your professional
qualifications and your personal goals in connection with your studies.

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

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.

Nina Rubin

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