Luxury Brand Management (MA)

What you will study

This programme focuses on practical assignments such as writing industry reports, business plans, case studies, as well as offering internship opportunities with various luxury brands. The programme aims to support students to enhance commercial skills and entrepreneurial talent while developing their business acumen, analytical thinking and leadership skills.

As students progress through the course they will undertake advanced modules that include luxury product design and branding, alongside identifying future trends that may influence the luxury marketplace.

An opportunity to apply theory into practice is also provided through your selected dissertation or research project where you will get the full support of your personal tutor.

Programme Specification Fall Semester LBM 7106 Contemporary Perspectives in Luxury Business This course is designed to provide a comprehensive and informative overview of current and contemporary perspectives on notions of luxury. It provides a platform to identify, engage and critically reflect upon a number of areas within the luxury sectors. Students will engage with the significance of luxury within the cultural fabrication of the sensual and prestigious. It also provided as deep and systematic understanding of the importance of luxury as a value in society’s definition versus an individual process of identity construction. Students will be required to appraise the essence and uniqueness of luxury with criticality, through examining regional case studies. In particular, this course will explore the management aspects concerning the commercialisation of luxury, with respect to different cultural settings and industries. LBM 7102 Strategic Brand Management This course is designed to examine the progression in brand theory and practice; according to several schools of thought, that draw from supporting social sciences disciplines - in order to master a set of comprehensive brand management toolkits. Course material will blend concepts, theories, media, case studies, and contemporary examples in order to encourage critical thinking and develop practical insight. In addition, students will be encouraged to problem solve creatively - through practical exercises and in response to briefs. There will be scope to attempt literary and cultural critiques: evaluating existing brands; assessing the viability of creating new brands; and develop brand stories. In light of this, the course attempts to offer a balance between the arts and sciences – with the aim of delivering real value to practitioners of all levels. LBM 7108 Luxury Consumer Theory The understanding of consumer behaviour is a vital part of strategic brand management. It is an area that is both comparatively recent as a separate discipline, and in a state of constant flux. Contributions to the field emerge regularly from the entire range of the social sciences. The formulation of effective brand management strategies is dependent on a detailed knowledge of consumer needs and wants, purchasing patterns and the influences, which exert themselves on that behaviour. Through the lens of Consumer Culture Theory, this course will introduce a variety of theoretical concepts underpinning the study of consumer behaviour, together with the practical application of this theoretical work in the development of luxury branding and marketing strategies. Spring Semester LBM 7107 Integrated Marketing Communications The broad aim of the course is to introduce, examine, and appraise how integrated marketing communications including advertising, public relations, and sponsorship are used to promote branded luxury offerings. Course material will draw from a blend of theory, tools, media campaigns, case studies, and contemporary examples. In addition, students will be encouraged to problem solve creatively - through practical exercises and in response to campaign briefs. There will be scope to attempt media audits evaluating existing campaigns; and develop new media schedules. In light of this, the course attempts to offer a balance between the technical and the creative – with the aim of delivering real value to practitioners of all levels. MKT 7160 Market Research Skills The Market Research Skills course aims to provide students with practical understanding, skills and experience of both theory and practice of marketing and branding research. More specifically, this course equips students with a framework for understanding various decision aspects involved in research including design and implementation of a marketing and branding research plan, design of a questionnaire, collection and analysis of data, preparation of a market research report. MGT 7160 Business Research Methods This course discusses the main concepts and techniques involved in the field of business. The course develops four main themes: research in context which puts the student as the researcher and as the user of research; research methodology which deals with the nature and limitations of different philosophies of research design e.g. deductive versus inductive approaches: qualitative versus quantitative approaches and the role of literature: research method which deals with advantages and issues associated with the use of various data collection methods including observation, use of groups, interviewing techniques and questionnaire design. At the end of the class a research proposal for the upcoming dissertation needs to be prepared which deals with issues of planning, literature review, topic selection, access to data, schedules, action plans, writing styles and referencing systems. plus ONE elective MKT 7120 Marketing & Ethics The world has changed dramatically since the emergence of marketing as a business discipline or as a result so have the principles and values which underpins modern marketing and management thinking. Companies have responded in multiple ways to the dimensions of sustainable marketing. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and operating in an ethical way are becoming increasingly important in the modern world. We will focus on the meaning of marketing ethics and specific associated issues that might affect how organisations operate and respond. We will focus on organisational responses in the shape of CSR programmes, the nature and dimensions of CSR, and an analysis of the arguments for and against the establishment of such programmes. ENT 7110 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management This course explores two related topics: innovation and entrepreneurship. For firms to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage, they need to innovate faster and more effectively than their competitors. This course provides an overview of innovation as a complex process which goes from the recognition of opportunities to the launch of new products, services or business models. The innovation process will be complemented with an analysis of the current trends regarding the evolution of the concept of innovation. Concepts beyond product innovation such as open innovation, disruptive innovation, creativity, business model innovation and ambidexterity will be encountered throughout the course. Innovation takes place within organisations large and small. The course will also look at entrepreneurship: the process of innovation within smaller firms. It will explore the nature of entrepreneurial and innovative management within small organisations as well as more established ones. A multidisciplinary approach: linking with organisational systems to cultures – will be adopted. The course provides a variety of perspectives on the creation and evolution of entrepreneurial ventures. It covers important aspects of launching a business from initial idea to growth and international expansion. It considers planning, marketing, financial, legal, control and human elements associated with the start up, acquisition or operation of a business from the entrepreneurial point of view. The course will address the need to manage effectively in environments that are uncertain and complex, and where appropriate strategic responses have to be crafted in recognition of limited resource and indeterminate outcomes. MKT 7110 Marketing in a Digital World The course will provide insights into new marketing concepts, tools, technologies and business models to enhance the value creation process. New technologies have created some radical changes in the way companies reach their markets and in particular the emerging phenomenon of social media. The course will provide an understanding of theoretical perspectives, techniques and tools to understand and harness the opportunities provided by best practice digital marketing. Students will have the opportunity to learn about electronic commerce in action; the interplay between the technology and marketing applications; the changing scope and uses of the Internet, along with current management issues facing businesses attempting to use the World Wide Web. APR 7120 Celebrities, Marketing and the Media This module offers a critical exploration of the evolving role celebrities play in the media, public relations, advertising, other forms of marketing activity and in relation to wider contemporary culture. It examines different perspectives on and debates about the development of celebrity culture and its impact on society, in the UK and internationally, and relates them to contemporary issues. Summer Semester plus EITHER LBM 7902 Internship The MA Luxury Brand Management internship is a full-time work placement within an organization, which operates in an international business environment. The placement opportunity will enable students to appreciate from a practical experience a number of luxury product and services, branding, and management issues. The internship aims to provide students with a graduate level experiential learning opportunity in which they can develop intellectual, professional and personal skills that will enable them to function well in a culturally diverse working environment. All internships are supervised by faculty. Each student will also complete a series of assessments throughout the internship. These assessments have been designed to help the student reflect on the skills they learn and the benefits gained from the internship experience, and also to help them determine if their current career goals are the correct fit for them. LBM 7505 Consultancy Project This course will provide students with the learning opportunity of performing multidisciplinary research within the international luxury branding business environment. Students will initiate, plan and execute an individually constructed piece of research, and are expected to report on their findings in the form of a written marketing strategy report. Students will identify issues within their programme, and specifically within their optional subjects, to investigate with the use of appropriate research methods, either theoretical or applied, and participate in research activities which will include a literature search, the collection and analysis of data, (secondary, and empirical pilot study) and the preparation of a 10,000-12,000 word report. OR LBM 7500 Dissertation This course will provide students with the learning opportunity of performing multidisciplinary research within the international luxury branding business environment. Students will initiate, plan and execute an individually constructed piece of research, and are expected to report on their findings in the form of a written marketing strategy report. Students will identify issues within their programme, and specifically within their optional subjects, to investigate with the use of appropriate research methods, either theoretical or applied, and participate in research activities which will include a literature search, the collection and analysis of data, (secondary, and empirical study) and the preparation of a 15,000-20,000 word report.

Luxury Brand Management, (MA) 2024-25 Specification Document (PDF)

The information above is intended as an example only, featuring course details for the current year of study. In addition to the courses outlined above, there may be open electives. Course content and delivery can be subject to change. For more detailed information on the programme specification, please find more details here .