Overview

+ Highlights
– Strategic Brand Management. The goal of this course is to enhance your knowledge of branding and brand management. Specifically, this course aims to introduce the key elements of brand management, provide a sound framework for building strong brands, and sharpen your leadership, analytical, and communication skills
– International Finance. Managing a business exposed to global competition requires understanding some essential concepts in International Finance. This course provides you with a working knowledge of these concepts in a way that makes them easy to understand and apply.
– Live Case. A core element of the Lisbon elective experience is a live case that allows students to immediately apply what they learned in class to a real-world problem. Sergio Rebelo and Alex Chernev run the case discussion together.
– Blended Course Format. This elective uses the “flipped-classroom” approach. Unlike the traditional format in which students work on their assignments at home and come to class for the professor’s lecture, students study the material at home (through a combination of video lectures, textbook chapters, and short quizzes), with class time used for case discussion and problem solving. This combination of asynchronous and synchronous activities is designed to facilitate learning by enabling students to study at their own pace and at the same time benefit from interacting with one another while discussing cases. The flipped-classroom format implies that the courses are front loaded, meaning that the learning must begin before the first class.

+ Dates 
Lisbon A: December 7-10, 2024
Lisbon B: January 25-28, 2025
Lisbon C: January 30 – February 2, 2025

+ Location
Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is a city filled with ancient architecture, delightful restaurants, interesting shops, and inspiring views.

+ Accommodations
Pestana Palace hotel, a palace built in the beginning of the 20th century by the Marquis of Valle Flor with the profits from cocoa production. The palace quickly became a fashionable gathering place for celebrities. In 1992, it opened as a luxury hotel and a member of the “The Leading Hotels of the World,” offering breathtaking views of the Tagus river and an elegant interior.

+ Local Attractions 
Sintra is an enchanting village near Lisbon where the royal family used to spend their summers. You can visit three spectacular royal palaces, a 9th-century Moorish castle with fantastic views of the surrounding region, and several manor houses.

To learn more about all that is glorious about Portugal visit Sergio Rebelo’s Salt of Portugal blog

Strategic Brand Management

+ Course Organization
The course is heavily case-based, and advance preparation for case discussions is essential. Most assignments are done in advance; there are no assignments due after the last day of class. Teamwork is an integral component of this course. Working in teams aims to strengthen your collaboration, communication, and leadership skills. 

+ Online Modules (Pre-work)
– The Framework for Brand Management. This module introduces a framework for strategic marketing planning and building an actionable value-creation model. Specific topics include: the brand as a marketing tool, the key brand management concepts, crafting the brand mantra, and developing a brand value map.
– Designing the Brand. This module delineates the key brand attributes and outlines the core principles in designing the brand. Specific topics include: defining the brand name, designing the brand logo and soundmark, creating the brand motto and character, crafting the product design and packaging, and defining the brand referents.
– Communicating the Brand. This module outlines the key principles in developing a successful brand communication campaign. These principles include: brand-building focus, visionary approach, authentic message, impactful design, and ethical implementation.
– Crafting the Brand Architecture. This module defines the concept of brand architecture and addressed the issues involved in designing and managing brand portfolios and cobranding. Specific topics include: managing brand and product portfolios, defining the brand hierarchy, cobranding as a tool for creating market value, developing a viable cobranding strategy, and managing private label brand architecture.
– Managing Brand Dynamics. The focus of this module is on managing brands over time, including the issues of brand repositioning and brand extensions. Specific topics include: the essence of brand extensions, vertical and horizontal brand extensions, brand repositioning, brand realignment, and brand licensing.

+ In-Person Modules (Lisbon)
– Building a Lifestyle Brand. The Puma case highlights the role of brands as a means of self-expression and the challenges in building a lifestyle brand.
– Building a Luxury Brand. The Miele case highlights challenges in building and managing a global luxury brand in a B2B context.
– Rejuvenating an Iconic Brand. The Harley-Davidson case highlights the importance of brands as a means of competitive differentiation.
– Empowering Social Change. The Beleza Natural case highlights the role of brands as a means of promoting social change.

International Finance

+ Overview
The course uses a blended format: some of the lectures are pre-recorded so that we can allocate more time to discussions and experiential learning. Apart from lectures, the course workload involves several short quizzes and two assignments. Most quizzes can be retaken multiple times so that students can master the concepts discussed in the course. The first assignment involves identifying whether a currency is overvalued or undervalued—a concept discussed in detail in the course. The second assignment involves articulating three takeaway learnings from the course and discussing how they apply to your own business.

+ Online Modules (Pre-work)
These modules include a series of short videos designed to give you a good understanding of exchange rates, interest rates and the function of the international financial system.

+ In-Person Modules (Lisbon)
In these modules, we discuss how to value an international business, how to compare financing in different currencies, and how to manage risk.

Live Case

A core element of the Lisbon elective experience is a live case that allows students to immediately apply what they learned in class to a real-world problem. Sergio Rebelo and Alex Chernev run the case discussion together. We will discuss a problem facing a specific company (a top winery). The executives will outline the challenge(s) facing the company and students will work in teams to offer a solution which they would present to the management team.

So far, the following renowned producers have participated: Rita Nabeiro from Adega Mayor | Paulo Laureano from Paulo Laureano Wines | Nuno Ramilo from Ramilo wines | Jorge Serôdio Borges from Wine & Soul | Chris Blandy from Blandy’s

The live case ends with a celebration dinner at the famous golden room of the Lisbon Pousada. This room was the traditional meeting place for the ministers of the Portuguese government.

Faculty

Sergio Rebelo
Professor Rebelo has published widely in macroeconomics and international finance. His research focuses on the causes of business cycles, the impact of economic policy on economic growth, and the sources of exchange rate fluctuations. He has won numerous teaching awards at Kellogg, including the Executive Master Program Outstanding Professor Award and Professor of the Year Award. Professor Rebelo has also served as a consultant to the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, European Central Bank, McKinsey Global Institute, and Global Markets Institute at Goldman Sachs. He received his PhD in economics from the University of Rochester.

Alexander Chernev
Professor Chernev teaches marketing strategy, strategic brand management, and behavioral decision theory in the MBA, PhD, and Executive Education programs at Kellogg. He has received numerous teaching awards, including the Top Professor Award from the Executive MBA Program. Professor Chernev is an academic trustee of the Marketing Science Institute and advises companies around the world on issues of marketing strategy, brand management, consumer behavior, and new product development. He holds a PhD in psychology from Sofia University and a PhD in business administration from Duke University.

Student Comments

This was an extraordinary experience that we will never forget.

Thanks again for a memorable and constructive experience! The people, the lectures, the culture, the entrepreneurs, the food and wine, the city… Unique and amazing!

Definitely memorable and an incredible way to kick off my Kellogg electives! Thanks for a great week!

It was a pleasure to be in a great city, learning from amazing professors and with a wonderful Kellogg++ cohort. A truly memorable experience, Thank you!

Best elective at Kellogg!

Had a great time during Lisbon B and learned a lot. Well curated experience!

One of the best elective choice I made, thanks for bringing the good memories of this trip…