Page 1 of 15 © IMM Graduate School Assignment: 1st Semester 2017 ABM401 ASSIGNMENT 1ST SEMESTER : ADVANCED BRAND MANAGEMENT 4 (ABM401) DUE DATE : 15:00 ON 14 MARCH 2017 UPLOAD TO ELEARN IN PDF FORMAT TOTAL MARKS : 100 MATERIAL SUPPLIED : LEVI STRAUSS & CO INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES FOR COMPLETING AND SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS The complete 'Instructions to Students for Completing and Submitting Assignments' must be collected from any IMM Graduate School office or can be downloaded from eLearn. It is essential that the complete instructions be studied prior to commencing your assignment. The following points highlight only a few important notes. 1. You are required to submit ONE assignment per module. 2. The assignment will contribute 20% towards the final examination mark, and the other 80% will be contributed by the examination, however, the examination papers will count out of 100%. 3. Although your assignment will contribute towards your final examination mark, you do not have to earn credits for admission to the examinations; you are automatically accepted on registering for the module. 4. Number all the pages of your assignment (e.g. page 1 of 4) and write your name and surname, student number and module at the top of each page. 5. The IMM Graduate School requires this assignment to be presented in PDF format. MS Word copies will not be marked. Unless otherwise specified, this assignment must be completed within a limit of 3500 words, excluding the reference list. Students who exceed the word limit may find that only part of the submitted assignment will be marked. 6. A separate assignment cover, which is provided by the IMM Graduate School, must be attached to the front of each assignment. 7. Retain a copy of each assignment before submitting, in case the original does not reach the IMM Graduate School. 8. The assignment due date refers to the day up to which assignments will be accepted for marking purposes. The deadline is 15:00 on 14 March 2016 for upload to eLearn. Late assignments will be accepted, but 25 marks will be deducted from the maximum mark if received after 15:00 on 14 March 2017 and up to 17:00 the following day, after which no assignments will be accepted. 9. If you fail to follow these instructions carefully, the IMM Graduate School cannot accept responsibility for the return of the assignment. It may even result in your assignment not being marked. Results will be available on the IMM Graduate School website, www.immgsm.ac.za, on Saturday, 6 May 2017.Page 2 of 15 © IMM Graduate School Assignment: 1st Semester 2017 ABM401 SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS:  Answer All the questions.  Harvard referencing technique must be utilised when answering the questions.  Other sources, in addition to the case study and the prescribed textbook must be consulted and included in answering the questions.  Marks will be deducted for not following the above-mentioned instructions.  No marks will be awarded for repeating theory from the textbook. References are to the prescribed textbook: Keller, K.L. (2013) Strategic Brand Management: Building, Measuring and Managing Brand Equity. 4th ed. Pearson. QUESTION 1 [20] Brands versus products 1.1 Using the Levi stable of brands, discuss the five (5) levels of meaning for a product. Ensure you substantiate your answer with examples from the case study. (10) 1.2 Dedication to a brand is vital for sustained brand leadership. Discuss the five (5) factors that determine enduring leadership. Ensure you address all five factors in context of the Levi case study. (10) QUESTION 2 [20] Customer based brand equity and brand positioning 2.1 The concepts of points of difference and points of parity can be invaluable tools to guide brand positioning. Three key issues in arriving at the optimal competitive brand positioning are defining and communicating the competitive frame of reference and choosing and establishing points of difference and points of parity. Discuss these three (3) key issues in context of the case study example Levi's Go Forth. (12) 2.2 If you were the brand manager for Levi's, what would you suggest as an alternative brand mantra for the Denizen brand? Illustrate what the emotional and descriptive modifier would be, as well as the brand function. (8)Page 3 of 15 © IMM Graduate School Assignment: 1st Semester 2017 ABM401 QUESTION 3 [20] Brand resonance 3.1 Making use of the five questions Selden and Colvin suggest in terms of determining whether a company is truly customer focused, discuss these five (5) questions by relating each question to the case study. (10) 3.2 Brand resonance describes the relationship the customer has with the brand and the extent to which customers feel they are 'in sync' with the brand. Resonance is characterised in terms of intensity and activity. 3.2.1 Describe in your own words what you believe is meant by the level of intensity and activity in terms of brand resonance. Make use of an example from the case study to illustrate your point. (2) 3.2.2 Discuss the four (4) categories of 'intensity and activity' in context of the case study. (8) QUESTION 4 [24] Integrated marketing communications 4.1 In terms of the Levi Go Forth global marketing campaign, consider the fourmajor marketing communication options Levi's marketing team had when they were planning their campaign. Analyse and evaluate these four (4) options in context of Levi's global marketing campaign launched in 2012. (12) 4.2 Evaluate the Levi Go Forth global marketing campaign by motivating whether you believe its campaign was effective and efficient. Use the six (6) criteria for determining the effectiveness of an integrated marketing campaign to base your answer on. (12) QUESTION 5 [16] Designing marketing programmes 5.1 Strategies and tactics behind marketing programmes have changed dramatically in recent years – there have been some enormous shifts in the external marketing environments. In terms of the Levi organisation, what do you believe are some of the factors that forced its marketing team to embrace new approaches and philosophies when developing its marketing strategies? Outline at least six (6) factors. (6) 5.2 A special case of co-branding is ingredient branding. Using the Levi example in terms of its initiative with EKOCYCLE, discuss what you believe the advantages and disadvantages of ingredient branding are. (6)Page 4 of 15 © IMM Graduate School Assignment: 1st Semester 2017 ABM401 5.3 Discuss the four (4) tasks that ingredient branding must accomplish and advise if you believe that Levi and EKOCYCLE have achieved these four tasks. It is suggested that you do additional reading on EKOCYCLE. (4) PRESENTATION [-20] Unless otherwise specified, a maximum of 20 marks may be deducted for not meeting the required presentation standard, based on the following aspects: Structure and Grammar: (up to -5 marks) The content of the document should have a logical flow, guided by numbered headings and sub-headings for the various sections. Incorrect numbering, unsuitable language (non-academic and/or unprofessional), poor syntax and spelling errors will be penalised. Students are to follow the required guidelines in terms of font type, font size, line spacing, justification, etc., as set out in the IMM Graduate School Yearbook. Citation: (up to -5 marks) When including a quotation/reference in an assessment from a book, textbook, paper, author or other sources, correct in-text referencing of the source is required. Referencing: (up to -10 marks) Referencing includes both in-text referencing and the reference list. References must conform to the style and format provided by the IMM Graduate School's 'Harvard Referencing System Guide'. Markers must indicate the presentation mark allocated to the student, on the cover sheet of the assignment. This mark is final. ASSIGNMENT TOTAL: 100Page 5 of 15 © IMM Graduate School Assignment: 1st Semester 2017 ABM401 Levi Strauss & Co.™ 1. Introduction Message from the CEO This is an exciting time for Levi Strauss & Co. We're building on our heritage to move the company forward, to be as innovative and relevant to today's consumers – and tomorrow's – as we were when we invented the blue jean 140 years ago. When did you first discover one of our products? Millions of people around the world have grown up with Levi's® blue jeans and Dockers® khakis. I'm one of them. And it's my privilege to lead this company as we strive to engage consumers with new and familiar products, all while minimising our impact on the planet. But it takes more than our strong, enduring brands – which also include Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™ and Denizen® – to succeed. It takes people to bring our product to life every day. I see these talented and creative folks at our headquarters in San Francisco and in our offices around the world. They're proud to be here, working for a company that has long been a leader – not just in what we do, but how we do it. This is a company that integrated its sewing factories decades before it was required by law. We established the first code of conduct for apparel manufacturers, ensuring the people who make our product work in a safe environment and are treated with dignity and respect. And we work to build sustainability into everything we do. Ask employees what makes this company different, and they'll tell you. It's our values: empathy, originality, integrity and courage. These guide every decision we make and every action we take. And they fuel our commitment to drive profits through principles. "It takes talented and creative people to bring our product to life every day, all around the world." Today's Levi Strauss & Co. is as relevant as ever, but we're always looking ahead. From our products to our practices, innovation is integral. You'll see it in our Levi's® Water. [Accessed on 29 June 2016] Levi's. (2013) An Icon Evolves: Levi's 501 & EKOCYCLE Collaborate for Progress. Available from: http://explore.levi.com/news/sustainability/an-icon-evolves-levis-501-x-ekocycle/ [Accessed on 29 June 2016] Levi Strauss & Co. (2016) Available from: < http://www.levistrauss.com/>. [Accessed on 29 June 2016] Miller, M.J. (2011) "Levis Takes Go Forth Campaign Global". Available from: . [Accessed on 29 June 2016] Yohn, D.L. (2015) "How Levi's became a brand with Staying Power", Entrepreneur, April 2015. Available from: . [Accessed on 29 June 2016]