Dr Hye-Young Kim

This course is available on the CEMS Exchange, Global MSc in Management, Global MSc in Management (CEMS MIM), Global MSc in Management (MBA Exchange), MBA Exchange, MSc in Management (1 Year Programme), MSc in Management (1 Year Programme) (Work Placement Pathway), MSc in Management and Strategy and MSc in Marketing. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process. For information on controlled access courses, including eligibility, application processes, deadlines, and departmental contact details, please refer to the Controlled Access Courses webpage.

How to apply:

Places on oversubscribed courses will be allocated via a random ballot process with priority given to students with the course in their Programme Regulations, followed by other Department of Management students, then students from elsewhere in the school. Providing you apply before the Department deadline of 10am on Monday 28 September 2026, the time you applied will not be taken into account. Please be aware that places on high demand courses cannot be guaranteed. By submitting an application, students are confirming that they meet any pre-requisites specified. Providing an additional written statement will not aid a student’s chances of being accepted onto a course, and statements are not read.

For further information and updates on course availability during Week 1, please see the Department of Management Electives Moodle page.

Deadline for application:

Please apply by 10am on Monday 28 September 2026 with your first course choices. No allocations are made before this date and time.

For queries contact:

Please view the Department of Management Electives page for contact emails.

The most valuable assets that firms have are the products/services they offer, and the brands associated with them. This course provides a rigorous examination of theory and corporate practices relevant to product and brand management in today's dynamic marketplace. 

Core objectives include understanding contemporary issues in planning and evaluating brand strategies, developing rigorous analytical and strategic thinking for informed decision-making, and applying conceptual frameworks to real-world challenges. Students will explore how digital environments, shifting patterns of consumer behaviours, and emerging technologies—such as generative AI and personalization systems—are influencing how brands build meaning, manage identity, and sustain long-term value. 

The course blends theory and practice, addressing both short-term tactical decisions and long-term strategic brand building. Students will examine how leading brands navigate challenges including evolving market conditions, intensifying competition for attention, and the need to protect core brand meaning while adapting positioning over time. Course content is refreshed annually to incorporate current research, emerging technologies, and evolving business practices. 

30 hours of lectures in the Winter Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Winter Term.

In its Ethics Code, LSE upholds a commitment to intellectual freedom. This means we will protect the freedom of expression of our students and staff and the right to engage in healthy debate in the classroom.

Students will present their group work during class and receive feedback. Detailed guidelines on the group project will be provided in the course syllabus and sample projects will be available.

• Keller, K. (2007) Strategic Brand Management, 3rd Edition, Pearson.
• Lehmann, D. And Winer, R. (2005) Product Management, 4th Edition, Chicago: Irwin.
• Keller, K. (2001) Building Customer-Based Brand Equity. Marketing Management. 10(2), 14-19.
• Lilien, Gary L., and Rangaswamy, Arvind, Marketing Engineering, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall.
• Lodish, Leonard M., and Carl F. Mela (2007), “If Brands Are Built Over Years, Why Are They Managed Over Quarters?,” July/August, Harvard Business Review, 85, 7/8 (July-August), 104-112.

Exam (60%), duration: 120 Minutes in the Spring exam period.

Project (40%).

This component of assessment includes an element of group work.

For detailed assessment information, including all deadlines and timings, please see the relevant course Moodle page. Assessment timings will be available at the start of each term.