Halcyon Days: Expanding the brand’s geographic coverage

Faculty of Business and Law

Assignment Brief

Assignment Number    1 out of 1
Assignment Title    Halcyon Days: Expanding the brand’s geographic coverage

Assessment Information
This assignment is designed to assess the learning outcome:
Conduct a critical review of academic literature surrounding a branding topic and present their findings.

Halcyon Days: Expanding the brand’s geographic coverage
Halcyon Days was founded in 1950 as an emporium of antique gifts in Mayfair, London. Today the company has evolved into a strong lifestyle brand, and they continue to create the signature enamel pieces on which their business was founded.  They have added in full collections of luxury goods and fashion accessories. Their current product range includes: bangles, tea ware, silk shawls, scented candles, cufflinks and cashmere throws.
They continue to produce hand-crafted signature enamel boxes in their own workshops located in the heart of England. Made by a team of highly skilled artists – using traditional English enamelling techniques handed down through generations – they continue to demonstrate the very best of British craftsmanship. The company’s craftsmen and artists take great pride in delivering luxury products of the highest standard such as hand-decorated enamel bangles.
Halcyon Days are proud to be one of only fourteen companies to hold all three Royal Warrants. This important relationship sets the high standard of UK craftsmanship and design; which Halcyon Days is dedicated to maintain.
The United Kingdom, the United States of America and Japan are three of the strongest markets for Halcyon Days.  Their key global accounts are Harrods and Harrods International, Fortnum & Mason, Scully & Scully in New York, Gumps in San Francisco and Isetan-Mitsukoshi in Tokyo.
They are also represented in Canada, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, Singapore, Bermuda and the Caribbean, and they look forward to continued growth and development in other territories across the globe, which is where they would like your branding expertise.
In addition to their craft pieces the company also produces private (bespoke) commissions.  For example, the Late Queen Mother commissioned a box depicting her London home, Clarence House.  In 1976, Cartier in New York commissioned Halcyon Days to create an enamel box for President Ford to give to The Queen on her official visit to the USA. Coincidentally, she too gifted a Halcyon Days enamel box to the President.
Halcyon Days offers an exceptional service for customers wishing to create their own exclusive piece, whether a hand-painted enamel box or a spectacular freehand-painted porcelain bowl with a unique design. Combining superb craftsmanship and service, Halcyon Days continues to produce bespoke pieces for private clients, and limited editions to commemorate momentous events and partnerships.
Sources:
Parts of this case study are fictional and the factual content is based on information from the following sources:
•    http://luxurybritishbrands.com/halcyon-days/
•    http://www.halcyondays.co.uk/home-gifts.html

This assignment is an individual assignment.  This assignment requires you to:
Write an individual report
Halcyon Days has approached you to work with them as an external branding consultant.  The company sells its products online worldwide and through concessions with luxury retailers.

They would like to employ your services as a branding expert to propose a branding strategy to support opening their first store outside the UK.

Focusing on one market of your choice, outside of the UK, address the following three questions. Questions carry equal marks.  You are required to:
1.    Analyse branding strategies over geographic boundaries to identify which approach in your view Halcyon Days should use to enter your chosen country. Provide recommendations on the brand strategy to support expansion and justify why you have proposed a particular approach.

2.    Build a branding approach using the CBBE model for your chosen market.

3.    Identify which brand elements to adapt and which to retain and again justify your choices. Support your discussion and recommendations with examples.

Create an individual poster
Your poster needs to present visually your suggested recommendations for Halcyon Days’ overseas brand expansion.  Your suggestions and recommendations must be supported by two or three key brand building theories.  The poster will support your report and demonstrate your ability to fuse theory with a creative approach to branding.

You can use visual images and other means to illustrate your main suggestions (note: if using images from the Internet you must demonstrate that these images are not protected by copyright).

Individual Report Word Count
The word count is 2,000 words (+/- 10%) Maximum: 2200 words. Minimum: 1,800 words.
There will be a penalty of a deduction of 10% of the mark (after internal moderation) for work exceeding the word limit by 10% or more.  The word limit includes quotations, but excludes the bibliography.

Any penalties for not complying with word limits will be in accordance with University and Faculty policy. Ability to produce a coherent case study analysis which answers all given questions within a word limit is an integral part of the assessment.

Poster Presentation:
The poster must be no bigger than the equivalent of one printed A2 Poster, it can be smaller and it does not need to be a standard poster shape.  A2 is either ¼ of A0 or ½ of A1 (larger sizes) or 2 x A3 sheets, 4 x A4 sheets. It should be used to creatively support the recommendations in your individual report, which you will display in the lecture and seminar sessions on Thursday 30th and Friday 31st March 2017.

Criteria for Assessment
Demonstrate a breadth of knowledge and detailed understanding of the key criteria in the global brand management.

Critically analyse branding strategies over geographic boundaries and their application to Aquascutum.

Analyse relevant branding theories to support the recommendations for Aquascutum’s branding strategy into a new market.

Identification of which brand elements to adapt and which to retain and well justified selection again justify your choices.

Develop a coherent and well-presented report within specified word limit.

Convey your recommendations creatively using a poster.

Individual Report Marking Scheme
Knowledge and Understanding 20%
Demonstrate a breadth of knowledge and detailed understanding of the key criteria in the global brand management.

Application 30%
Critically analyse branding strategies over geographic boundaries and their application to Halcyon Days.

Analysis and Recommendations 40%
Analyse relevant branding theories to support the recommendations for Halcyon Days’ branding strategy into a new market.

Identification of which brand elements to adapt and which to retain and well justified selection again justify your choices.

Professionalism 10%
Structure, report style and presentation (fluency, presentation, quality of referencing)

Poster Presentation Marking Scheme
Knowledge and Understanding 20%
Choice of relevant models to support branding recommendations for Halcyon Days’ overseas brand expansion.

Application 20%
Application of key brand building theories to address Halcyon Days’ brand.

Analysis and Recommendations 20%
Clarity of the recommendations

Professionalism 20%
In the poster design and the way ideas are put across.

Creativity 20%
Ability to fuse theory with a creative approach to brand expansion.  Poster style, visual appeal and presentation.

How to submit your assessment
The individual poster presentation will take place in the lecture and seminar sessions on Thursday 30th and  Friday 31st March 2017. It must be displayed and self-explanatory as you will not be given the opportunity to explain it.

The report must be submitted by 23.55:00 on 27/03/17. No paper copies are required. You can access the submission link through the module web.

•    Your coursework will be given a zero mark if you do not submit a copy through Turnitin. Please take care to ensure that you have fully submitted your work.
•    All work submitted after the submission deadline without a valid and approved reason (see below) will be given a mark of zero.
•    Extensions of up to two calendar weeks can only be given for genuine “force majeure” and medical reasons, not for bad planning of your time. Please note that theft, loss, or failure to keep a back-up file, are not valid reasons. The extension must be applied for on or before the submission date. You can apply for an extension by submitting an Examination/ Coursework Deferral/Extension Application Form. Application Forms along with the supporting evidence should go to the relevant Student Support Office. For a longer delay in submission a student may apply for a deferral.
•    Students MUST keep a copy and/or an electronic file of their assignment and a photograph or electronic copy of the poster.
•    Checks will be made on your work using anti-plagiarism software and approved plagiarism checking websites.

GUIDELINES AND BACKGROUND TO THIS ASSIGNMENT

Plagiarism
As part of your study you will be involved in carrying out research and using this when writing up your coursework. It is important that you correctly acknowledge someone else’s writing, thoughts or ideas and that you do not attempt to pass this off as your own work.  Doing so is known as plagiarism.  It is not acceptable to copy from another source without acknowledging that it is someone else’s writing or thinking. This includes using paraphrasing as well as direct quotations. You are expected to correctly cite and reference the works of others. The Centre for Academic Writing provides documents to help you get this right. If you are unsure, please visit www.coventry.ac.uk/caw.  You can also check your understanding of academic conduct by completing the Good Academic Practice quiz available on Moodle.

Moodle includes a plagiarism detection system and assessors are experienced enough to recognise plagiarism when it occurs. Copying another student’s work, using previous work of your own or copying large sections from a book or the internet are examples of plagiarism and carry serious consequences. Please familiarise yourself with the CU Harvard Reference Style (on Moodle) and use it correctly to avoid a case of plagiarism or cheating being brought.  Again, if you are unsure, please contact the Centre for Academic Writing, your Academic Personal Tutor or a member of the course team.

Return of Marked Work
You can expect to have marked work returned to you on 3rd April 2017. If for any reason there is a delay you will be kept informed. Marks and feedback will be provided online. As always, marks will have been internally moderated only, and will therefore be provisional; your mark will be formally agreed later in the year once the external examiner has completed his / her review.