Module 08: Creating a strong brand (M8-EN)

The main learning objectives of this module are:

• To gain knowledge about branding and information how brands can help monasteries to distinguish their products according to their qualities and production purpose;
• To learn how an efficient branding strategy can be built and why;
• To influence employees’ attitudes in their daily work in the monastery shops and their perceptions toward the development of a strong brand as a helpful activity for better sales.

This training module is designed to fit the training needs of the monks and nuns, management, staff and volunteers at European monasteries, no matter if they are run by Catholic or Protestant Orders or the Orthodox Church; by public or private operators.

All modules are relevant for these groups of people, but some have a more specific character. They are all interconnected, even if they are not formally complementary. They differ in terms of information and competence level and address three groups:

• Target group 1: For people working on the implementation level like those in monastery shops three modules are recommended: Module 1 as introduction to the training, Modules 3 and 4 about monastic products and authentic selling of monastic products. People who want to start considering certain strategic aspects may be inspired by Module 7 on adding value through networking.
• Target group 2: For people with a special knowledge or experiences or a certain background and/or specified tasks in the monastic management, Modules 2 on marketing strategies, Module 5 on distribution strategies,  Module 8 on creating a strong brand, and Module 6 on social media and communication offer learning content and reflection.
• Target group 3: People on a strategy decision level with a highly specialized / experienced background and respective responsibilities in a monastery (Modules 9 on financing strategies and Module 10 on sustainability aspects).

After studying this module, you will:

• Understand the importance of branding and how to strategically implement it to meet your core goals of production;
• Learn how to maintain a vital value proposition based on internal and external marketing research;
• Be aware of the benefits that branding provides for the monastery;
• Know how to apply brand management theory to real life activities to foster the popularity of the monastery and its products;
• Understand the various types of brand strategies that will help to sell more monastic products that will increase the income for the monastery;
• Learn about the most important steps of how to label your monastic products.

SKIVRE focuses on an interactive training approach, whether you use it as a self-learning course or instructed by a trainer. This training module includes:

• Individualized self-learning - a powerful learning method that enables each learner, on the basis of his/her own experience and knowledge, and on the basis of newly acquired knowledge, to reach development decisions on his/her own;
• Self-assessment - ongoing self-assessment tests or homework that learners send to their trainer prior to the commencement of each subsequent module;
• You might also work in small groups of 2 or 3, e.g. if you decide to implement this module with colleagues as a self-learning group in your monastery or supported by an external trainer.

You gain knowledge individually or in a group using:

• Training materials like this module;
• Training materials in nine more SKIVRE training modules which are closely linked to this module;
• The interactive SKIVRE online training platform: skivre.eu/training;
• Facilitated training sessions for learning in a group with a professional trainer.

Study Materials

Videos

Author/s:

Angela Ivanova          

Wolfgang Kniejski

Institution:

INI-Novation Bulgaria OOD