Business Management – Italian Premium Brands

This course focuses on the main components of accounting, budgeting and cost analysis. In addition the course will train students on how to analyze economic-financial forecasts and budgets as well as understand the measurement and interpretation of the economic-financial performance of the company. Calculation and analysis in decision-making, management supervision, strategic control and strategic cost management will also be explored.

The course aims to introduce students to the most relevant issues (foundational and more advanced) of digital technologies, discussing the most important present and future consequences on the lives of individuals and on the structure and functioning of organizations and processes. The main topics covered are: fundamentals of computational systems, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, conversational systems, computational logic, networks and security.

The objective of the course in Digital Marketing is to provide the necessary knowledge for successfully implementing a marketing strategy utilizing new information technology, analyzing the needs of the client, the company communication and sales. A principally quantitative approach for measuring the effectiveness of Digital Marketing activities, which finds their natural application in an online context (e.g. Social Media, E-Commerce, Direct Marketing), without overlooking the application of new technologies in an offline context (e.g. Apps and Mobile Marketing in a modern Retailing environment). At the end of the course, it is expected that the students will have acquired a high level of knowledge on the main tools used in the field of Digital Marketing, allowing them to: define and implement a coherent Digital Marketing strategy; select the best suited tools based on strategic objectives; monitor the effectiveness by means of rigorous analytical procedures.

From the business model to the operational marketing plan. The fundamental conceptual and quantitative tools necessary for understanding, analyzing and constructing the relationship a company establishes with its market of interest: the centrality of the client, studying acquired behavior, the processes of segmentation and positioning, the development of new products and the spread of innovation, pricing decisions, distribution and communication.

Introduction to marketing research: descriptive analysis. Utilizing probability and hypothesis in marketing research. Design and technical development finalized for collecting primary data. Data analysis: regression. Segmentation and clustering techniques. Perceptual maps and positioning.

The course focuses on issues related to the management of materials along the supply chain, from suppliers to distribution channels. In this regard, they have a vital role. Managerial and organizational decisions made about the relationships with external companies with which we relate to, are the focal point of the course. In analyzing the vertical relationships between firms, the course seeks to develop: sensitivity to the Strategic Importance of the reports, the technical and managerial knowledge needed to deal with the decisions in the matter and organizational skills needed to manage them.

Corporate sustainability and the circular economy are currently among the most discussed topics internationally, also due to climate change. The aim of the course is to understand why these issues are of such importance, underlining their urgency. We will learn more about the innovation activities of operational and system processes that companies adopt to implement strategies aimed at the Circulary Economy and the transition to a low carbon business model.

The objective of the course is to provide an overview of Italian design focusing on its origins, characteristics and tendencies. The course will develop with an in depth study of specific themes related to the various focus area. To this end, the program will be divided into three principle sections: the identity of Italian design; testimonials; examples and methods.

This course structure consists of select lectures and three company projects.

LECTURES: Cover the current and future trends in the markets and in the management of companies that carry out activities connected to Made in Italy. The penetration of international markets. The ways in which Made in Italy firms are present on the international stage: direct presence, agreements, business activities, manufacturing activities. The “made in” of other countries: similarities and differences with Made in Italy.

COMPANY PROJECTS: The course also includes 3 business projects of 1 month each. The projects are carried out by working in groups of 4-5 participants and begin with the presentation of the company by a manager of a company who is a partner in the School’s network. The manager details to the group the scope of the project. During each project work, participants are assisted by a tutor; at the end of the month there is a meeting with the management and a presentation of the deliverables created by the participants. Teachers and management both provide an assessment, in order to review both the originality of the managerial solutions proposed as well as the practical feasibility and implementation potential in a real business context.

The principles and models of customer experience, the latest and current frontier for competitive advantage, allow to make customers happier and loyal. The course introduces a structured methodology for the analysis, planning and setting up of a successful customer experience. From research techniques for the consumption experience, a model is discussed in order to plan a successfull experience, consistently with the choices of brand management. Afterwards, also thanks to the use of real-life cases, the processes for the creation of a success experience are introduced. Lastly, the indicators to measure the performances of the investment in customer experience are analysed.

This course enables executives to use financial tools to make better decisions. The teaching method combines class lectures and discussions to case studies and spreadsheet modelling to get a deeply and insightful understanding of topics in corporate finance. These topics include, but are not limited to, capital budgeting, project and company valuation and the optimal financing and hedging decisions.