It is increasingly argued within marketing management circles that companies no longer make products, rather they create, develop and build brands. The purpose of this course is to provide a thorough understanding of branding processes in the 21st century. The role of brands and branding are examined at two levels. In macro level analysis, the sociocultural role of brands in contemporary global consumer culture is provided. In micro level analysis the role of brands and branding both from a managerial and a consumer perspective are covered. In the first part of the course, consumers and their behavior with regard to brands will be examined. Examples of consumer issues include consumer brand relationship, consumer identity construction, and brand communities. Also, social role of brands as cultural, ideological, and political objects or global ideoscapes are discussed in the class. In the second part of the course, managerial concepts such as brand equity, brand identity, corporate branding, brand extensions, and co-branding is covered.