Southern New Hampshire University

MKT378: Brand Communications

A guide to SNHU's MKT-378, which covers designing a brand, targeting it and delivering its message through media and communication programs.

Updated October 2026 · 5 min read

MKT-378 at Southern New Hampshire University is an undergraduate branding course.

The catalog lists it as Brand Communications and explains that a strong brand brings competitive advantage, so building and maintaining one is a critical marketing task. The prerequisite is MKT-205 Applied Marketing Strategies.

The description refers to brand salience, performance, image and resonance, which echo a well-known brand-building model, and to how branding changes over a brand's life in response to consumer expectations and competition. The difficulty is that these ideas are abstract, so assignments reward students who connect them to a real brand with specific evidence.

Course at a Glance

ItemDetails
UniversitySouthern New Hampshire University (SNHU)
Course codeMKT-378
Official titleBrand Communications
Level and creditsUndergraduate, 3 credits
PrerequisiteMKT-205 Applied Marketing Strategies
Typical workBrand analyses, positioning statements, communication plans (check your syllabus)

What MKT-378 Covers

Catalog themeWhat it means in practice
Brand salienceHow easily customers recall and recognize the brand when they have a need
Brand performance and imageryWhat the product does, and the associations people hold about it
Brand resonanceThe depth of loyalty and attachment customers feel
Brand change over timeAdapting as expectations and competition shift
Designing and targeting a brandChoosing identity elements and the audience they speak to
Delivering the messageSelecting media and communication programs through the brand's life

Key Concepts Explained

Building from Awareness to Loyalty

The catalog's themes suggest a progression. A brand must first be recognized, then understood in terms of what it does and stands for, then judged and felt about, and finally become something customers stay with. Each stage needs different communication.

Illustration (invented): A new reusable-bottle brand starts by getting noticed (salience) through simple, repeated visuals. Next it explains durability (performance), then builds the image of an outdoor-friendly lifestyle, and finally encourages a community of owners to deepen loyalty.

Consistency Across Touchpoints

A brand message reaches people through packaging, advertising, social media, service and more. Inconsistency confuses customers. Good answers show how the same core idea is adapted, not repeated mechanically, for each touchpoint.

Illustration (invented): A friendly, plain-spoken brand voice should show up in product descriptions and customer service replies as well as in adverts. A formal, jargon-filled support email would undercut it.

Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them

Assignment typeWhat it testsHow to approach it
Brand auditEvidence-based assessment of an existing brandCollect examples at several touchpoints and judge consistency
Positioning statementDefining target, benefit and differenceKeep it to a few sentences and explain each choice
Communication planMedia and message choicesLink each medium to the audience and the brand stage it serves
Brand evolution analysisUnderstanding change over timeTrace one brand's changes and explain the cause of each

Finding Evidence for a Brand Analysis

A brand analysis is only as good as its evidence. Public sources are plentiful, but you should choose them deliberately.

Contrast intended and actual image. A gap between what a company says and what customers say is often the most interesting finding.

Writing About Brand Voice and Message

Many tasks ask you to describe or propose how a brand speaks. Be specific: name two or three voice traits, such as warm, direct and practical, and show how each appears in real wording.

Then connect voice to the audience. A brand aimed at busy parents might use short, reassuring sentences, while one aimed at specialists might use precise technical language. Explaining why the voice fits the audience turns a description into an argument.

Where Students Get Stuck

Study Tips for MKT-378

How We Help with MKT-378

Send the prompt, rubric and your chosen brand. A marketing writer can prepare a model brand analysis, explain the frameworks, or review your draft for evidence and clarity. For general support with analytical writing, see our business research paper guide.

GradeEssays is independent of Southern New Hampshire University. Our work is a study and reference aid: use it to understand the approach, then write and submit your own work under SNHU's academic integrity policy. Orders are written from scratch, with free revisions within the scope of your original request and a full refund if late.

Strengthen Your MKT-378 Brand Analysis

Share the brief and your draft. We prepare a custom analysis or review yours for use of the frameworks.

Start My MKT-378 Help

Free revisions · Full refund if late · Written from scratch for your order

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the prerequisite for MKT-378?

SNHU lists MKT-205 Applied Marketing Strategies.

Is the course called Brand Communication or Brand Communications?

The current catalog title is Brand Communications.

What does brand resonance mean?

It describes the depth of the relationship customers have with a brand, such as loyalty and attachment.

How many credits is MKT-378?

It is listed as 3 credits at undergraduate level.

How is MKT-378 different from MKT-400?

MKT-400 Strategic Brand Management focuses on building, maintaining, growing and salvaging a brand. MKT-378 centers on designing the brand and delivering its message through media.

Can you check my brand audit?

Yes. We review evidence, structure and whether your conclusions follow.