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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Postgraduate Diploma in Brand Contact Management 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
58664  Postgraduate Diploma in Brand Contact Management 
ORIGINATOR
The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Postgraduate Diploma  Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies  Marketing 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  128  Level 7  NQF Level 08  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered-data under construction  EXCO 0324/24  2024-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2031-06-30  

Registered-data under construction

The qualification content is currently being updated for the qualifications with the status “Registered-data under construction” or showing “DETAILS UNDER CONSTRUCTION” to ensure compliance with SAQA’S Policy and Criteria for the registration of qualifications and part-qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (As amended, 2022). These qualifications are re-registered until 30 June 2027 and can legitimately be offered by the institutions to which they are registered.

 

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
The core purpose of the qualification is to train students (who have completed a relevant three year qualification), in real-world brand strategy planning. The focus of the course is therefore on brand building and brand contact management within the context of marketing and business strategy.

Rationale for the Qualification:

In the context of its contribution to regional and national goals

The Vega students in Brand Contact Management graduate into various marketing and communications industries with the skill and expertise to develop and build brands that will add value to business and society as a whole.

When brands die, businesses die. We believe that our students will play a valuable role in building South African brands that will grow South African business.

On a more immediate, in-programme level, the students partake in several real-world briefs and thus contribute both socially and economically to the development and execution of brand strategies. These briefs include social causes and not-for-profit initiatives, for example, `The Brand South Africa Campaign`, `Love Life` and `Cotlands`.

In the context of fulfilling educational/industry needs

Students do acquire valuable business, marketing and communications knowledge in university and technikon programmes but often do not know how to go about applying their knowledge in a hands-on strategic planning environment. The nature and scope of brand building and brand contact planning is, to our knowledge, also not a core area of focus in marketing and communications degrees/diplomas offered at universities and technikons.

Industry shifts and the pace of change demand that students have profound insight into brands and brand building and can apply their skill and expertise in strategy planning, from day one. Vega`s post- graduate programme in Brand Contact Management answers this need.

To our knowledge the AAA School of Advertising offers a post-graduate programme in Integrated Marketing Communications with a focus on Advertising. Marketing Communications and Advertising is but an aspect of brand building and therefore the Vega programme is both more holistic and focused in its strategic orientation. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
To undertake the programme in Brand Contact Management students must have a three year degree or three year tertiary qualification. Because strategic planning relies on both analytical and creative skill, students from all fields (languages, marketing, business, sociology, philosophy, the arts etc. are screened.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):

The knowledge and application level of this programme requires a three-year tertiary qualification as entry level. Prior learning acquired in completion of a BA or B.Com degree is for example recognised. However, brand management relies on analytical, strategic and creative skill. For this reason prior learning is also assessed in terms of reasoning maturity and creative skill. Vega has developed an `Entrance Challenge` with input and guidance from a professional Clinical Psychologist to specifically assess the reasoning, strategic and lateral thinking skills that students have acquired in prior learning. 

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
Y 

QUALIFICATION RULES 
N/A 

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
Exit-level Outcomes are as follows:
  • Insight into the world context of business in the form of environmental influences and industry dynamics.
  • Understand the process of business and the concepts of strategic thinking and planning.
  • Insight into types of business strategies and business plans.
  • Insight into entrepreneurship in business.
  • Understand the role, scope and process of marketing research.
  • Conduct a marketing audit and set marketing objectives.
  • Assess and select a marketing strategy.
  • Plan and manage the strategic marketing elements (product, pricing, distribution and promotion strategies, people and process variables, positioning, brand physicality).
  • Understand and practice the concept of brand and branding.
  • Conduct a brand contact analysis.
  • Insight into and apply the brand communications planning process (identify key issues, set objectives, profile target audiences, craft a positioning statement and develop an effective and integrated campaign strategy).
  • Insight into the promotional tools (Advertising, Sales Promotions, Direct Marketing, Public Relations and Personal Selling) and their application in the real world.
  • Understand and undertake effective and innovative media planning.
  • Insight into building brands online and digital marketing.
  • Understand, manage and contribute to the creative process.
  • Insight into the function and process of account management. 
    		•

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Integrated Assessment:

    The post-graduate programme in Brand Contact Management presents an integrated strategic planning process (the integration of business, marketing, brand and contact communications strategies). Learning and the assessment thereof are thus fully integrated.

    The programme is highly practical in nature. Real life briefs are introduced to which vigorous integrated strategies are developed, executed and presented to integrated industry panels. The industry panels consisting of the Marketing/Brand Managers of the relevant brand as well as the agency strategists and creatives` working on the account/brand ensure that integrated assessment of student work is achieved. Real world assessment of students learning is furthermore enhanced with industry apprenticeships and the integrated assessment that is received from the industry apprenticeship mentors. The post-graduate programme relies heavily on internal and external integrated assessment and performance feedback to students. 

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The focus of the post-graduate programme is on Brand Contact Management. International thinking on brands and branding is therefore closely tracked. The programme methodology shows similarities with the theories practiced by Tom Duncan at the University of Colorado (brand contact methodology) and the work of Professor Kevin Keller on Brand Building in the USA. We certainly believe and ensure that our post graduate offering is internationally competitive.

    The integrated strategic planning process orientation of the post-graduate programme (as opposed to the learning by subject methodology practiced by universities), is to our knowledge unique to Vega. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    Articulation possibilities with Honours programmes (Communications and Marketing), currently delivered by universities do exist. The post-graduate programme in Brand Contact Management is however career-focused and also highly practical in its application. In our opinion articulation possibilities with MBA programmes that are Brand and Marketing focused thus also exist. 

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    The focus, content, structure and practical orientation of the post-graduate programme in Brand Contact Management is moderated yearly by key members of the Vega Advisory Council (Sean McCoy - New Business Development Manager: KSDP, Arabang Makaza - Media Director: Inroads, David Blyth - MD: Toolbox and Bruce McDonald - Head of Executive Training: Graduate School of Business Cape Town).

    Examination papers are moderated by industry professionals such as Dr Thomas Oosthuizen from O2 Communications and all real world strategic proposals developed by the post graduate students are moderated by integrated industry assessment panels. 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2009; 2012; 2015. 

    NOTES 
    This qualification replaces qualification 24515, "Post-Graduate Diploma: Brand Contact Management", Level 7, 128 credits. 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    When qualifications are replaced, some (but not all) of their learning programmes are moved to the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replaced qualification.
     
    NONE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.