Mats Urde

I am an associate professor in strategic brand management with the key concepts of identity, communication, and reputation. My research, teaching, and work as an advisor contribute to brand orientated leadership. In brand orientation, the organization’s processes revolve around the creation, development, and protection of brand identity in an on-going interaction with customers and non-customer stakeholders. The aim is to achieve lasting competitive advantages in the form of brands with a strong reputation. Brand orientation was the subject of my Ph.D. thesis and a colleague and I have pioneered this new (identity-driven) paradigm that has developed into a synergistic strategic option to market orientation (image-driven). In essence, brand orientation is a strategic corporate view on brands as competitive advantages and resources, which need to be balanced with the paradigm of market orientation.

My research is largely based on longitudinal (over time) case studies (bridging theory and practice) of corporations and organizations. Examples of my case studies are Volvo, DuPont, Nestlé, the Swedish Monarchy, and the Nobel Prize Foundation. Among the key concepts, I have been part of developing are core values, brand track record, brand mindsets, and the corporate brand. I have pioneered and contributed to new research fields and international research groups on corporate brand management, brand heritage, brand rhetoric, and brand orientation.

In the international research community, I served as an editor for two leading brand management journals, and I have been a guest editor for a special issue on brand orientation. When I am invited to review journal manuscripts, it is often based on my track record within the management of brands and clinical field research experience.

At LUSEM, I am head and co-founder of the research group “Lund Brand Management Group”, the aim of which is ”To develop useful tools and theories for the application in practice of managing brands, and to forward the academic field of strategic brand management.”

I am a strong proponent of the case method. Much of my work at LUSEM focuses on building and contributing to the case-teaching and learning culture. I a co-founder of Lund University Case Academy and LUSEM Case Academy. As head of our case training program and as a coach of the Lund student team at international case competitions, I see first-hand the potential of this method and its impact on research, teaching, and learning. The international Case Centre awarded me Outstanding Case Teacher in 2021.

As a teacher, I am head of the master’s degree courses “Strategic Brand Management” and “Corporate Brand Management and Reputation” (case-based course). I am deeply honored to have been voted The Teacher of the Year (2013) and to have received The Lund University Pedagogical Teaching Award (2015).

I see the importance of bridging theory and practice in my research, teaching, and my work as an advisor. I am part of faculty in executive programs and I have 25 years of experience as an independent brand strategy advisor for companies and non-profits, including work with Volvo, Ericsson, Scania, Akzo Nobel, IKEA, and The Swedish National Symphony Orchestra. I have been a member of the Electrolux Brand Award Committee for 10 years.

To conclude, my work as a researcher, teacher, and advisor is about pioneering, building, and applying strategic brand management theory. I strive to bridge theory and practice by using real‐life examples and case studies. In my spare time, I enjoy Icelandic horse riding, kayaking, and sailing.