Traditionally, ‘branding’ referred primarily to an organisation’s visual identity and image. As the field has evolved, so have branding expectations. Today, branding means more than just an organisation’s logo or slogan; it means ‘experience’, and applies not only to consumers but even to the people working in an organisation. This fairly new line of thinking is being adopted by companies worldwide, and now is a great time for branding and communications professionals to rethink their approach.

The course, 'Brand Management: Aligning Business, Brand and Behaviour' is a great place to build the foundations of this new branding principle. The course is designed for beginners and explains how brands are not only an external promise to customers but a means of executing business strategy via internal brand-led behaviour and culture change. The course is taught by Professor Nader Tavassoli of London Business School and is offered on the online learning platform, Coursera. There are 5 modules in this course, each addressing key stages in an organisation’s branding journey.

Module 01

Brand Purpose & Experience

The introductory module begins with descriptions of how branding has traditionally been understood, presents updated views on how changing market conditions are reshaping the field, and argues in favour of why a new approach is needed. While the lecture content includes videos and readings that delve into branding theory, learners also gain valuable insights from industry practitioners such as Bethany Koby, director of Technology Will Save Us, and David Kershaw, CEO of M&C Saatchi. The module also offers optional readings, short quizzes and peer-reviewed assignments that put learned material into practice.

Videos: 8

Readings: 3

Assignments: 1

Peer reviews: 1

Module 02

Brand Design & Delivery

The second module delves into concepts that make brands stand out. The videos delve into how memorable brand experiences form the basis for true differentiation. The module examines the process of designing brand experiences that go beyond products and services, and explores how pricing itself can become a signature part of the brand experience. The guest lecturers in this module are Huib van Bockel, an independent consultant and author, and Professor Bernd H. Schmitt of Columbia Business School.

Videos: 13

Readings: 1

Assignments: 1

Peer reviews: 1

Module 03

Brand Leadership and Alignment

This module teaches how to align business, brand, and behaviour (3Bs) to create a unified branding strategy. The module features multiple global leaders in branding and marketing, such as Ije Nwokorie, CEO of Wolff Olins, Helen Casey and Henk Viljoen of Old Mutual, and Keith Weed, CMO of Unilever, who discuss business, brand and behaviour alignment in practice. The module also consists of optional reading materials that explore specific topics in further detail, like brand portfolio management and 3B alignment in a global perspective.

Videos: 13

Readings: 1

Assignments: 1

Peer reviews: 1

Module 04

Brand Practices & Engagement

The fourth module teaches learners about internal brand practices and inspires them to examine how good practices can shape a company’s culture and employee engagement. The module also introduces some common best practices in organisations today for aligning human resources with brand values, and for more advanced learning, it offers a model for involving employees in the brand journey. Learners will also become familiar with the 'Six A's of Brand Engagement' and the ‘ABCs of Behaviour Change’. The guest speakers for this module are Helen Edwards of Passionbrand, Richard Hytner of Saatchi & Saatchi, and Tanya Truman and Nik Alleboh of Lush.

Videos: 15

Readings: 1

Assignments: 1

Peer reviews: 1

Module 05

Brand Metrics & Returns

The final module of the course teaches how to measure the true value that a brand creates. The module explains how and why brand valuation is not necessarily the same as the value delivered, and outlines how a strategic, cross-functional brand dashboard can be designed. Learners are taught how to assess brand health from both internal and customer perspectives, and are given clear explanations of customer-based and employee-based brand equity. The guest speaker in this module is David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, who offers a practical view of brand measurement in action.

Videos: 10

Readings: 1

Assignments: 1

Peer reviews: 1

Course Overview

Platform: Coursera

Duration: 2 weeks

Difficulty: Beginner

Flexibility: Self-paced