Brand Management Essentials (Fall Cohort)

Review the Platform & Introduce Yourself

Before the course begins, spend some time reviewing the course platform. You should know: where to access the weekly lessons, activities, and complete the pre-work discussion prompt.

Get to know your peers by sharing where you’re based, what industry you work in, and what your most common challenges are with brand management. What are you most looking forward to in the course?

Introduction & Setting the Stage

During this live session, join your instructor and peers to discuss how the course will run and set expectations. 

• Instructor Intro/Welcome & Meet Your Peers
• Cvent Walkthrough (AMA moderator)
• What are you looking to get out of the course? What expectations can we set for each other and the live sessions?

Please note that all Live Session classes are listed in Central Time Zone.

Brand Management 101

You will learn tips to handle the basic blocking and tackling of running a brand. We will start with an overview of the brand planning process, and then discuss the various responsibilities that fall under brand management.

If you’ve ever wondered if you are properly covering all the right areas in your role and practicing complete brand management, then these lessons are for you.

Lessons covered:

• Strategic Brand Planning
• Brand Manager Responsibilities
• Brand Management Expectations

Cross-Functional Partnership

One key challenge of brand management is that you have to direct a wide array of cross-functional peers, but none of them actually report to you. So, how do you get anything done? In week 2 we will cover each key organizational function and learn how to work best with each key stakeholder. You’ll also get tips and a framework to help you reach out and work better with your peers.

Lessons covered:

• Organizational Roles and Tensions
• Cross-Collaboration Tips

During this live session, join your instructor and peers to discuss the content and activities covered in the first two weeks. Come prepared with questions and to discuss your progress on the first two assignments.

• Open Q&A regarding the first two lessons: what questions do you still have?
  • Brand Management 101
  • Cross Functional Partnership
• Ask for volunteers to share any progress or challenges they have from the recommended activities. How can the group provide support? 
• What are your indicated actions regarding priorities and collaboration?

Please note that all Live Session classes are listed in Central Time Zone.

Brand Positioning

You will learn the skills needed to write a clear and effective brand positioning statement – an essential tool that enables breakthrough communications and sets up innovation for success. You’ll leave with a clear framework you can implement right away, or use it to improve your current toolset.

Lessons covered:

• Elements of Brand Positioning
• Positioning Statements
• Brand Positioning Template

Evaluation Criteria

Because positioning is such an essential element of a successful strategy, we will spend some additional time in week 4 diving deeper into success criteria for positioning. You’ll learn how to tell if your positioning is ready for implementation and, if not, how to improve it to make it even stronger.

Lessons covered:

• Criteria for successful positioning
• Positioning audit

During this live session, join your instructor and peers to discuss the content and activities covered in the last two weeks. Come prepared with questions and to discuss your progress on the first two assignments.

• Open Q&A regarding the first two lessons: what questions do you still have?
  • Brand Positioning
  • Evaluation Criteria
• Ask for volunteers to share any progress or challenges they have from the recommended activities. How can the group provide support?
• Live positioning statement review and instructor feedback

Please note that all Live Session classes are listed in Central Time Zone.

Brand Finance

Brand managers are often accountable for the financial health of the business. But what does that actually mean? In week 5 you will learn how to read and create P&L statements, how to calculate key brand financial metrics, and learn the levers you can pull to unlock financial growth.

Lessons covered:

• Profit & Loss
• Revenue Growth
• Financial Challenges

Advertising Value & Measurement

In our final week, you will learn how brands determine the effectiveness of advertising, how to calculate ROI and ROAS, and apply your new financial skills using a fun case study example.

Lessons covered:

• Advertising Value
• ROI vs. ROAS
• Advertising Metrics

Wrap Up & Final Review

During this live session, join your instructor and peers to discuss the content and activities covered in the final two weeks and bring closure to the course. Come prepared with questions and to discuss your biggest takeaways from the course.

• Recap the recent lessons: what questions do you still have?
  • Brand Finance
  • Advertising Value & Measurement
• Ask for volunteers to share any progress or challenges they have from the recommended activities. How can the group provide support?
• Live finance activity answer review & feedback
• Wrap Up –
  • What are your biggest takeaways from the course?
  • What can you do next to continue practicing and learning about brand management?

Please note that all Live Session classes are listed in Central Time Zone.