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History Branding: Using History to Strengthen Corporate Identity

Learn to strategically use your company’s history in your marketing plan to reinforce your branding and connect with customers.

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History Branding: Using History to Strengthen Corporate Identity

  • 3 weeks

  • 4 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

Understand how companies use history as an integral part of their branding

Companies are showing an increasing interest in their history and using it in their marketing to reinforce their corporate identity.

On this three-week course, you’ll learn the main ideas behind history branding and how to implement them in your own strategies.

You’ll understand why companies are valuing the knowledge of their history and connections to their cultural heritage, particularly when it comes to their marketing plan.

You’ll learn to identify different categories of history usage to help you understand the ideas of history branding.

From this, you’ll discover how business history and cultural heritage interlink and can be used in marketing strategies.

You’ll also examine how companies have handled any skeletons in the closet, and the appropriate responses to take to help with brand reputation.

Learn from the experts at Luleå University of Technology

Guided by the specialists at Luleå University of Technology, you’ll explore real-life examples of how companies have written history.

Examining Swedish and international companies and how they work with their history, you’ll gain valuable insights into history branding and marketing to understand how to use it in your own practices.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 10 seconds History. Why should we talk about history when our companies are so focused on the future? Did you know that understanding your company or organizational history may actually help you to deal with the future? It can help to strengthen your trademark and identity. It can also help you in dealing with change and managing risk. The past and the future are two sides of the same coin. Luleå University of Technology is offering the course history branding using history to strengthen corporate identity. The course is offered online. It includes articles, videos, assignments and discussions related to working with history in your authentic or imagined organization.

Skip to 0 minutes and 57 seconds Learn from our senior lecturer Per-Olof Grönberg who has extensive research and teaching experience in both history and economic history. He will guide you through the different applications of and approaches to history branding. And how to deal with the skeletons in the closet. Join History Branding now and learn how to use history to strengthen your corporate identity.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Introduction to history branding

    • Course introduction

      This activity introduces you to the course and what you will learn. You will meet your course teacher Per-Olof Grönberg. You will also have the opportunity to present yourself to other learners. Let's start!

    • The use of history

      This activity introduces the history branding concept and discusses if history branding is important. We will also introduce the seven category typology of the use of history, by the Swedish historian Klas-Göran Karlsson.

    • Different kinds of use of history

      This section introduces each one of Karlsson's seven categories of history use.

    • End of Week 1

      We have now come to the end of Week 1. Before we summarise the first week of the course we'll continue the course assignment.

  • Week 2

    Why history branding is used

    • Introduction to Week 2

      Welcome to the second week of History branding. Let's start with a short introduction to what we will speak about during week two.

    • Corporate use of history

      Companies and organizations use history branding, but it is also increasingly common among municipalities, regions, and countries.

    • Why history branding?

      There is a need to know history to understand how companies and organisations function and their culture. How they emerged and developed.

    • Skeletons in the closet

      This activity introduces you to so-called skeletons in the closet, i.e. dark episodes in the company or organisational history, and how to handle them.

    • End of Week 2

      Well done! You have now finished the second week of the course in History branding, and it is time to summarise.

  • Week 3

    Methods of history branding

    • Introduction to Week 3

      Welcome to the third and final week of the course History branding. During this week we will talk more about the methods of history branding and some examples of how different companies have applied these methods.

    • Methods of history branding

      There are different methods a company or organisation can use in their history branding. Here follow some examples of methods and how they are used.

    • Examples of methods of history branding

      This activity will teach you how companies and organisations like Volvo, Coca-Cola, and a Swedish municipality use the six history branding methods.

    • End of course

      Congratulations on your good work! Now it is time to summarise the course in history branding and do the final test to check what you have learned.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Identify different categories of history usage.
  • Explain the ideas behind history branding.
  • Explore the links between business history and cultural heritage.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of how different Swedish and foreign companies work with their history.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone interested in using history strategically.

It will suit you if you are interested in history branding and marketing, and how this can help elevate your organisation.

Who will you learn with?

I have taught and researched economic history and history at the Luleå University of Technology since 2015. I have experience from universities in Sweden, Norway, Belgium, and the United States.

Who developed the course?

Luleå University of Technology

The Luleå University of Technology mission is to shape the future through innovative education and ground-breaking research results. Located in the arctic region, the university creates global societal benefit.

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$39.99/month

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$109/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 10 May 2024

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

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