Syllabus

• Week 1

  How brands work

  • Welcome on board

    The journey starts here. Let’s start by critically exploring the role brands play in our everyday lives. Try to stand back from yourself and look at the brands all around you, then reflect on and analyse what you see.

  • Defining brand

    We’ll interrogate the notion of ‘brand’ by hearing from different perspectives. As you watch and read, think about things that the various ideas have in common, and about differences or even contradictions.

  • How brands make an impact

    We’ll analyse how brand can help organisations make money and do good. Reflect on the way brands influence how you think, feel and act. And critically assess our model of how brands make their impact.

• Week 2

  How brands are managed

  • The branding industry

    We’ll explore the players and shape of the branding industry. Consider the forces for change in this industry – and in particular the growing power of the consumer. Think how the people you meet this week approach the issues.

  • The changing world of brand management

    Here we focus on the discipline of brand management – and how it's changing. Think about the word 'management': is it too mechanistic a label?

  • Managing multiple brands

    Few brands operate in isolation. We’ll explore the whole complicated topic of brand architecture: managing multiple brands. When two brands are seen working together, consider what happens to the meaning of each.

• Week 3

  How brands get defined

  • How brands begin

    In the first of two creative weeks, we take a look at the origins of some great brands. Consider the role of these founding stories in constructing the meaning of the brands today.

  • Brand projects

    We look at exactly how a brand project in a company gets started. We then look at the people involved, and the kinds of plan they work to. How far should plans be tightly defined, how far should they be loose and open-ended?

  • Defining a brand

    We’ll analyse the different models that companies use to help define their brands, and propose a model, the three Ps. Think about how you'd assess the different models, and how you'd decide which is most useful.

• Week 4

  How brands get designed

  • Great brand design

    In the second of two creative weeks, we focus on design, why it matters, and what makes the greatest great. Consider the various meanings of 'design', from surface decoration to deep thinking about purpose and function.

  • The four dimensions of brand design

    We’ll analyse the many ways in which design creates a powerful brand identity. How complete is our model? Are there other dimensions you'd add? Which dimensions make most impact?

  • The fluid processes that lead to great brand design

    We try to pin down the elusive methods by which design happens – and you get a chance to do some brand design work of your own. How far is it possible to construct a model to explain the creative process?

• Week 5

  How brands drive organisations

  • Brand-led

    As we start to analyse how businesses use brand, we’ll look at the idea of a ‘brand-led business’ – and at the alternatives. Think critically about this concept: how many organisations really are brand-led?

  • The four quadrants

    We’ll explore the tool that Wolff Olins uses to help clients translate their brand idea into action, right across the business. This tool was designed originally for v4 brands: how well does it capture the realities of a v5 brand?

  • Brand, innovation and change

    We’ll find out in depth how companies use brand to help innovate, and to help adapt to change. Think critically about the advantages - and limitations - of using brand to guide the actions of employees.

• Week 6

  Where brands are going next

  • The future of brands

    As we start to assess the future of branding, we’ll find out why the brands of the last few years are different, and how they work. Think about this critically: is it too soon to form a theory about these very recent developments?

  • Your personal brand

    We’ll explore your own brand, and help you plan for your future life in branding. Consider how well our approach to branding businesses applies to branding individual people.

  • The journey continues

    This is the only the beginning. We’ll explore many ways to pursue your fascination for brands. As we reach the end of this journey, think about why branding is so fascinating to so many.

Who will you learn with?