Introduction to Branding & Marketing

In our increasingly digitized world, we are bombarded by ads every day and presented with an immeasurable amount of content across all media platforms. It has become increasingly difficult for brands to break through the noise and capture the attention of their intended audience. In this course, students learn what it takes to build an effective brand that can authentically connect with consumers and create long-term brand equity.

The course starts with introducing what a brand is and goes on to explore how different branding elements, such as visual identity, advertising strategy, and content marketing, as well as the intangible elements of the customer journey, come together to create a unique brand experience.

By applying marketing theories, interviewing experts, and analyzing modern case studies, students develop and strengthen their competencies as brand strategists. Students also examine how responding to important ethical, social, and environmental issues can impact the brand’s success. The course culminates in a final project where students collaborate to design an impactful brand campaign for a mission-driven company, organization, or initiative.

Access the summer course outline here.

Students in GOA courses will need reliable access to a computer with webcam/microphone connections, an email address (preferably school-based), a Web-conferencing app (GOA courses use Zoom), and a Word processing app (GOA courses use Google’s G Suite). When necessary, alternative arrangements may be made. Some courses require additional materials which can be found here.

UC-approved course

View Course Outline