online course • included in the membership
create and test your brand strategy
Get a firm grip on a notoriously vague and complex topic. Develop your brand strategy and learn how to test it with your audiences, all at your own pace.
why TAKE OUR COURSE?
Do you have an idea/product/service for change that you want to get into the hands, hearts and heads of as many people as possible?
Are you overwhelmed by the jargon of brand strategy?
Do you want an inside look at a brand case study from strategy research to testing?
Are you excited to develop and test a strategy for your own brand?
Do you lack the budget to work with professional brand agencies?
Do you want to work at your own pace, whenever you have time?
…then this course is perfect for you.
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?
How will you get people on board with your idea, product or service for change?
Brand strategy is the #1 topic that most learners struggle with, and that’s no wonder: it’s a vague and complex topic. We unpack the concept and help you to create a powerful brand strategy on a page for your product or service.
The course consists of seven modules with videos, reading materials and assignments.
We take you through the strategic process, guided by a fictional social enterprise example: a coding school on a mission. We follow the process and take a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most common problems and how you can solve them.
We host this course on our active community platform, where all our alumni and certified trainers gather, and where we host monthly community hangouts to learn other brand-related skills. You can reach out with questions on the community platform any time, or in our bi-weekly live events, and pick up inspiration from what others are building too.
Scroll down to the FAQs for more information.
Format
Online course with video and written content.
Price
The course is included in our membership, which costs $30 per month.
Time commitment
Each of the seven modules requires:
10–35 minutes to watch videos
30–60 minutes to read materials
12–24 hours of assignments
certificate
Participants will receive a certificate of completion upon submitting their coursework.
what’s in the course?
create and test your brand strategy course content
Module 1 – Getting started
We help you familiarize yourself with the course, set you up for success, and help you set up your brand workspace.
Module 2 – Understanding brand strategy
We unpack what brand and brand strategy actually is (minus the jargon) and how you can leverage it for your cause.
Module 3 – Crafting your brand strategy
Define the WHY (purpose), WHO (audience and personas), WHAT (proposition), and HOW (positioning) of your brand, and pull it together on a one-page brand strategy.
Module 4 – Imagining the brand
Let’s bring the strategy to life. We imagine what your brand could look and sound like, and how others will experience it, in order to get your audience on board.
Module 5 – Creating your brand prototype
To test your brand, we need something to test with. We create a quick prototype of your brand in practical media that we can put in front of your audience.
Module 6 – Prototyping
You will use our test scripts for qualitative and quantitative research to test your brand with your audience.
Module 7 – What’s next?
We will look at how you can use the outcome to adjust your brand strategy, and what to do next.
What People Are Saying
I just love Anne’s training. This course is clear, understandable and super fun. It is the perfect link between business strategy and marketing and was an absolute game-changer for me.
The bridge to the real world by testing your strategy within the course makes the outcome so valuable (many branding courses miss that!). Every second of the course is worth the money.
— Katharina Weigert, Germany/Austria, solo entrepreneur and coach for classical musicians
learning outcomes
By the end of the course, when you complete all the modules and assignments, you will have a firm grip on the concept of brand strategy. And a good understanding of the process to build it.
You will have created your very own:
Brand strategy: your brand WHY, WHO, WHAT, and HOW on one page.
Brand prototype: your brand story, mood board, and website wireframe.
User feedback: results from testing your brand messaging on people.
Competitor benchmark: an analysis of similar products or services out there.
Brand framework: all the important elements captured on the Brand Thinking Canvas
Who’s it for?
This online course is created for three types of learners.
(Co) Founders
You want to understand brand better and how you can use it to make your venture a success, in a (cost) effective way.
Consultants and creatives
You want to ‘up’ your strategy knowledge and brand-thinking skills. Guide your clients and execute your projects with more confidence.
Solo Entrepreneurs
You want to understand how to create a credible and authentic (personal) brand that establishes you as an expert so you can land dream clients.
MEET your coach
This online course is created by Anne Miltenburg, a Dutch brand developer with 18 years’ experience in the brand world.
She worked as a designer, strategist and creative director at world-renowned agencies like Interbrand and teaches at universities such as the Design Academy in Eindhoven and HongIk University in Seoul.
Anne has made it her life’s mission to open up world-class knowledge on building brands to advance social justice and environmental action. She created the Brand Thinking Canvas (2014), crowdfunded the Branding Toolkit for Changemakers (2015), and went on to publish the iconic Brand The Change guidebook (2018, BIS).
In this course, Anne unpacks the process and tools she uses in her own practice as a brand director for changemaking brands.
start creating your strategy
Jump into the Create and Test Your Brand Strategy course. Plus – browse our entire library of tools and case studies, join bi-weekly live events, and lots more.
FAQ
HOW IS THE COURSE DIFFERENT FROM THE BOOK?
Whereas the book covers the entire brand-building process, offering 23 tools and examples from dozens of brands, this course zooms in much deeper into strategy. It includes creating a brand strategy on a page, prototyping and testing, which are not featured in the book –all while using one brand to go step by step through the process, so you see how it all comes together.
DO I NEED THE BOOK TO TAKE THE COURSE?
The short answer is no. However, the book will come in handy as a reference throughout the course, particularly when you get to the topics of brand identity and interactions.
can i get access to the single course without the membership?
Sorry, the course is only available through the membership.
if i cancel my membership, will I still have access to the content of the course?
If you cancel your membership, you won’t have access to the course platform. However, the toolkit and case studies are available as downloads, and you can save any content that you value on your own device for your own future personal use.
HOW MUCH TIME DO I NEED TO COMPLETE THE COURSE?
The exact time will depend on the stage of your business and how fast you pick up the concepts. Each module consists of 10–35-minute videos and 30–60 minutes’ worth of reading material. For the assignments, you should reserve 12–24 hours per module.
DO I GET A CERTIFICATE AT THE END OF THE COURSE?
Yes. Participants who complete the course can request a certificate of completion.
CAN I CANCEL?
You can cancel your subscription to the membership at any time during the month. Read how to do this here. You will keep access till the last day of the month you paid for. The subscription will not renew.
CAN I GET A REFUND?
We do not give refunds on monthly plans. If you purchased an annual plan, you can cancel within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.
i forgot to cancel my membership and I got charged. CAN I GET A REFUND?
Sure thing! We can refund the last payment if you notify us by email within 7 days of the renewal. Message hello@brandthechange.org with your name and the email address you use for your account and we’ll get it done asap.
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A CREDIT CARD?
We offer manual payments for the membership through online banking and MPESA (in Kenya). Please send a request to hello@brandthechange.org, with your billing address: company name, address, country, and VAT/PIN number.
CAN I PAY IN INSTALlMENTS?
Sorry, we can’t accept payment in installments.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
We’d love to hear from you. Email: hello@brandthechange.org
We usually reply within one working day.