Here's what people are saying about Brand Strategy Academy
Jody Frost
Brand Strategist
"Firstly thank you, I love your approach, it's been a game changer for me. After years as a strategist, I have really found my stride and am making huge progress for myself and my company. Hands down the best money I've ever spent. I've recommended you to every relevant person I know and will continue to do so."
Andrew Hope
Creative Director
"Sarah - off the back of your Brand Strategy Academy course I did, and continue to use, we just won our biggest rebranding project in our 14 year business history. Many thanks for all the great stuff you taught me and continue to do so! "
Nasheela Khan
Graphic Designer
"I have taken 5 other brand strategy courses and this is the first time I feel like I actually get it! I love how you laid everything out so clearly, including the weekly plan. It is all so straightforward and easy to follow. I feel so much more confident now in trying to help clients with brand strategy. Highly recommend!"
Andrea Boughton
Creative Director
"As a creative looking to be more strategic, Sarah's Brand Strategy Academy course ticked all the boxes. It was brilliant! I loved that it gave me all the practical tools to do brand strategy and is really clear, cutting through all the jargon. She brings a really personal touch too, answering questions in her weekly Q&A sessions. It’s been a huge confidence booster and comes highly recommended by me."
Sarah Kloosman
Owner NU Creative Ltd
"This course was brilliant for me. Not only does Sarah take the time to really explain why the process is important but she then equips you with that very process in such a way that you can take it and run with it straight away.
No fuss, no anxiety, just simple implementation. It has been invaluable to me and my agency."
Mohammad Alshanawani
Brand Specialist
“This course brings true clarity and grounding to a subject that is often clouded with fluff. I have done more learning in this course than in my career experience so far.
It helped me evaluate and re-think the work I see from other strategists."
Franzi Scheithauer
Brand Specialist & Designer
"Sarah’s course is valuable for every level of expertise. I attended brand strategy courses and workshops before but found Sarah’s step by step approach the most practical and most inspiring yet. I gained more clarity and focus which will help improve my approach to brand strategy projects enormously. It's been brilliant. No doubt, Sarah’s course will remain an important reference guide for years to come."
Paul Lewis
Brand Strategist, Wordsmith, Marketer
"Sarah's course is full of clear and practical advice when it comes to things like proposal writing, pricing, running workshops and presenting plans. It gives you both the big picture and the little details you need to feel confident about landing and managing clients.
Plus, it's remarkably good value!"
Megan Rose Douglas
Brand Copywriter
"Brand Strategy Academy is a great investment for anyone whose day job involves helping brands to get clear on what they do and who they are.
It's reinforced a lot of what I already knew and has filled in those gaps in knowledge (and confidence) that were making me doubt my process. Thanks Sarah!"
Ange Friesen
Copywriter
"The course is amazing! The most comprehensive look at what it actually means to put together a brand strategy that I've come across (and I've seen lots)."
Emily Penny
Copywriter
"Brand Strategy Academy is the gold standard in brand strategy courses because it goes beyond the superficial buzzwords and digs into the practicalities of *actually doing it✊*."
Nic Simpson
Copywriter
"Hi Sarah, I'm a couple of modules into your course and I just wanted to drop you a line to say how flipping brilliant it is. I've done a couple of brand strat courses in the last couple of years, building on the practical work I do with clients. But I'll be honest and say I haven't found one that's really hit the mark - either not enough detail or so cerebral that there's no practical application. So thankyou, thankyou, thankyou."
Matthew McCoy
Director Brand, Design, Experience
"Loving your course!
You make it so straight-forward and logical.
Perfect."
Matthew Beck
Brand Manager
"Sarah has an amazing ability to explain brand strategy in a simple, easy to understand way. By simplifying the complex world of brand, I am better able to communicate with my clients about brand development and why certain steps in the process are needed."
By the end of
Brand Strategy Academy, you'll know…
- What a brand strategy is and how it’s key to unlocking higher margins, greater market share, customer and employee engagement, marketing, AND innovation.
- How to create a world-class brand strategy for ANY business, using a SIMPLE, jargon-free model derived from my +20 years experience, with specific guidance on how to tailor the process - whether you're working with a global multinational or a start-up.
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How to run and analyse the research, workshops and audits you need to make sure your brand strategy is RIGHT - with every detail covered in practical 'plug-and-play' helpsheets, so you can implement these with confidence.
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How to engage and guide business leaders and employees through the brand strategy process, so they feel a deep sense of ownership in the outcome.
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How to write a brand diagnosis and a world-class brand strategy, with easy to fill-in formats, a real-world practice case study and over 40 inspiring examples from the world's most valuable brands.
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How to price, run and schedule a brand strategy project, and how to write a brand strategy proposal.
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How to guide your client through brand strategy implementation: what they need to do for the 12 months after a brand strategy is in place.
Ellie Nuss
Creative Strategist
"I decided to undertake Brand Strategy Academy because even though I had a lot of experience working on major rebrand and strategic projects from the creative angle and felt that I ‘knew’ how to tackle brand strategy, I realised that I didn’t have the confidence that I was tackling it in the best way possible.
The course has given me so much more than I expected in terms of:
- Feeling real confidence and clarity in the process I am following
- Great statistics and case studies that I’ve been able to reference in client presentations
- Very usable and detailed guidance for every aspect of the process which has been hugely time saving
- Access to an incredible wealth of experience to help tackle specific issues you might be facing
- Growing my network of people in the brand sphere for potential future projects
I admittedly debated whether or not it was ‘worth’ doing, and I couldn’t have made a better investment in my own professional future."
Join Now!
I donate 10% of all my course sales to Mind.
What’s inside
Brand Strategy Academy
MODULE 1
The Fundamentals
Module 1 is all about setting the foundations. By the end of this module you’ll understand what a brand is, what brand strategy is, what branding is, and how all of this connects to market share and business growth.
You may think this is obvious... but is it, really? Can you confidently and clearly explain it to a client? Do you have the stats at hand to show them how brand strategy impacts business growth, customer and employee engagement, and innovation? You will after this module.
Lesson 2 in this module is all about the framework. The 4 brand strategy questions EVERY world-class brand answers.
Forget brand vision, mission, purpose, values, promise, positioning, beliefs, personality, credos, maxims and all the other language that may have bamboozled you (and your clients) up to this point.
Once you understand these fundamentals, and the order to address them, then the hazy world of brands and branding suddenly becomes crystal clear!
Module Highlights:
- Simple and clear answers to: What is a brand? What is brand strategy? What is branding? Why do you need brand strategy? What's the value of brand strategy to a business?
- A simple, proven Brand Strategy Framework that works for ANY client in any industry
- PDF Helpsheet that recaps all the fundamentals taught in the video lessons
MODULE 2
The Roadmap
So now it’s time to roll your sleeves up and get into the detail.
This module helps you understand EXACTLY how to run a brand strategy project.
From the big picture – the 3 lenses you HAVE to look through – to weekly project checklists, I’ve got you covered.
And if you’re wondering how to cost a brand strategy project, then wonder no more. It’s all in here.
I also walk you through a case study from one of my global clients so you can see how you get from the start point of a project, right through to the end. AND there's a bonus video and help sheet on how to adapt the process when you're working with start-ups.
It shows you how all the insights weave together to get you the answers to your 4 brand strategy questions, and how this results in a happy, fully engaged client, who uses your brand strategy as a springboard for change.
Module Highlights:
- The 3 lenses you have to look through to create a successful brand strategy
- How to cost a brand strategy project
- Case Study so you can see the whole picture
- THREE PDF Helpsheets: Detailed 8 week project plan and weekly checklist; How to write a brand strategy proposal; How to adapt the process for start-ups.
MODULE 3
Customer Insight
This module is all about how to do customer research to get the insights you need to inform your brand strategy in the most efficient way possible.
There are many, many ways you can do research, but my goal here is to share with you only what you need.
Two simple ways that are proven to work - that I’ve used successfully on clients large and small, across a multitude of industries.
So you can skill-up, run it for your client, and move swiftly and successfully through their brand strategy project.
If you’ve ever felt daunted by customer research – worry no more. This module will equip you with the confidence and ability to run brand strategy research for your client - and even enjoy it!
Module Highlights:
- HOW you do Customer Research, and WHO you need to do it with
- Exactly what to ask in the research
- How to analyse the research
- THREE PDF Helpsheets: Customer Interview Questions; Customer Online Survey; How To Analyse The Customer Research
MODULE 4
Competitor Insight
Module 4 dives into the second critical piece of insight gathering - the competitors.
A successful brand strategy is relevant, authentic and sufficiently differentiated - I explain what I mean by this first!
Then you'll learn what you need to find out in your competitor research and the quickest way to find it. (I've done HUNDREDS of competitor audits, so let me speed them up for you!)
I also give you guidance on how to think about 'competitors' more broadly. Sometimes, the competition is not who you think it is...
Module Highlights:
- How you do Competitor Research, how long you should set aside to do it, and where to find the information
- PDF Helpsheet, including your Competitor Research Template
MODULE 5
Company Insight
The first lesson in this module introduces the three different ways to get company insight.
We also walk through the preparation you - and your client - need to do beforehand, to make sure you get the most from whichever option you choose.
There is a detailed lesson on running my Brand Strategy Workshop, with an overview of each activity and tips on how to get the most from the session.
If you've ever felt a bit nervous to run a workshop for a client, or not known the right questions to ask clients about brand strategy, then worry no more! It's all in here.
Module Highlights:
- Three different ways to engage the business in the brand strategy
- PDF Interview Guide - including specific sections for interviewing leadership, and specific questions for Start-Up Founders/Teams
- PDF Workshop Guide - a scripted, timed, detailed guide, including pre-workshop requests, and a preparation checklist
MODULE 6
Writing the Brand Strategy
I shouldn’t have favourites – but this is the module that gets me most excited for you.
It’s where all the hard work from the insight modules pays off, and you get to write the brand strategy.
I break each piece of the strategy framework down in these lessons, and give you tips and heaps of examples on how to write each part. I tell you what's flexible, what needs to stay fixed, and help you with my 'So What' ladder to get to the most powerful articulations.
I also share with you the 3 categories almost all 'purpose' statements sit under - from my study of 181 of the world's most valuable brands.
Module Highlights:
- Exactly how to write your brand strategy
- A clear and simple framework for you to complete
- A 27 page PDF Helpsheet with over 30 examples from the world's most valuable brands to inspire you. Including Apple, Nike, Microsoft, Dell, Facebook, You Tube, BMW, Coca-Cola, IKEA, Starbucks, Walt Disney, Intel, Samsung, TESLA, Google, GE, Accenture, McDonald's, IBM, NETFLIX, Cisco, Airbnb
- PRACTICE CASE STUDY! I'm so excited to be able to offer you this - it's truly unique to this course. A full set of research from one of my kind clients for you to practice writing a brand strategy from. AND a video of me presenting my recommended strategy from the exact same research to the clients so you can see how I brought it all together.
Plus All These Bonuses!
BONUS 1
EXTRA MODULE! Implementing The Strategy - $149 Value
A 12 month implementation plan and insight on what your client needs to do next once a brand strategy is in place.
What You Get:
This bonus module walks you through how to approach the 12 months after a brand strategy has been identified. It includes a sample 12 Month Brand Strategy Implementation Plan from one of my client projects and covers:
- The #1 mistake most companies make when rolling out a brand strategy.
- The 2 variables that influence any rollout plan.
- The 3 Workstreams that need to occur simultaneously, and the stages within them.
BONUS 2
Advanced Masterclasses, References and Resources - $499 Value
Oh my - this section alone is worth the course price!
Masterclasses on topics like Brand Naming from Rob Meyerson; Demystifying Brand Architecure, from LB Vogl; How to Embed Purpose and Values from Jeff Melnyk; Which Awards to Enter and Why, Stef Brown. I engage the right global experts to add to these masterclasses all time.
Plus my little black book of resources: books, people, articles and insight sources to help you further your brand strategy journey.
What You Get:
- Masterclasses with world class experts on advanced brand strategy topics to keep your brand strategy growth going!
- A PDF of further resources and references to help you continue your brand strategy journey.
BONUS 3
21 weeks a year of live support and membership of our Brand Strategy Academy Community - $395 Value
Get your questions answered by me to help you maintain your momentum through the modules, support you when you start to sell it to clients, and connect with an amazing group of alumni and others going through the course.
What You Get:
- 21 weeks of Live Q&A with me
- Membership of a great group of talented alumni (over 200 to date), who support each other and ask some really great questions we all continue to learn from.
When you enroll you get:
BRAND STRATEGY ACADEMY + BONUSES
A total value of $1997 - at least!
But you can enrol today for a 'freelancer-friendly' price of just $497!
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Crystal clear answers to: What is a brand? What is brand strategy? What is branding? Why do you need brand strategy? What's the value of brand strategy to a business?
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A simple, proven Brand Strategy Framework that works for ANY client in any industry
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All the questions you need to ask and all the analysis frameworks you need to gather the insights that identify what's the right strategy for your client
- My Brand Strategy Workshop plan - all scripted out for you. Just plug and play!
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An 8 week, step-by-step, Brand Strategy Project plan and checklist
- Lifetime access to the course, so you can take it at your own pace and get any updates or additions for free
- Over 30 Brand Strategy examples from the world's most valuable brands
- Client case studies - global, small business and start-ups
- Access to 21 weeks a year of Q&A with me
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The confidence and clarity you need to add Brand Strategy to your skillset, elevating your offer, your client relationships, and your impact.
Join Now!
I donate 10% of all my course sales to Mind.
Why am I the right person to teach you this?
I've been a brand strategist for over 20 years, in the world's leading branding agencies in London, New York and San Francisco, and working independently on more than 70+ brand strategy projects, for clients such as:
The process I teach you WORKS. Here's what my clients say:
Rachel Fairley
Global Vice President, Brand Marketing at Hewlett Packard Enterprise
"Sarah has been my go-to brand strategist for years. Whether at a tech start-up, or a multinational Fortune 100 company, Sarah's approach was easily understood and implemented by all.
She brought clarity to our brand, helping us find the springboard for our next phase of growth."
Thomas Kochs, MD
Corinthia London
"I have known Sarah for almost 10 years and we've worked together on 3 different projects.
For every single one her work was transformational. Sarah’s ability to guide and advise so competently is phenomenal.
The positive impact and effect the implementation of her work has had on the businesses is huge."
Bryony Simpson
Founder, WePioneer
"Sarah is a true master in defining brands, creating strategies built on depth of insight, that give companies their platform for growth.
She takes founders and business owners on the journey with her, helping them to understand the process and the power of building a differentiated brand."
Why should I take this course with you vs. other ones I've seen?
I've been put off doing brand strategy for clients because I know you need to do research. Does this course teach me how to do this?
Brand strategy has always looked very complicated - intimidating even. Doesn't it take years and 150 lessons to learn?
How is the course taught?
Why do you talk about being world-class?
What if I can't get follow the modules week by week?
I've been a brand strategist for a while - is this course for someone like me?
You haven't really answered my questions...
Byron Freney
Chief Strategy Officer at milk+honey
"Sarah does a wonderful job explaining the importance and advantages of developing a brand strategy, and then walks us through a process of getting it done. Her approach resonates with me because it strips away a bunch of the nonsense that’s often associated with brand strategy process and deliverables. Brand strategy development is hard work that has, over the years and in the hands of agencies with high overheads, been made harder than it needs to be. With a warm smile, loads of encouragement and a lot of practical, documented advice, Sarah tears down the edifice and the artifice."
Paul Lubitz
CEO, Holly Yashi
"As our company's founder I found the course so good that I bought it for 4 of my subordinates. By the end of it we felt like we got 10x more from it than we put into it. We seriously got to the core of who we are in a way we'd never gotten to before. (And we've spent 10's of thousands of dollars on brand studies previously)."
Ali Stegeman
Brand Strategist
"As a practicing global brand strategist myself it might seem strange that I decided to do Sarah's course! I can report back that it was a very good decision! As well as validating all I've learnt over the years, it has equipped me with even more proof that investing in getting your brand strategy right is paramount to business success.
Sarah's brand strategy experience is second to none and her personable, jargon-free and clear way of putting it across is so refreshing. The templates and project plans she has put together makes it even easier to structure a project and to plan next steps, her recommendations on tailoring research approaches and the variety of recent industry examples add value and save time and her reading list brings up-to-date and on-going inspiration.
Great value for money."
Rana El Zein
Marketing & Sales Consultant
"As a marketer, I needed to have an understanding of brand, what it entails, and how I can use my learnings to advance my career.
Sarah is a brand strategy guru. She crafted and curated the course in a way that guides you not only to have a core understanding of the concept of a brand, its importance, and how getting it right can put your business on the right trajectory to grow and flourish, but also, a one that provides you with helpful sheets and handouts which set you up for success!"
Anaheeta Dhawan
Brand Strategist
"Sarah’s passion for branding is inspiring. She has presented the material in a very organised and well thought out manner that makes the concepts easy to grasp.
This is a must for anyone interested in branding and building brands for both novices and experienced branding professionals. A simple, straightforward and sensible process which gets to the heart of brand strategy without complicated terminology and other distractions!"
Robert Hollier
Consulting Director & Partner
"Sarah’s course helped us achieve a number of goals with our expanding consulting team – improving everyone’s awareness of brand strategy and equipping us with a set of very practical tools and techniques that we can put to immediate use.
The team really valued the clarity of Sarah’s approach and her training style, the clarity of communication and the simplicity and usability of the models. So thank you!"
I donate 10% of all my course sales to Mind.
Plus, You'll Be Backed by a Risk-Free 30-Day Guarantee
I've had no money back requests on this course, but this doesn't mean it's right for absolutely everyone.
The last thing I want are people regretting signing up because they don't feel it's right for them. I'm here to help you, not to burden you.
So, if you've gone through the first 4 modules and you don't feel confident that this course will equip you to offer brand strategy to your clients, then simply reach out, show me you've put in the work and I'll refund your investment.
I can’t wait for you to join Brand Strategy Academy
Creating brand strategies for my clients has been fascinating and rewarding on so many levels - both in terms of the impact I have and the revenue I earn.
I want the same for you.
I want to help you elevate your business and career by sharing my 20 years experience, tools and processes working on, and studying, the world’s biggest and best brands.
Brand strategy has been made unnecessarily complicated and it puts people off learning how to do it. I break down these barriers with this course, and show you that there is a simple approach, that anyone can learn, that works for any business.
You don’t need 3 years of study, 150 video lessons or a $2500 degree course – you just need these 7 Modules to be able to confidently add ‘Brand Strategist’ to your resume. I’d love you to take this risk-free opportunity to invest in your professional development.
You can do it now, do it right, and take your skills to the next level.
I look forward to meeting you inside Brand Strategy Academy.
All best wishes,
By the end of
Brand Strategy Academy,
you'll know…
- What a brand strategy is and how it’s key to unlocking higher margins, greater market share, customer and employee engagement, marketing, AND innovation.
- How to create a world-class brand strategy for ANY business, using a SIMPLE, jargon-free model derived from my +20 years experience, with specific guidance on how to tailor the process - whether you're working with a global multinational or a start-up.
- How to run and analyse the research, workshops and audits you need to make sure your brand strategy is RIGHT - with every detail covered in practical 'plug-and-play' helpsheets, so you can implement these with confidence.
- How to engage and guide business leaders and employees through the brand strategy process, so they feel a deep sense of ownership in the outcome.
- How to write a brand diagnosis and a world-class brand strategy, with easy to fill-in formats, a real-world practice case study and over 40 inspiring examples from the world's most valuable brands.
- How to price, run and schedule a brand strategy project, and how to write a brand strategy proposal.
- How to guide your client through brand strategy implementation: what they need to do for the 12 months after a brand strategy is in place.
I donate 10% of all my course sales to Mind.
Still thinking about it?
You should give Brand Strategy Academy a 30-day risk-free shot if you're motivated by any of the following:
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You want to be an expert in brands, not just an expert in executing them. It's time you were valued for, and paid for, your ideas.
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You want to have an impact across the whole organisation - to operate at C-Suite level and understand how brand informs business.
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You’ve had enough of working into the night on a multitude of small, low-revenue, transactional projects. You want to attract the bigger clients, with the bigger budgets, who value your strategic skills and the impact you can have on their business.
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You want to offer something to clients that helps you stand apart from your competitors.
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You feel like you've hit a plateau and want to grow your brand strategy skills.
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