Professor of Practice Management and Organizations, Ross School of Business
Personal Branding: Stand Out and Succeed
What You'll Learn
- Articulate the components of a strong brand
- Define your values
- Develop your personal brand story
4 Modules
8 Hours
2 hrs per module (approx.)
Rating
About Personal Branding: Stand Out and Succeed
In Personal Branding: Stand Out and Succeed, you’ll explore how the branding strategies used by top-brands can inform your own personal brand, one that’s authentically you. Define what a brand is, and explore the overlap between branded products and personal branding in this 4-week course. You’ll reflect on your core values, and translate them into an elevator pitch, brand imagery, and brand story. Taught by world-class faculty from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, this course provides a foundational understanding of how to create and refine your brand to help you achieve your personal and professional goals, regardless of where you are in your career.
Skills You'll Gain
- Analytical Thinking
- Brand Identity
- Brand Management
- Communication Strategies
- Personal Branding
- Storytelling
What You'll Earn
- Certificate of Completion:
- Certificates of completion acknowledge knowledge acquired upon completion of a non-credit course or program.
Welcome Message
Welcome to Personal Branding: Stand Out and Succeed. This course will guide you through understanding and crafting your unique personal brand, including reflection exercises, quizzes, and creative projects. You’ll explore role models, core values, and brand storytelling, culminating in designing your personal brand logo and story. Build confidence, clarity, and visibility for your professional journey.
This abbreviated syllabus description was created with the help of AI tools and reviewed by staff. The full syllabus is available to those who enroll in the course.
Course Schedule
Module 1: Introduction to Brands
- Video: Welcome to the Course
- Reading: Personal Branding: Stand Out and Succeed Syllabus
- Reading: Optional Resources
- Reading: Help Us Learn About You!
- Video: Introduction to Week 1
- Video: Activity: Personal Goals
- Discussion Prompt: Activity: Personal Goals
- Video: What is a Brand?
- Video: History of Brand
- Video: What are Brand Effects?
- Video: Activity: Breaking Down Your Favorite Brand
- Discussion Prompt: Activity: Breaking Down Your Favorite Brand
- Video: Debrief: Breaking Down Your Favorite Brand
- Video: Which Brand is Better?
- Video: Our Brand Pyramid Framework
- Video: Brand Ideology
- App Item: Activity: Using the Brand Pyramid
- Video: Debrief: Using the Brand Pyramid
- Video: The RED Framework
- Video: Activity: Analyzing Your Favorite Brand
- App Item: Activity: Analyzing Your Favorite Brand
- Video: Debrief: Analyzing Your Favorite Brand
- Video: Week 1 Coffee Chat
- Graded: Week 1 Quiz
Module 2: People as Brands
- Video: Introduction to Week 2
- Video: Activity: Role Model Reflection
- App Item: Activity: Role Model Reflection
- Discussion Prompt: Role Model Share-Out
- Video: People as Brands
- Video: Activity: Perceiving Others
- App Item: Activity: Perceiving Others
- Video: Debrief: Perceiving Others
- Video: The Facets of a Personal Brand
- Video: Introduction to the Case Studies
- Video: Case Study: Beyonce
- Video: Case Study: Gandhi
- Video: Case Study: Steve Jobs
- Video: Case Study: Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Video: Case Study: Lionel Messi
- Video: Case Study: JFK
- Video: Case Study: Malala
- Video: Activity: Analyze Your Role Model with the RED Framework
- App Item: Activity: Analyze Your Role Model with the RED Framework
- Video: Debrief: Analyze Your Role Model Using the RED Framework
- Video: Real Life Example of a Strong Brand: Zingerman's
- Video: Activity: Analyzing the Zingerman's Brand
- Discussion Prompt: Activity: Analyzing the Zingerman's Brand
- Video: Week 2 Coffee Chat
- Graded: Week 2 Quiz
Module 3: You as a Brand
- Video: Introduction to Week 3
- Video: Values as the Foundation of Your Brand
- Video: Activity: Sanger Value Sort
- Reading: Activity: Sanger Value Sort
- Video: Reflected Best Self
- Reading: Activity: Reflected Best Self
- Video: Activity: Examples of Your Best Self
- App Item: Activity: Examples of Your Best Self
- Video: Cheri's Best Self
- Reading: Knowing Yourself
- Video: Knowing Yourself
- Video: What is a Story?
- Video: Activity: What Makes You Distinctive?
- App Item: Activity: What Makes You Distinctive?
- Video: Week 3 Coffee Chat
- Graded: Week 3 Quiz
Module 4: Reinventing & Retuning
- Video: Introduction to Week 4
- Video: Cheri's Personal Brand Drawing
- Video: Marcus' Personal Brand Collage
- Video: Activity: Designing Your Brand Logo
- Video: Marcus' Personal Brand
- Video: Activity: Creating Your Brand Story
- App Item: Activity: Creating Your Brand Story
- Video: Living Your Brand
- Video: Week 4 Coffee Chat
- Reading: Post Course Survey
- Graded: Activity: Designing Your Brand Logo
- Graded: Week 4 Quiz
Grading Policy
To pass this course, learners must complete all graded assignments and achieve an overall grade of 80% or higher. Participation in videos and readings is tracked but not graded. There are four quizzes worth 20% each and a Gamut Gallery Activity worth 20%.
Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing, Ross School of Business
Course content developed by U-M faculty and managed by the university. Faculty titles and affiliations are updated periodically.
Beginner Level
No prior experience required
Course Video
What Learners Are Saying
Emotional campaigns work harder in the long run because emotions are tied to our behavior. This requires moving beyond product and thinking more about how we resonate with the hearts and minds of people.
Marcus Collins Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Michigan Ross School of Business
