IED • Master’s in Brand Management

programme & course design • academic coordination • training • strategic planning

Designing and managing for 10+ years the IED Master’s programme

My multifaceted role at IED Master’s in Brand Management as the programme designer, academic coordinator and senior lecturer of the core modules was a remarkable 10+ years adventure.

IED – Istituto Europeo di Design is a private Design & Communication university with 8 campuses in Italy, 3 in Spain and 2 in Brazil. In 2008 the Master’s in Brand Management I designed was included in the IED course portfolio, becoming one of the first MA programmes in Italy – if not THE first – dedicated to the concept of “brand” within business strategies.

With an exceptional team of professionals, over that decade, we successfully delivered 10 editions of the Master’s in Brand Management, training approximately 150 aspiring brand professionals and supporting the placement of over 90% of our students in the job market. We promoted and realised 20+ events, conducted 30+ open lessons, and celebrated 10 graduation days. Additionally, we established 50+ partnerships with a diverse range of businesses and organisations directly or indirectly involved in the programme’s delivery.

N.B. To honour my non-disclosure agreement, I have omitted and hidden confidential information in this case study. All information in this case study is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of IED – Istituto Europeo di Design.

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Project duration

10+ years

Business goal

new Master’s programme

Industry

Education

Idea Analysis Market Scenario Concept Strategy Programme Overview Test & Deliverables Results & Impact Testimonials

Idea

At that time I was teaching at university while managing my own integrated communication agency, Queimada. My ongoing analysis of the communication and marketing industry, both in Italy and internationally, revealed that – since 2005 – the concept of “brand” had become a focal point, not only for the multinational companies, but for businesses of all sizes.

This paradigm shift was a relatively new development within the Italian context and my idea was to create a Master’s programme designed to equip professionals with up-to-date knowledge of the evolving communication and marketing landscape.

Analysis

The concept of a Master’s in Brand Management was the result of an extensive discovery stage that started in 2004 when I was preparing my start-up business plan, and culminated in 2007. My interest was in studying the relationship between the marketing sector and existing university programmes in order to understand if and how education was responding to the profound transformation of the business world driven by the fast paced technological innovation of those years.

My research was supported by a diverse range of analytical tools, such as:

Stakeholders and user interviews [iterate]
Service safaris [i.e. similar to mystery shopping] on some of the existing university programmes
University portfolio analysis
Contextual enquiries
Trends, targets & market analysis of the educational sector in Marketing related subjects
Trends, targets & market analysis of the marketing sector

The analysis findings supported my initial intuition and strongly influenced every aspect of my programme design.

Market Scenario

Since 2007 Italy had actively participated in the web 2.0 revolution, marked by the introduction of Italian versions of major social networking platforms [YouTube in May 2007; Facebook in May 2008; Twitter in January 2009; Linkedin in April 2010] and the proliferation of interactive solutions such as blogs and forums. The concurrent 2008 global financial crisis created an urgent need for a shift in corporate marketing and communication management, emphasising a strategic and integrated approach across various media.

The Italian business landscape, where advertising agencies mainly resembled graphic design studios and marketing areas were often merged with sales departments, became outdated. This led to an increase in competition and a necessity for a more effective and efficient support system for companies to maintain or gain their market positioning.

To address the challenges posed by this evolving landscape, the concept of “brand” gained prominence in Italy, representing a synthesis of the complex elements that businesses must manage and negotiate with the public in order to be successful in their market.

Concept

Between the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008, as a result of my professional experience and reflections, and supported by the in-depth analysis of the education and marketing context, I designed a strongly data-driven Master’s programme whose primary goal was to cultivate professionals capable of understanding and navigating the significant changes to the business landscape.

In the programme I incorporated the study of the new media tools available at that time and the skills to learn how to approach those that would be developed in the future. Drawing on my own experiences and lessons learned throughout my career in brand and marketing strategic planning, I also included: work methodology, industry analysis, strategy design, strategic planning, time and people management, work tools’ knowledge, processes organisation, content architecture and development, soft skills, useful theories, tricks and practicalities.

The Master’s programme I conceived was focused on the concept of “brand”, aiming for a strategic and integrated approach applicable to a variety of business aspects in a wide range of sectors.

Strategy

I was the module leader and lecturer for IED’s BA programme in Marketing and for their MA programme in Web Media Design. I reported directly to the Programme Director and our professional relationship was one of great cooperation. We shared the same vision regarding educational objectives and we often exchanged reflections on how to bring more innovation into the IED course portfolio.

During one of these interchanges of ideas, I mentioned the Master’s in Brand Management I had designed: they were captivated by the original idea and wanted to know more. I shared the programme presentation that contained:

a succinct overview of trends, targets, and market analysis findings
a strongly data-driven programme concept
details of the programme structure, including learning outcomes, teaching methods, and assessment criteria
clearly defined student entry requirements and career opportunities
a curated list of subjects and modules integral to the Master’s curriculum
the programme curriculum, completed with the calculation of credits for each module
a list of perspective business partners to involve in project work, teaching, events, field trips, and case studies

Using a design thinking process focused on iteration, I partially redesigned the Master’s programme in Brand Management each year. This iterative process involved:

analysing the Master’s in Brand Management output and results, including students and stakeholder interviews
identifying and engaging new business and technical partners for the Master’s final project works as well as scholarships, teaching, case studies, field trips, and events, reinforcing the programme’s role in creating strong ties between education and industry
updating MA module subjects to reflect industry dynamics, sector trends, and emerging tools
selecting and recruiting [or confirming] lecturer, defining their contents and coordinating their work
interviewing prospective student and supporting them during the admission process and beyond
defining themes and the concepts for two annual promotional events
renovating the final dissertation event programme
defining content and speakers for minor promotional events, such as special lessons, lectures, workshops, and open days
contributing to the definition of Masters’s in Brand Management scholarship and discount strategy and criteria

Programme Overview

I meticulously designed the Master’s programme in Brand Management to emphasise managerial skills, strategic planning, and business vision.

Learning outcome

The Master’s programme’s primary goal was to cultivate professionals capable of mastering a strategic brand plan. The objective was to equip participants, whether professionals, business owners, managers, or marketing and communication practitioners, with a profound understanding of the crucial role effective brand strategy plays in business success.

This comprehensive training was designed to provide tools and techniques for the attendees to contribute significantly to brand and market analysis. It also focused on planning and managing marketing and communication strategies for corporate and personal brands, as well as preparing participants to understand, evaluate and cultivate collaboration with operational professionals in the sector.

My Master’s design prioritised a practical, work-oriented approach, focusing on design thinking and strategic creativity while ensuring a solid foundation in theoretical concepts. The pragmatic approach stimulated the development of management skills and competence in the use of technical and communication tools. The curriculum included group projects, replicating the professional environment in the classroom, where all the skills that were gradually acquired in the various subjects were applied to develop strategic branding plans for real companies across various product sectors [the Master’s partners].

The final dissertation consisted, in fact, of an open-to-public business meeting where the “brand strategy teams” presented the strategic plan they created for the brand of their respective “clients”.

Teaching method & Assessment

To train professionals able to build and manage brands in any B2B and B2C context, the IED Master’s in Brand Management aimed at developing creativity oriented towards strategic development through:

lectures
meetings and direct discussion with professionals and industry experts
role-play and simulations
brainstorming sessions
individual and group exercises
case study analysis
event organisation
project work in partnership with actual businesses
field trips to companies, advertising agencies, media companies, and corporate museums

The assessment included a range of activities, such as examinations, case studies, reports, presentations, and group projects.

Entry Requirements & Career Opportunities

The Master’s programme was aimed at graduates in Humanities and Economics as well as at professionals who had previously gained experience in one or more of the disciplinary areas of the course.
It was designed to equip students with a comprehensive methodological system focused on conceiving and implementing strategic activities related to branding.

The emphasis on a practical, work-oriented approach created a diverse range of career opportunities for candidates. Graduates were well-prepared for roles such as Brand Manager, Strategic Planner, Account Manager, and more traditional positions in Marketing, Communication and HR areas. Candidates could also leverage their skills in specialised areas, pursuing roles like Event Manager, Media Planner, Social Media Manager, or opportunities in freelance and consultancy. The programme was equally beneficial for entrepreneurs seeking a deep understanding of brand communication dynamics.

In my role as the programme leader – supported by Vincenzo Bernabei, Master’s co-coordinator –, I was responsible for managing every aspect of the Master’s programme: annual module design and updates; core modules teaching [including teaching materials]; lecturer selection and recruiting; prospective student interviews and admissions; mentoring, pastoral support, dissertation supervision; creation and promotion of the learning experience; business partnership generation; students’ job placement coordination.

Test

For the inaugural edition of the MA programme, despite my reservations, IED insisted on an Italian title – “Master in Gestione Strategica del Brand” – in line with the rest of their portfolio. However, this approach proved ineffective as brand management was more widely recognised in Italy through English terminology. Consequently, a few months post-launch, the qualification was renamed, replacing the title with its English equivalent, “Brand Management”.

I based the course design process on iteration and the design thinking method. After each edition of the course, the results of modules and activities were rigorously compared with data, trends, and market dynamics. Subsequently, the programme was restructured based on these insights, treating each edition as a valuable test for continuous improvement.

Deliverables

Market analysis and Master’s programme design report
Ongoing academic coordination and programme design, including lecturer selection and recruiting
Interviews with perspective students and admissions,
Ongoing teaching, mentoring, pastoral support, dissertation supervision
Teaching material creation
Business partnership generation
Advertising campaign [photoshoots included]
Dedicated website and blog [web architecture and SEO copywriting included]
Launch and promotion of each Master’s programme edition, including events’ organisation, management, and participation, as well as open lessons, presentations and speech design and delivery

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Biscottificio Antonio Mattei - field trip

Results & Impact

IED – Istituto Europeo di Design, a private university focused on Design & Communication, operates in 8 campuses in Italy, 3 in Spain, and 2 in Brazil. Initially engaged as the module leader and lecturer for their BA and MA programmes in Marketing, I seized the opportunity to present my carefully developed programme for a Master’s in Brand Management which I designed, proposing that they consider its inclusion in their course portfolio. Recognising the proposal’s value and innovation, IED entrusted me with turning this vision into reality.

Beginning in the academic year 2009/2010, the Master’s in Brand Management that I designed was integrated into IED’s course portfolio, becoming one of the first – if not THE first – MA programmes in Italy dedicated to the concept of “brand” within business strategies.

For over a decade my multifaceted role at the IED Master’s in Brand Management, working as the programme designer, academic coordinator, and core module lecturer, was an extraordinary adventure.

Over the course of those 10 years, I worked with the amazing team of the IED Master’s in Brand Management:

• designing and delivering 10 successful editions

• training about 150 aspiring brand professionals

• helping position over 90% of them on the job market

• organising 20+ events, 30+ open lessons, 10 graduation days

• creating 50+ partnerships with a diverse range of businesses and organisations

I miss that team and all my students and I’m still in touch with most of them: for me, this was an immensely fulfilling experience in every aspect.

N.B. The IED Master’s in Brand Management still exists, although its approach and programme has changed.

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Testimonials

Here are the testimonials of some of my Master’s students from different editions of the course, featured in the 2018 IED Master’s in Brand Management brochure.

Communication and branding are part of our daily life. And perhaps that is precisely why this world fascinates me. The Master’s gave me the skills to manage and coordinate projects at 360° and be ready and curious to face new market challenges.

Giorgia MariniHDRA Digital Account

The IED Master’s experience was a useful in-depth study for the development of communication consistent with the brand identity and an indispensable strategic approach in the management of social media.

Daniela CanuSocial Media Manager KiRweb

The incessant production of information seduces and disorientates us. Finding your own professional and personal path in this dimension is the essence. The Master’s helped me find my way. Media Consultant in Zurich for Red Bull, Kellog’s, Philips and Sponsoring Manager at Loacker. A path that today has led me to be an Entrepreneur and Manager at my accommodation facility.

Alex DemetzEntrepreneur Etruska Apartments

Attending the Master’s in Brand Management gave me the opportunity to acquire the “tools of the trade”, to interact with brand professionals, to come into contact with “real” customers while working on my thesis for the Master’s and, finally, to work first as a Marketing Assistant at Gambero Rosso and for three years as Marketing Manager at an agency with more than 40 employees, specialising in web marketing, such as Emmemedia.

Enrica La PalombaraMarketing Manager & Digital Strategist Emmemedia

The world of social media is now fundamental in the communication of a brand. Finding the most effective way to convey a message and engage users is a daily challenge. The Master’s allowed me to better face the working reality, bringing me immediately into contact with international companies such as Havas, where I currently deal with the social communication of Italian and international brands such as TIM, Ferrarelle, Corona, Beck’s, Leffe and Invicta.

Luca ScardulloSocial Media Manager Havas

In a competitive market like the current one, strategic brand management represents one of the most important assets, given its function of guidance and orientation for the consumer in every purchasing process. The Master’s provided me with the essential tools to identify the right branding strategies, necessary to accompany each company in achieving its strategic objectives.

Beatrice LongariniKey Account & Brand Manager - Aurelio Latella Advisory, Consulting Company

Thanks to IED I entered an internship at Zenith; today, five years later, I am Digital Media Planner in this large and important international group.

Riccardo SpagnaDigital Media Planner Zenith Media - Publicis Groupe