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If you’re a designer, go beyond making it look pretty — learn how to develop brand strategy from the ground up with my list of top strategy courses.
If you're a consultant who is onboarding a new client and you don’t take the time to understand the business behind it, the target audience, the appropriate tone of voice and messaging, then you're just doing disservice to your client.
Similarly if you're an entrepreneur who dismiss brand strategy and jumps straight into logo & brand identity design, then will most likely end up confused, not even mentioning potential business failure.
What is the goal of brand strategy?
The goal of brand strategy is to focus all your visual, verbal and conceptual thinking on design solutions that will help you client achieve your business and marketing objectives.
That's why you need to get clarity on key aspects of branding in order to be able to make decisions that are “on brand”.
Here's my list of the top 16 best courses to learn brand strategy online (developed by top brand strategists).
PS. Also check out my list of other resources on brand strategy (books, podcasts, blogs etc.)
Brand strategy is basically bridging the gap between the business and design
Brand strategy is the foundation for building a strong brand.
Your goal as a brand strategist is to go above and beyond just making your brand look pretty — you need to make it work.
Developing brand strategy will help you learn as much about the business as possible, so that you can propose the best possible creative solutions.
But if you don't go into your project with some sort of a strategy, you will most likely get a lot of push back from your client.
And you and your clients will be very subjective, saying something like: "I don't like blue" — then it becomes a very difficult conversation.
So when you don't do the strategy it becomes very subjective and more of an art critique.
That's why business solutions that have both rationale and creative parts at their core are essential to differentiating you and your work from the pack.
So without further ado — let's look at some of the best brand strategy courses available online.
I humbly feature my own brand strategy course as the first best branding course on my list.
This course teaches you the best techniques I have learned in the past 20 years of branding.
My Brand Strategy Kit offers a comprehensive guide to mastering brand strategy and advancing your career with practical tools I use daily with my clients at Ebaqdesign.
Cost: $199 | Length: 2 hours 45 min | By: Arek Dvonerchuck
This kit includes an 89-page guidebook, 13 video tutorials, and fillable worksheets that you can customize for your agency.
It has step-by-step guidance for both in-person and remote workshops, along with a facilitator's script and presentation templates.
You also get access to a Book of Prompts for AI chatbots like ChatGPT, that can help you with your branding.
I highly recommend this course for logo designers, studio owners, freelancers, brand strategists, creative directors, entrepreneurs, marketers, web designers, and students.
Check out this video tutorial on youtube, which is a preview of me running one of the branding exercises.
If you're looking for a brand strategy course with expert knowledge, the Brand Strategy Kit is the perfect choice for you.
Simon Sinek is the author of the bestselling book Start With Why and the more practical version Find Your Why — a written version of his online course.
A practical guide for discovering purpose for you and your team.
This course is designed to help you find words to express what truly inspires you.
Cost: $250 | Length: 2 hours minimum | By Simon Sinek
Simon’s course is based on the concept of Golden Circle which he explains is grounded in the biology of human decision making.
This easy-to-follow guide starts with discovering your personal WHY, and then expands to articulating your organization's WHY.
So whether you're a CEO or a team, these simple steps will lead you on a path to a more fulfilling life and long-term success for you and your brand.
Over 16,000 people have become students of this course.
This online course costs only $250 and contains short and actionable videos together with worksheets to help you implement what you learn right away.
I strongly recommend this course for all CEO’s and teams who either start a new business/brand or go through a rebrand process.
PS. I based the Brand Purpose exercise of my Strategy Guide on the Simon’s concept of Golden Circle.
Donald Miller is a New York Times bestselling author and CEO of StoryBrand and he has helped over 10,000 businesses clarify their message.
An online course to help you create a clear message that works.
In this course, he’ll help you clarify your company’s message so customers pay attention and respond.
Cost: $275 | Length: 28 Videos, 20 hours | By Donald Miller
Donald's course is based on his proprietary storytelling framework described in more detail in his books StoryBrand and the most recent Marketing Made Simple.
His 7-step messaging framework goes like this:
“A character who wants something encounters a problem before they can get it. At the peak of their despair, a guide steps into their lives gives them a plan, and calls them to action. That action helps them avoid failure and ends in a success.”
Although this is not a typical brand strategy course but a messaging framework, it’s worth mentioning because messaging is a big part of developing a sound brand strategy.
You will learn how to use words to tell a compelling brand story and position your brand as a guide and solution to your customer's problems and pain points.
In this course, you’ll get access to a free online tool (worksheets) that guides you through the implementation process step-by-step.
I highly recommend this course for anyone working on website copy, email sequences and sales letters.
PS. I based my Storytelling Guide on the Donald’s StoryBrand framework.
IDEO is an award-winning global design company that created IDEO U (University) to teach the methods and mindsets they have been practicing for decades.
A human-centered, design thinking approach to help organizations innovate and grow.
In this course, you’ll learn a process that will help you create and take action on a strategy for your business, team, or organization.
Cost: $799 | Length: 4 hours / week, 5 weeks | By IDEO U
The lessons in the IDEO’s brand strategy course are designed to challenge assumptions and provoke new ways of working.
You’ll learn from esteemed practitioners who apply these methods every day in their own work.
By combining rigor and creativity, you can both analyze the world as it is and imagine how it could be better.
You’ll follow repeatable steps that are both human-centered and business-focused.
The course is mainly addressed to business owners to help them with choosing what to do and what not to do.
However, also as a creative you can benefit from this course — it will teach you the process IDEO goes through with their clients, so you can use it in your creative practice.
Scott Galloway is an entrepreneur, author, and renowned NYU Professor of Marketing who is known for his course called "The Brand Strategy Sprint".
An intensive learning experience to help you understand the strategies that drive a brand’s value.
In this course you will learn everything from how to improve a firm’s value proposition to how to outmaneuver the competition.
Cost: $83 per month | Length: 2 weeks | By Scott Galloway.
The Brand Strategy Sprint is a two week intensive workshop done completely online.
You learn frameworks and step-by-step techniques to put this knowledge into practice.
The course focuses around 8 winning strategies of the most innovative and valuable firms in the world (case studies).
Most importantly you will learn by doing, with discussion groups, active Slack discussions, prompts, and opportunities to collaborate with peers.
What makes it different from other courses listed above is that this one (similarly to Donald’s $995 option) is an interactive learning experience.
The classes are designed for mid-to-senior level professionals working full-time, whether it be CEO’s and leaders, or creative professionals.
What’s unique — you’ll also get access to private Slack community with 200+ fellow professionals and community of 1000+ from companies like Walmart, Allstate, Bain, Everlane, Macy’s, Google, Vanguard, and more.
Mark Pollard is the CEO at Mighty Jungle and an author of this beginner level course on Skillshare.
A beginners course to building brands the strategic way.
In this short (and cheap) course you will learn the absolute basics of how to create a brand that can stand the test of time.
Cost: $32/m | Length: 1.5hours | By: Mark Pollard
This brand strategy course is probably the most basic and definitely the cheapest option from my list.
Mark breaks down every brand into three categories:
Next he presents you with frameworks to understand how brands can develop and thrive within each category.
You’ll be able to download a worksheet to follow along and learn how to develop a single-page brand strategy.
Whether you’re a creative who wants to level up, or a business owner / entrepreneur this class will help you understand the fundamentals of brand building.
Alejandro Pascalis is a well-known brand strategist with over 10 years of experience and “Introduction to Brand Strategy” is his best-selling course.
A course that equips you with the tools to create comprehensive branding strategies.
This is a great brand strategy course for graphic designers, entrepreneurs, and anyone keen on mastering brand strategy, even if you don’t have any previous experience.
Cost: $59.99 | Length: 2 hours 45 min | By: Alejandro Pascalis
It highlights the importance of understanding brand perception, user experience, and key brand elements like symbols and names.
Pascalis focuses on users and brands, showing how strategic solutions benefit both.
You'll also gain hands-on experience through practical exercises like creating a brand name, designing a logo, and defining brand identity contact points in it.
By the end of this program, you will be proficient in crafting well-thought-out value propositions.
Overall, Introduction to Brand Strategy is a great course for you if you want to create effective branding strategies that add significant value to your clients.
James Eccleston is an experienced Brand and UX Specialist, and he shares practical branding strategies for digital platforms in the "Brand Strategy for Online Platforms” course.
A great program that will help you master the art of developing a professional brand concept.
This brand strategy course is specifically designed for designers and design students who want to enhance their online branding skills.
Cost: $59.99 | Length: 2 hours 11 min | By: James Eccleston
The training covers various aspects of branding, including brand elements, online interpretation, and creating core values.
It provides insights into creating effective branding strategies for digital platforms.
There's also a practical section where you'll apply James’s methodology to develop a professional online brand concept and implement it in webpage design.
However, you need to have a basic understanding of graphic design and branding theory, along with proficiency in design software like Sketch, Adobe Illustrator, or Photoshop to fully benefit from this course.
If you are looking for practical insights and hands-on experience to enhance your branding skills, then the Brand Strategy for Online Platforms is a great course for you.
John Williamson is a seasoned Designer and Creative Director and his course “Brand Strategy: Defining User Experience” shares his insights for creating engaging brands.
John Williamson’s course covering practical and user-focused theory.
This brand strategy course is designed for individuals interested in crafting compelling brands and exploring essential principles of brand strategy to establish strong brand identities.
Cost: $59.99 | Length: 2 hours 52 min | By: John Williamson
This course provides a thorough exploration of branding basics for effective strategy execution.
You will learn how to create an illustrated brand strategy using the seven steps of the Brand User Experience guide.
Participants will also acquire valuable insights into crafting successful brands by the end of this course.
A great thing about this course is that you don't need any previous experience in branding strategy to get enrolled.
Whether you are a designer or work in marketing, communications, or branding, Brand Strategy: Defining User Experience is a great course that will equip you with the essential skills for brand enhancement.
Thiago Delfino is a brand Strategy Specialist and his course “Client-Centered Brand Strategy” covers how to develop a strategy that creates real bonds with customers.
A course that teach you to understand consumers and develop strategies that build real relationships with brands.
Participants of this brand strategy course will learn to craft brand strategies from scratch by analyzing characteristics, identifying target audiences, and resolving brand-related challenges.
Cost: $59.99 | Length: 1 hour 12 min | By: Thiago Delfino
This program is ideal for individuals who are interested in understanding and interpreting people to improve business positioning.
The course has 14 lessons covering topics including brand strategy foundations, analyzing brands, and understanding consumers.
In addition to that, you also have the opportunity to learn from a brand strategist who has significantly contributed to the growth of major companies like Apple, Nike, and Coca-Cola.
You don’t need any previous education or experience to get enrolled in this course.
Client-Centered Brand Strategy is a great pick if you want advice from a brand strategy expert with a proven track record, whether you're new or experienced.
Marty Neumeier is also known as the grandfather of branding and his workshop Level C aims to elevate branding in the C-Suite also known as (CEO, CBO, CDO).
A great course for anyone seeking to advance their career in branding and marketing.
The brand strategy course provides a comprehensive understanding of brand strategy, equipping participants with the tools needed to succeed in today's competitive market.
Cost: $2250 | Length: 2 days | By: Marty Neumeier
Additionally, the workshop is hands-on and in-person, allowing attendees to gain practical experience in modern brand-building techniques.
Participants of this program have the chance to network with industry leaders and peers, building valuable connections.
They also receive a certification upon completing the course, which can greatly boost their branding career.
Many graduates of this masterclass have used this credential and leveled up into roles like Global Director of Marketing, Head of Brand, Head of Strategy, etc.
If you are someone who prefers to learn branding in a classroom environment and want to gain a valid certificate upon completion, Level C is a great program for you.
Chekitan Dev is a professor at Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration and his course Brand Strategy focuses on optimizing brand strategy approaches in the market.
A great course that equips participants with clear strategies to capitalize on market positioning.
This is an ideal program for marketers, brand managers, PR and communications professionals, business leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs.
Cost: $999 | Length: 2 weeks| By: Chekitan Dev
Professor Chekitan Dev's course employs Porter’s Five Forces model to pinpoint brand opportunities and threats
During the course, participants complete a Z-SWOT Matrix to align brand strengths and weaknesses with market opportunities and threats.
The course provides you with globally recognized credentials that will help you to further enhance your career opportunities.
Additionally, participants of the course get to develop strategies to activate a brand they are familiar with.
So, if you are looking to gain practical brand strategy skills with internationally recognized credentials, Brand Strategy is the ideal program for you.
Don't get fooled by Brand Master Academy by Stephen Houraghan—I bought this course from the recommendation of Jacob Cass.
An overpriced course that doesn't provide any practical knowledge (and rebranded from Udemy).
Jacob essentially teamed up with Stephen to take his $9.99 Udemy course and rebrand it to make money off of unaware designers.
In this course, Stephen just paraphrases industry books, but the content is very chaotic and the author is all over the place (just check reviews on Udemy).
They just essentially teamed up to make money off of unaware designers—Jacob makes money as an affiliate, and Stephen profits from his large following.
When I complained about the course quality and asked for a refund, Jacob defamed me in the community and started spreading false narrative that I stole from Stephen.
Jacob is such a liar and a hypocrite that he even featured in his article my own proprietary framework (not Stephens) and he uses a version of my framework with his clients (and not Stephen's).
Also pay attention to the shady marketing tactics they use, e.g. the free social proof plugin that shows fake sales to make you feel like people buy this course—don't get fooled!
Cornell University offers a comprehensive online brand strategy course through their eCornell platform, designed to help professionals optimize their brand's market approach.
Cost: $999 | Length: 2 weeks | By: Chekitan Dev, Singapore Tourism Distinguished Professor
This course stands out for its structured approach to brand strategy analysis and implementation.
Led by Professor Chekitan Dev from Cornell's Nolan School of Hotel Administration, the program focuses on practical frameworks and tools that professionals can immediately apply to real-world scenarios.
The course requires 3-5 hours of work per week and is delivered in a 100% online, instructor-led format.
This makes it ideal for busy professionals who need flexibility while still wanting structured guidance.
Harvard's Division of Continuing Education offers an intensive brand strategy course focused on brand revitalization in today's complex business environment, particularly addressing modern challenges like social activism and fragmented media landscapes.
Cost: $3,100 | Length: 2 consecutive days | By: Tessa Misiaszek & Matt Johnson
This high-level program stands out for its focus on contemporary brand challenges, particularly how brands can stay relevant in an era where consumers (especially Millennials and Gen Z) expect brands to take stands on social issues.
The course is taught by two distinguished instructors: Tessa Misiaszek, Head of Research at Korn Ferry Institute, and Matt Johnson, PhD, a cognitive psychology expert from Princeton University.
The course is delivered in an intensive on-campus format at Harvard University, combining case discussions, interactive exercises, and real-world scenario planning.
What sets this program apart is its strong emphasis on the social context of modern branding, particularly how brands must evolve to meet changing consumer expectations around social responsibility.
The program's unique value lies in its contemporary focus and prestigious delivery.
Rather than just covering traditional brand strategy, it specifically addresses how brands can maintain relevance in an increasingly complex social and media environment.
Participants receive a Certificate of Completion from Harvard University's Division of Continuing Education, adding valuable credentials to their professional profile.
Future London Academy offers a strategic product design course led by Cal Thompson, VP of Product Design & Research at Headspace, focused on aligning design with business strategy.
Cost: £1,190 ($1,499) | Length: 5 hours self-paced | By: Cal Thompson
This course stands out for its practical focus on translating design vision into business impact.
Led by a senior practitioner from Headspace with experience at Fjord/Accenture, it bridges the gap between design thinking and strategic decision-making.
The course is delivered in 5 chapters of video content with accompanying exercises.
While shorter than some other options, it's intensively focused on practical application, including case studies from Headspace and Fjord.
The program's unique value lies in its focus on the intersection of design and business strategy.
Rather than covering brand strategy broadly, it specifically addresses how designers can shape product roadmaps, measure impact, and influence stakeholders.
While not a traditional brand strategy course, its strategic approach to product design makes it valuable for brand professionals working in digital products.
Price: $697 | Format: On-demand video course | Length: ~5 hours core + 8 hours advanced
Sarah Robb—known as Brand Strategy Sarah—brings over 20 years of experience leading strategy at top agencies like Landor, working with global brands including EY, Pepsi, Oracle, and Diageo.
Her course offers a complete roadmap to help creatives confidently do and sell brand strategy, packed with client-tested frameworks, templates, and insights from real-world projects.
Designers, copywriters, and marketers who want a practical, step-by-step system for delivering and selling brand strategy to clients.
It’s especially valuable for freelancers and small studios looking to upgrade from design-only work to full strategic branding services.
I just released my new app—an AI-powered brand strategy assistant.
The tools is voice-enabled so that you can have a conversation with the A.I. like if you were talking to a real brand consultant.
The A.I. will walk you through my framework, suggest ideas, and once you approve them—it will fill out the slides for you!
Check out my quick demo video on YouTube to see how it works.
A few voices who speak from experience and firsthand knowledge are infinitely more valuable than a multitude of voices that speak from theory and opinion.
This list features the most reputable and comprehensive brand strategy courses available online.
While neither theory nor opinion are bad in themselves, rarely do I find voices of value from sources that haven’t been where I want to be.
That’s why on my list you will only find courses of authors that speak from true experience.
Please enjoy this collection of brand strategy courses and, more importantly — no matter which one you choose, implement it right away.
Remember, knowing and not doing is the same as not knowing.
You need to make the mistakes, risk looking foolish, and invest in yourself and your business.
So whether you’re a designer looking to level up and add strategy to your offering, or a business owner interested in building a strong brand — these courses are definitely worth checking out.
This list includes everything you need to go out there and learn brand strategy.
Or actually without going out there — because you can enjoy these online classes from the comfort of your own home.
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I'm a branding expert and graphic designer based in NY. I specialize in the development of brands: brand strategy, identity & web design. Need help with your project?—Get in touch
