BRAND STRATEGY 101

Think Beyond the Brief

Learn how to use brand strategy to become a more valuable creative partner and get paid for the thinking beyond the work.

Brand Strategy 101 with Philip VanDusen gives you a practical, proven process for taking brand strategy from something you understand in theory to something you can confidently use with your clients.

Your clients don't just need someone who can make things.

They need someone who can help them figure out what to make in the first place.

You already know how to do the creative work. The next step is learning how to get upstream.

Brand strategy gives you a way to understand the business behind the brief, ask better questions, uncover opportunities, and help your clients make smarter decisions. That's when the relationship starts to change.

You're no longer just executing the work. You're helping shape it.

Is this course for you?

If you've ever thought, "I know there's more I could bring to the table." you're probably in the right place.

The Designer

You want a bigger seat at the table.

You know how to create great work, but you're tired of being handed the brief and being asked to simply execute it.

The Creative Professional

You're ready to add strategy to your skillset.

You've done some strategic thinking or consulting, but you don't yet have a process you feel confident delivering.

The Freelancer or

Small Agency

You want to elevate your services and value.

Learn how strategic thinking can help you deepen client relationships, expand the work you do and create opportunities for bigger projects.

The Emerging Strategist

You want a practical place to start.

Forget endless theory. What you need is a framework to analyze brands, businesses, customers, and competition, along with the confidence to act on what you learn.

The Designer

You want a bigger seat at the table.

You know how to create great work, but you're tired of being handed the brief and being asked to simply execute it.

The Creative Professional

You're ready to add strategy to your skillset.

You've done some strategic thinking or consulting, but you don't yet have a process you feel confident delivering.

The Freelancer or Small Agency

You want to elevate your services and value.

Learn how strategic thinking can help you deepen client relationships, expand the work you do and create opportunities for bigger projects.

The Emerging Strategist

You want a practical place to start.

Forget endless theory. What you need is a framework to analyze brands, businesses, customers, and competition, along with the confidence to act on what you learn.

What you'll learn:

Brand strategy can sound complicated, but the work doesn't have to be.

Brand Strategy 101 takes you through the brand strategy process; from the first conversation with a client through discovery, assessment, comparison, definition and visualization.

You'll learn about the thought process behind each step, the tools that make it practical, and how to bring it all into your own client work.

MODULE 1

STRATEGIC COMPONENTS

Understand what brand strategy actually is. Learn the goals and components of brand strategy and develop the mindset needed to approach the work strategically.

MODULE 2

BRAND DISCOVERY

Learn how to get beyond the brief and how to conduct discovery calls, interview stakeholders and communicate the value of selling strategy.

MODULE 3

BRAND ASSESSMENT

To understand what's really happening inside the business you'll use tools such as the Business Model Canvas and internal brand audit to evaluate the businesses from the inside out.

MODULE 4

BRAND COMPARISON

Understand where a brand sits in the competitive landscape. Learn how to conduct competitive audits, map brands, and identify opportunities for differentiation.

MODULE 5

BRAND DEFINITION

Turn what you've learned into a strategic foundation. Explore positioning, customer avatars, brand pyramids, archetypes and personalities to define what a brand stands for.

MODULE 6

BRAND VISUALIZATION

Connect strategy and creative. Learn how to translate strategic thinking into creative direction through briefs, color direction, and visual creative anchors.

MODULE 7

THE BRAND STRATEGIST

Put it all together. Understand the brand strategy process, the strategist's role and the mindset required to lead strategic work with confidence.

Everything you'll need to get to work.

This isn't just a library of videos.

You get all the tools and resources that help you take what you're learning and actually use it.

Modules

Lessons

Hours of Video

Brand Strategy Tools

BRAND STRATEGY TOOLKIT

Practical tools for real client work.

Worksheets, checklists, and strategy tools designed to help you put the process into practice.

STRATEGY PROJECT PROCESS MAP

A roadmap from first conversation to final delivery.

A repeatable process that helps you understand what happens when, what to ask, and how to move a strategy project forward.

COURSE RESOURCES

Everything you need to keep working.

Downloadable course files and resources to support the lessons and your strategic practice.

ONGOING ACCESS

Come back to the course whenever you need to.

You get access to all course videos, resources, and files for the lifetime of the course.

Don't just take our word for it:

I've been a designer for 10 years. I just delivered the brand strategy process Philip teaches and I can tell you one thing: it works!

Paul Feeny

Brand Strategy 101 is amazing! One of the best investments I've ever made in my business.

Stephanie Holt

BS101 teaches you everything you need to know in an A-Z approach. Proven tools, clear sequential lessons, straight-to-the-point practical processes.

Nikita Merge

Meet Your Instructor

Philip VanDusen

Brand Strategy Expert

Creator of Brand Strategy 101

There's a difference between learning strategy from someone who knows the terminology and learning it from someone who's spent decades putting it to work.

Philip brings more than 25 years of experience across global branding agencies, creative leadership and client-side work. He's worked with some of the world's biggest brands and led creative teams as large as 65 people.

Brand Strategy 101 distills that experience into a practical system that creative professionals can actually use.

Meet Your Instructor

Philip VanDusen

Brand Strategy Expert | Creator of Brand Strategy 101

There's a difference between learning strategy from someone who knows the terminology and learning it from someone who's spent decades putting it to work.

Brand Strategy 101 distills that experience into a practical system that creative professionals can actually use.

Invest in yourself.

Brand Strategy 101 is a one-time investment in a skillset you can continue to use throughout your career.

You'll have access to the all course, resources, and tools so you can return to the material whenever you like.

BRAND STRATEGY 101

$497 USD

one-time payment

Includes:

7 modules
25+ lessons
8+ hours of video
20+ brand strategy tools
Strategy project process map
Downloadable course resources
Access for the lifetime of the course

Questions? Good.

Here's what people usually want to know before they get started.

What if my clients have never paid me for brand strategy?

That's one of the key things the course addresses. You'll learn how to communicate the value and ROI of strategy so clients understand why the work matters.

I'm fairly new to brand strategy. Is this too advanced?

No. You don't need an MBA or a strategy degree. The course is designed to make proven strategic tools and methods accessible to creative professionals.

What makes Brand Strategy 101 different from other strategy courses?

Philip brings 25+ years of real-world agency and client-side experience, and the course adapts strategic processes used with major global brands for freelancers, consultants, and smaller agencies.

What exactly is included?

Seven modules, 25+ lessons, 8+ hours of video, brand strategy tools, the Strategy Project Process Map, downloadable resources and lifetime access, subject to the course availability terms.

Can I use the tools with my clients?

Yes. The toolkit includes unbranded tools designed to be adapted for client projects.

How long do I have access?

You have access to all of the course materials and resources for the lifetime of the course.

Is this course about design?

No. It's about brand strategy and understanding the business, asking better questions, assessing the landscape, defining the brand and connecting strategy to creative work.

Do I get instant access after I sign up?

Yes. Once you enroll, we'll send you an email with instructions for accessing your course, or you can use the Login button at the top of this page. Already have a Think Tank account? Use your existing login credentials. New to Think Tank? The first time you log in, click Forgot Password to set your password and you're in.

Ready to get paid for your strategic thinking?

You already know how to create.

Now learn how to bring strategy to the table.

Brand Strategy 101 gives you the process, tools, and confidence to start doing just that.

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