Study brand management at IIE-Vega

Strategic selfies, trend-worthy tweets and family oriented Facebook snaps are critical to establishing powerful social media personas and brands worthy of a never-ending list of followers. It’s for this reason that social media has made brand management a real concern for entrepreneurs looking to kick-start their business in the digital age.

“For aspiring entrepreneurs, developing and managing their brand is key to their success. In the same way that a social media profile can resonate with its followers based on what it posts and the content it communicates – and not just a glamorous profile picture – starting a business requires brand management that extends well beyond designing a company logo and beautiful website,” says Shevon Lurie, managing director at Vega (a brand of The Independent Institute of education).

The road to starting a business is no easy task, and most entrepreneurs would be mistaken in thinking they can ignore the importance of brand management when starting their business.

Why is investing in a brand so important?

Established brands can answer the much-sought after what, where, when, who and how questions that customers may ask about the business. This is done through strategic communication that maps out a brand’s messaging. It can, therefore, be said that brand management encapsulates the advertising and marketing elements of a business and ensures that businesses remain visible to consumers.

A well-thought-out brand strategy forms a perceived idea of the quality of a business’ offering and establishes its position in the market, which, in an already cluttered market, is extremely important.

To ensure this is done effectively, businesses need to undergo the somewhat complex task of identifying the mission, the benefits and features of the products and services being offered, and the quality entrepreneurs would like customers to associate with their brands.

The role of brand management in entrepreneurship.

Much in the same way that mentioning Oprah’s name is rarely followed by “Oprah who?” – aspiring entrepreneurs who implement brand management when starting their business can establish an identity, through a set of characteristics, that will help them stand out from the rest of the competition.

Being able to implement a solid brand strategy when starting a business adds value to the business’ offering, the same way the brand strategy behind Coke has successfully influenced loyal customers, over the years, to purchase it over other soft drink brands.

Adopting a brand strategy equips business owners with the ability to build strong brand equity and association, which is key to attracting and retaining customers who will pay for the product or service being offered, due to their perceived quality of the brand.

When starting a business, entrepreneurs must demonstrate these capabilities by developing a strong brand presence.

Developing skills in brand management

A qualification in brand management is key to developing insights and skills that will enable entrepreneurs to build a quality brand. The IIE’s Vega delivers qualifications in brand management that combine strategy and creativity in business with critical thinking, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The programme presents a balanced combination between humanities and the world of commerce to graduate students with an interest in establishing a business and building their brand. As part of the experiential component of the qualification, students work in multidisciplinary teams engaging in real-world activations and brand challenges.

The business world has evolved over the years, and the idea of a brand is no longer solely comprised of a balance sheet and business plans that look at sales targets. Today, businesses, both established and those that are emerging, can create a brand presence that lives across a multitude of platforms – from social media to websites.

Without adequate brand management, entrepreneurs face an uphill battle to convey what their business represents, which has the potential to limit the amount of engagement their business will get from potential customers.

Entrepreneurs need to form the building blocks that will set them up for success by enrolling in a course that will equip them with the skills to build their entrepreneurship career on a solid foundation.

To find out more about IIE Brand Management qualifications available to study at Vega, visit www.vegaschool.com. You can also visit vegaschool.com to apply to study at Vega in 2021, and for more information on the wide range of IIE qualifications, programmes and online courses.