Brand Builder Lab: From Identity to Influence

• Power of brand stories in connecting with audience
• Personal stories vs. business stories
• Story structure: beginning, challenge, transformation, outcome
• Platform-specific messaging (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, website)
• Elevator pitches and tagline creation

Hands-on: Create complete brand story and 30-second pitch​

• Building online presence: website, social media, profiles
• Content strategy: pillars, types, frequency
• Personal content vs. business content approaches
• SEO and social media engagement tactics
• Tools: scheduling, design, analytics, monitoring

Hands-on: Draft mini content calendar for 2 weeks

• Brand awareness strategies (personal and business)
• Collaborations, partnerships, influencer marketing
• Paid vs. organic branding strategies
• Email list building and community nurturing
  

PR (Public Relations) Management

• Personal Brands: Media features, journalist relationships, speaking opportunities, thought leadership
• Business Brands: Press releases, media kits, crisis communication, industry media relationships
• PR tools: Creating newsworthy stories, media outreach, leveraging trends

Hands-on: Create campaign plan for brand visibility including PR strategy
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Managing Brand Reputation

• Online: Monitoring mentions, alerts, managing search results
• Offline: Professional behavior, delivery on promises, word-of-mouth

Handling Feedback & Reviews

• Responding to positive and negative feedback
• Personal brand: Dealing with trolls and criticism
• Business brand: Complaint resolution and turning critics to advocates
• Response templates and public vs. private responses

Building Trust & Credibility

• Personal: Authenticity, expertise, social proof, engagement
• Business: Quality consistency, testimonials, certifications, customer service

Crisis Management

• Preparing for PR crises
• Crisis communication basics
• Rebuilding trust after damage

Hands-on: Plan responses for various feedback scenarios    

Creating Complete Brand Plan

• Brand identity summary (mission, vision, values, positioning)
• Visual identity guidelines
• Brand story and messaging framework
• Digital presence strategy
• Content and marketing plan
• PR and reputation management strategy
• Growth roadmap (6-12 months)

Capstone Presentations

• Present complete brand strategy (personal or business)
• Peer feedback and instructor evaluation

Action Planning

• 30-60-90 day brand building action plan
• Resource allocation and milestone tracking
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