In my University of Zurich lecture course, I explore how successful brands leverage psychological tactics to subconsciously influence consumer behavior.
LECTURER PATRICK ANDERSEN
Transfer of expertise.
LECTURER PATRICK ANDERSEN
Transfer of expertise.
The secret of strong brands.
LECTURE PATRICK ANDERSEN
From strategy to image.
In the age of digital transformation, social media and artificial intelligence, the rules for persuasive brand communication have undergone a fundamental shift. Drawing on communication theories and practical case studies, I provide valuable insights into these new imperatives for effective brand messaging.
MODULE 1: BRANDS
Strong brands are a social phenomenon.
The focus of the first module is to teach students that a strong brand is not created by accident, but rather through a carefully calibrated communication strategy. The most successful brands become expressions of our own identity, provoke unique emotions, and build social relevance.
MODULE 2: DESIGN
Band design is deliberate differentiation.
The second module emphasizes that branding serves as a powerful tool for building trust and establishing consistent reliability. A strong brand design goes beyond merely highlighting differences – it fundamentally embodies the difference itself.
MODULE 3: MIND
Strong brands trick our minds.
Powerful brands create images in our heads and engender emotions while simultaneously manipulating and seducing us. The third module of my lecture course unveils how brands affect our subconscious brain. Through their influence, powerful brands shift our minds into autopilot mode.
MODULE 4: SOCIAL
Social media shifts power from brands to customers.
The new species of selfie addicts is always connected to their community, sharing their own distinctive voice, communicating globally at click speed. Today, brands have ceded some of their control to the consumer. This final module aims to demonstrate how only the most courageous brands have successfully understood and adapted to the new rules of social media.
UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH
Patrick Andersen demonstrates in an entertaining manner how successful brands are positioned in our digital age. His multimedia presentation technique effectively combines scientific background with practical expertise. This is a truly valuable lecture course that I would highly recommend to everyone.
Next seminar.
University of Zurich
Start: 20.02.2025, 08.15 – 09.45
Finish: 22.05.2025, 08.15 – 09.45
Seminar
How brands are successfully positioned.
Building a successful brand is not a product of chance. Strong brands are a combination of a robust business model, clear strategic brand definitions and a consistent perception among the target group. The seminar builds on the content of the lecture ‘From strategy to image – secrets of successful brand communication’. Through collaborative group work, participants will research and craft their own compelling case studies on sustainable brand positioning. They will then present these case studies to the full audience during the plenary sessions.
FICTITIOUS BRAND CASE
Developing own business ideas.
The seminar simulates a typical start-up process where participants select from various fictitious brand cases such as solar cars, slow fashion brands, 3D-printed meat, or influencer agencies – all representing future-oriented innovations. Working in groups, participants strategically develop these cases by addressing predefined questions and using various tools to independently create the business idea, brand name, positioning, identity, design, and communication strategy.
NAMING & VALUE PROPOSITION
Concretise the own value proposition.
The groups employ diverse tools to create naming routes, ultimately making a joint decision on the final name through stimulating discussion processes. The ‘Value Proposition Map’ serves as their primary tool for developing the company’s value proposition, structuring business model characteristics by categorizing the proposition into products/services, problem solvers, and profit generators.
BRAND STRATEGY
Apply positioning models.
In this step, students work on their own brand positioning. They can choose from four different positioning approaches and apply them specifically to their brand case:
Attribute-orientated: The focus is on a specific, usually functional product characteristic
Value-based: The brand confirms the consumer’s self-image or acts as an extension of the ego
Motive-based: The brand satisfies unconscious, individual motives
Archetype-based: The brand uses cross-cultural archetypes to position itself as a role model
BRAND DESIGN
Develop a corporate design kit.
Students summarize their key brand strategy statements to establish a foundation for developing visual brand identity elements. Working in groups, they freely explore creative ideas for logos, typography, colors, and visual language. AI assistants may be used during this process.
INFLUENCER STRATEGY
Build an own brand fanbase.
Students must develop a long-term influencer strategy with limited start-up resources. Their goal is to build brand awareness, grow a fanbase, and increase sales through collaboration with a suitable digital opinion leader. Groups identify potential influencers by evaluating the strategic brand fit, ensuring maximum alignment between their brand and the chosen ambassador.
SCIENTIFIC POSTER
The entire brand case at a glance.
The seminar culminates in the creation of a scientific poster. This visual presentation displays all elements of the completed strategic brand process at a glance: the brand identity components, the selected brand design, and the parameters of the influencer relations strategy. The results are presented to the plenary session, where they undergo critical discussion and evaluation.
Impressionen aus dem Seminar von der Strategie zum Image
The best remedy
against everything identical:
Identity.
Identify.
Unify.
Simplify.
Identify the unique,
compelling attributes
of your brand.
