Marketing and Branding (online)



Overview

This course introduces the key principles of marketing and branding that every professional should know. It’s ideal for anyone new to the subject, or as a refresher for those running a business or returning to marketing after time away.

You’ll cover the essentials: why knowing your customer is key to effective marketing, how content marketing helps drive demand, what makes a strong brand identity and how to measure what’s working.

Through a mix of theory, case studies and tutor insights, you’ll gain practical tools and approaches that you can apply directly to your own marketing and business.

Who is this course for? 

The course is suitable for founders and entrepreneurs, and anyone who has moved into a marketing and communications role or for company directors who need to become more familiar with this topic.  

It is designed specifically for anyone with limited knowledge of marketing or branding, but who needs a more detailed understanding professionally.

Programme details

Session 1: Understanding your target audience

Session 1 starts where all marketing must begin: your audience. Who is your target audience and how do you align your products or services to address their needs? 

You'll explore: 

  • Customer segmentation - defining your audience, their attributes, attitudes and actions 
  • Customer persona - bringing your target audience to life with a focus on customer needs, frustrations, blockers and motivations 
  • Market research techniques to avoid the danger of relying on assumptions 
  • Ways to gain deeper insights into buying decisions. 

Session 2: Content marketing

Session 2 focuses on ways to create and publish content that is relevant and engaging for your target audience. 

You’ll learn about: 

  • Content marketing and the business case for it 
  • The significance of consistency, frequency and relevance  
  • The content-marketing interplay in terms of content, channels, tools (AI), skills and resources 
  • Businesses that use content marketing to accelerate business growth 
  • The skills that content marketing needs, whether in-house or outsourced. 

Session 3: Metrics: understanding what to measure 

Learn how to monitor and measure the impact of your marketing efforts. Discover how to define data and set the objectives and key performance indicators. 

You’ll study: 

  • Why metrics matter and types of metrics - whether digital metrics for website traffic, email engagement, social media analytics and ROI calculations 
  • Using metrics effectively - marketing funnel and post-funnel strategies, distinguishing between meaningful and vanity metrics 
  • AI in analytics - highlighting how AI enhances analytics through predictive insights, personalisation and real-time optimisation 
  • Setting goals and measuring success - using SMART objectives, KPIs and other critical success factors. 

Session 4: Brand and brand identity 

The final session explores what we mean by brand, what makes some brands stand apart from others and how to go about creating a lasting brand identity.  

You'll explore: 

  • The attributes that determine a strong brand identity 
  • How brand identity differs from brand fingerprint and brand equity 
  • Why brand personality is an increasingly important attribute 
  • Why values are the foundation behind sustainable and ethical brands 
  • What happens when a brand loses sight of its core identity 
  • Theoretical models and processes to help you create your own brand identity or 'big idea'.

Dates, Times and Delivery

This course will run over five sessions from 10 - 13 February 2026.

These live video sessions will be held on Microsoft Teams at 11.30am – 1.00pm (UK time) on:

  • Tuesday 10 February
  • Wednesday 11 February
  • Thursday 12 February
  • Friday 13 February

A world clock, and time zone converter can be found here: https://bit.ly/3bSPu6D

This is a ‘virtual classroom’ course, and is designed to replicate the experience of a classroom. The sessions are ‘live’ and are not recorded.

No attendance at Oxford is required and you do not need to purchase any software.

Accessing your online course 

Details about accessing the private MS Teams course site will be emailed to you during the week prior to the course commencing.  

Please get in touch if you have not received this information within three working days of the course start date. 

Certification

In order to be eligible for a certificate of attendance, you will need to attend the whole course. Participants who meet this criterion will be emailed after the end of the course with a link, and instructions on how to access their University of Oxford digital certificate.

The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate, as well as share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £535.00

Payment

All courses are VAT exempt.

Register immediately online 

Click the 'Book Now' button on this webpage. Payment by credit or debit card is required.

Request an invoice 

If you require an invoice for your company or organisation, please email us to request an online enrolment form. Payment is then accepted online, by credit/debit card, or by bank transfer.

Tutors

Joe Pélissier

Joe is a branding and communications expert known for designing award-winning training programmes across formats. He began his career at Video Arts, the innovative training film company founded by John Cleese, and has since worked with international clients such as England Rugby, the European Commission and Parliament, Sony PlayStation, Nespresso, Louis Vuitton and Gucci. Joe mentors founders, entrepreneurs and directors, helping them grow their businesses and refine marketing, branding and communication strategies. He speaks French and Italian. 

Joe’s approach is relaxed, conversational and informal. He encourages participants to reflect on and discuss various aspects of marketing and branding before revealing answers or solutions. This method creates a memorable learning experience and inspires continued curiosity. 

Sam Birkett

Sam specialises as a higher education and innovation marketing consultant with over 20 years’ experience spanning universities, professional services and edtech. 

During his career, he led open-enrolment marketing at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, where he supported a portfolio of 20+ executive programmes and helped drive significant gains in global rankings and enrolment performance. 

Drawing on deep expertise in audience insight and proposition design, Sam now advises institutions such as LSE, the University of Oxford and UCL on end-to-end growth strategies, covering persona and value proposition development, LinkedIn lead generation and conversion, content strategy, and multimedia campaign production. 

Sam also works within the innovation management and healthcare sectors, delivering marketing campaigns for organisations, including the NIHR and Santander. 

His practice is grounded in practical delivery, building measurable target segment journeys and aligning teams around evidence-based messaging. 

Alongside consulting, Sam runs an interactive teambuilding venture, Murder Most Corporate, which engages groups from students to senior leaders in collaborative problem-solving, reflecting a wider passion for facilitation, participation and learning by doing.

Application

If you would like to discuss your application or any part of the application process before applying, please click 'Ask a Question' at the top of this page.

IT requirements

This course is delivered online using Microsoft Teams. You will be required to follow and implement the instructions we send you to fully access Microsoft Teams on the University of Oxford's secure IT network.

To participate you must be familiar with using a computer for purposes such as sending email and searching the Internet. You will also need regular access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification.

It is advised to use headphones with working speakers and microphone.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support