Personal Brand Marketing: Strategy, Story & Self-Leadership

Curriculum guideline

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Course
MARK 3250
Discontinued
No
Course code
MARK 3250
Descriptive
Personal Brand Marketing: Strategy, Story & Self-Leadership
Department
Marketing
Faculty
Commerce & Business Administration
Credits
3.00
Start date
End term
Not Specified
PLAR
No
Semester length
15 Weeks
Max class size
35
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Contact hours

Lecture: 3 hours/week

and

Seminar: 1 hour/week

Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Learning activities

This course integrates strategic leadership concepts with hands-on marketing applications through the following learning methods:

  • Case Studies and Guided Discussions
    Explore how leading marketers and entrepreneurs apply personal branding, storytelling, and decision-making frameworks in real-world contexts.

  • Workshops and Interactive Exercises
    Apply key concepts through structured activities focused on brand development, storytelling practice, and leadership mindset building.

  • Applied Project-Based Learning
    Design a personal brand strategy and professional roadmap that aligns with long-term career goals and evolving industry demands.

  • Industry Engagement and Professional Exposure
    Engage with guest speakers, participate in networking opportunities, and gain insights from practitioners navigating marketing leadership.

Course description
This course explores the strategic intersection of marketing, storytelling, and personal development. Students will learn how to apply marketing principles such as positioning, audience targeting, and narrative strategy to their own professional goals and leadership development. Through case studies, interactive workshops, and guided reflection, students will develop a practical understanding of how to design and communicate their personal value in a competitive, AI-driven marketplace. The course emphasizes critical thinking, communication, and self-directed reflective learning to prepare students for leadership in modern marketing environments.
Course content

Part 1: Strategic Marketing Mindsets and Leadership

1. Foundations of Strategic Self-Leadership in Marketing

  • Examine how personal leadership drives success in modern marketing

  • Identify characteristics of influential marketing leaders and strategists

  • Connect personal values and mindset to long-term professional growth

2. Developing a Proactive and Strategic Mindset

  • Apply prioritization, time management, and SMART goal-setting frameworks

  • Explore the role of self-discipline and habit formation in professional success

  • Assess how AI is reshaping marketing roles and career adaptability

3. Personal Brand Strategy and Market Positioning

  • Define a clear value proposition and personal brand attributes

  • Identify and segment your target audience for career alignment

  • Develop positioning strategies to enhance credibility and visibility

4. Emotional Intelligence and Decision-Making

  • Evaluate decision-making models relevant to marketing and leadership

  • Explore emotional intelligence and its role in influence and communication

  • Create a forward-looking leadership vision aligned with personal goals

Part 2: Storytelling and Brand Communication

5. Storytelling for Influence and Strategic Messaging

  • Analyze narrative frameworks used in brand development (e.g., StoryBrand)

  • Examine how storytelling creates clarity, trust, and emotional engagement

  • Critique examples of brand storytelling across personal and corporate contexts

6. Crafting and Communicating Your Brand Narrative

  • Construct a personal leadership story using key narrative elements

  • Position yourself as a “guide” with credibility and strategic insight

  • Practise storytelling across verbal, written, and digital formats

7. Branding and Differentiation in the Age of AI

  • Explore AI-driven tools for content creation, brand building, and communication

  • Evaluate risks, ethics, and emerging trends in AI-powered brand strategy

  • Position your brand effectively in an automated and saturated digital environment

8. Integration, Application and Future Readiness

  • Synthesize course concepts into a cohesive brand and communication strategy

  • Reflect on personal growth, mindset shifts, and storytelling development

  • Prepare a final professional brand narrative for peer and mentor feedback

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Analyze the role of self-leadership and strategic mindset in marketing decision-making.

  2. Apply core marketing concepts (e.g., positioning, segmentation, value proposition) to personal and career development.

  3. Create a personal brand strategy that reflects clear positioning, audience awareness, and long-term goals.

  4. Evaluate storytelling frameworks for use in marketing, leadership, and professional communication.

  5. Develop persuasive narratives for personal and professional branding using proven story structure models.

  6. Assess emerging marketing trends (e.g., AI tools, automation, personal branding at scale) and their implications for marketers.

  7. Demonstrate advanced presentation, reflection, and communication skills relevant to building professional credibility.

Means of assessment

Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. An evaluation schedule will be provided at the beginning of the course. This is a graded course.

Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in the course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline.

Assessment ComponentWeight Range
Midterm Exam 20-30%
Project(s) 25-35%
Presentation(s) 15-25%
Final Exam 20-35%
Participation and Professional Engagement 5-10%

Assessment Notes:

  1. Students must achieve a minimum average grade of 50% on all individual (non-group) assessments to pass the course, based on a weighted average.

  2. Students must complete all required projects, assignments, and exams to be eligible for a passing grade.

  3. Students may conduct research as part of their coursework in this class. Instructors are responsible for ensuring that student research projects comply with Douglas College policies on ethical conduct for research involving humans, which may include obtaining Informed Consent and receiving approval from the Douglas College Research Ethics Board prior to conducting research.

Textbook materials

Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of required and recommended resources will be provided at the beginning of the semester. Example texts or equivalent materials may include:

  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey (Simon & Schuster, current edition), or equivalent

  • Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller (HarperCollins, current edition), or equivalent

Supplementary resources may include:

  • Selected articles and case studies from Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Forbes, or equivalent

  • Industry reports such as McKinsey’s Marketing Leadership in the Age of AI, or equivalent

  • Thought leadership blogs (e.g., Seth Godin) on branding, storytelling, and strategic influence

Where appropriate, open-access readings and tools will also be assigned to support practical application of course concepts.

Prerequisites

MARK 1120

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None