Brand 101 Workshops

The Challenge
At the University of Wisconsin–Madison, brand adoption had an application problem. Campus communicators and marketers had access to guidelines, but lacked the clarity, confidence, and shared space to translate them into effective, on-brand work.

Just as importantly, brand work often happened in isolation. Without visibility into how peers across campus were solving similar challenges, there were persistent alignment issues.

What We Did
We built Brand 101: Stranger in a Strange Brand, an interactive workshop designed to turn brand from a static set of rules into a shared, practical discipline.

I led the end-to-end development and delivery, creating a highly collaborative experience that blends foundational brand education with real-time problem solving. The session connects participants to core principles, surfaces common challenges, and creates space for live discussion, giving communicators the opportunity to ask questions, share work, and learn from one another.

To extend impact beyond the session, we developed take-home worksheets, resource guides, and branded materials, equipping participants with tools they could immediately apply.

Impact
The workshop delivered immediate, measurable value: 100% of participants rated it as useful or very useful, with nearly two-thirds selecting the highest possible rating.

Beyond the numbers, feedback consistently highlighted the same strengths: practical application, candid discussion, and the rare opportunity to connect with peers across campus facing similar challenges.

Just as important, demand for more was clear and specific. Participants asked for deeper, more advanced sessions and topic-specific workshops, directly leading to the development of Brand 102.

What began as a single workshop is now evolving into a scalable brand education program. Building shared language, stronger connections, and real fluency in how the brand shows up across campus is now part of our mission and day-to-day work.

Biggest of ups to Art Director Danielle Lamberson Philipp for the art direction and design of these slides!