Building a Brand Strategy Toolkit: Marta’s Story

Hi Marta! who are you and what do you do? 

Hi! I’m Marta, and I work with intellectual property strategy, meaning I’m right in the intersection of business, technology, and law. A big part of my work involves creating ways to identify and manage intellectual assets, such as brand, technology, or relationships, that may be difficult to see but drive immense business value.

You recently completed our brand strategy course. What made you choose this course? 

Brand assets have become some of the most crucial intellectual assets in our digital, connected world, and I wanted to deepen my understanding of how to treat them as true strategic business assets.

What did you take away from the course?

The incredible diversity of perspectives really struck me. From ethnography to copywriting to pure strategy, each lecture brought something completely different to the table. It opened my eyes to just how multifaceted brand strategy really is and how many different lenses you can use to approach it.

What was it like having Rob Scotland as your instructor?

Rob is amazing. He's incredibly flexible and adaptive, constantly adjusting his approach based on what we students needed in the moment. He genuinely sought out our questions and took time to answer them thoughtfully, sharing everything from personal experience to frameworks while encouraging us to make them our own. It was like drinking from a fire hose of knowledge, but in the best possible way!

What did you find the most fun or valuable during the course? 

Connecting with like-minded people who share my interests but come from completely different backgrounds was pure gold! It was like finding your tribe, spending two hours a week fully immersed in learning and getting inspired by people who think differently but care about the same things. The course became my greatest source of inspiration.

Have you been able to apply what you learned? 

Thanks to the course, I've built my own little toolkit of insights and frameworks that I've been using in my work. Right now, I'm supporting a rebranding project where I'm directly applying some of this material. It's incredibly rewarding to see these concepts come to life while inspiring others.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?

No two days are alike, but collaboration is always the common thread. Whether I'm creating presentations, building data visualizations, or diving into research, it always comes back to sharing work with others, getting feedback, and pushing projects forward together.

What’s the best part of your job?

I love having the freedom to pursue projects that spark my curiosity and explore different areas. I'm also a people person so I really enjoy working cross-functionally with people who have different perspectives. Those collaborations are when I learn the most and produce my best work.

And the challenges?

Intellectual property touches virtually everything, so sometimes I feel scattered across a million different projects and areas. But as someone who's not really routine-driven, I've learned that this is actually how I work best.

Where do you find inspiration?

Pretty much anywhere! Sometimes it’s nerdy WIPO conferences, other times a creative Formula 1 announcement. Recently I’ve been hooked on Rob’s Substack ‘No Gatekeeping’, plus creators like Eugene Healey and 'Databutmakeitfashion', who give smart takes on current cultural happenings. But honestly, some of the best sparks come from those random coffee machine chats where someone drops a comment that sends my thoughts in a completely new direction.

Do you have a career tip you’d like to share?

Don't be afraid of change, use your network shamelessly, and trust your gut – life's too short to be bored! Stay curious and invest in relationships, because you never know where they'll lead you.

What would you say to someone considering taking this course?

If you're even slightly curious about brand strategy, go for it. The course covers such a broad spectrum of brand strategy elements, and it's a great space to connect with like-minded people. You're guaranteed to learn something new, get inspired, and walk away with practical tools you can use immediately.