Medill IMC students take a global view of marketing during four-week London course

Global Brand Communication class allows students to visit marketing professionals, iconic brands

Walk down any London street and you’ll likely experience the city’s cultural and ethnic diversity.

That diversity allowed a group of 25 Medill IMC students to learn about global branding during the London-based Global Brand Communication course. Medill IMC Lecturer Ariel Goldfarb, who led the four-week course, views the program as an opportunity for students to shift their perspective from a U.S. point-of-view to a global one, an important distinction when working with a multinational company.

“Changing the context helps change the content,” he said. “The considerations of global marketing are forcing their ways into every marketing job, largely due to the impact of technology which has globalized even the most local of marketing efforts.”

In addition to gaining a global view of marketing communications, the course is designed to deepen students’ knowledge of brands being assets. Medill students took classes in brand equity, brand architecture, valuation and global management. Each week included three days of class lectures with company visits and guest speakers.

What was the highlight of the course? Students Tasmina Chhugani (IMC17) and Andres Rodriguez (IMC17) agree it was visiting Wimbledon, the oldest tennis tournament in the world.

“We learned about how the organization manages its brand equity in a global context while learning about the iconic Wimbledon brand,” says Rodriguez.

The visit included not only a tour of the club facilities, press rooms and museum but also a virtual reality experience of the 2016 Wimbledon Championships, allowing the students to feel like they were with the champions on their winning day.

Rodriguez says the London program taught him unique aspects of brands and strategy that will set him apart in any marketing role.

“This is an experience I recommend to anyone who is interested in brand strategy,” says Rodriguez. But learning was not only in the classroom, he explained. “The UK is so great and offers many incredible places to visit. I traveled as much as I could on the weekends with a new itinerary every week.”

Chhugani concurs. “I’ve always been fascinated with London’s history, culture and cosmopolitan nature,” she said. “This experience allowed me to combine my interest in brand equity management as well as my love for traveling and exploring a new city.

“The class itself will always be one of my favorites; it was a great way to end my IMC program,” she added.

The London program is one of several global experiences the IMC program offers. Learn more about IMC domestic and global opportunities, including London, Asia, Paris and San Francisco.