Brand
StorytellingCornell

Certificate Program

A compelling story is the heart of any brand messaging that an organization strives to deliver. Whether you want to inspire, motivate, or gain the trust of your stakeholders, the story you share as part of your brand narrative is the most effective way to do it.

In this course, you will explore the principles of digital storytelling and how you can apply them. This course guides you through the elements of a successful brand narrative, examining the advantages of different digital platforms, such as podcasts and videos, and how they can impact the success of your brand narrative. You will also discover ways to overcome writer's block, a common hurdle for many people. The skills you develop in this course will help you shape, refine, and communicate the story within your or your organization's brand narrative.

The way you sound can have a dramatic impact on the way you are perceived. The same is true for your brand narrative. In this course, you will discover how you can use the power of sound, such as music and special effects, to improve how your audience engages with the message of your brand narrative. You will examine how a technology plan sets the foundation for recording your narrative by determining the equipment as well as the location for optimal recording.

You will also identify the ways that recording is a layering process that allows you to use sound design to incorporate music and effects that strengthen your message and add entertainment value. Your voice is key, so you will explore strategies for maximizing your presence with tips from a well-known podcaster and voiceover artist. As you complete this course, you will have a recorded brand narrative that portrays you in an authentic, entertaining, and engaging podcast.

You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

• Principles of Digital Storytelling

Podcasts are becoming an increasingly popular way to reach a target audience and deliver a message that can motivate them to take action. Your brand narrative is a message you design with a purpose in mind. In this course, you will explore strategies for enhancing the message to be used in a brand narrative podcast.

You will discover the importance of setting a production plan that helps you achieve your vision. An interview can improve the engagement of your audience, so you will examine ways to identify the best interview subject and how to ensure you ask them the right questions.

With solid content in place, you will then move on to adding elements such as sound design to amp up the entertainment value and appeal for your audience. Even if you are a beginner, you will gain technical skills in recording your podcast and explore tips for maximizing sound quality.

You will end this course with a polished podcast ready to use in your social media and marketing plan.

You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

• Principles of Digital Storytelling
• Developing a Brand Narrative

In a world of fast-paced marketing platforms and social media, video is increasingly more important in catching the attention of potential customers and reaching a wide audience. An array of instantly available software offers video opportunities to novices who once had to rely on pricey production companies to create a brand message.

In this course, you will explore strategies for producing a brand narrative designed specifically for video. You will discover how to research a theme to help craft your message and create a pitch that will help your brand video stand out. There are many techniques for enhancing your media in post-production, and you will examine ways to improve quality and keep the focus on your story.

With your finished video in hand, you will then uncover the best path for promoting your brand video with an effective press release as part of your marketing plan.

You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

• Principles of Digital Storytelling
• Developing a Brand Narrative
• Producing a Brand Video