Independent Study Underway!

To fulfill the last three hours of my marketing certificate, I have decided to participate in an independent study. The topic I have chosen is "The relationship between design and marketing in the creation of successful brands." I have had a unique opportunity to take marketing classes that are relevant to design, such as strategic brand management, which has got me interested in the relationship between the two disciplines. When it comes to branding, the two cross paths significantly and from the research and observation I have done thus far, this can create some conflict. I am very interested in the roles Vince Voron and Michael DiTullo have played at Coca-Cola and Sound United respectively. Listening to each of them speak, I have noticed a strong emphasis on branding that incorporates many of the principles I have been learning in my marketing classes. I plan to use this independent study as an opportunity to explore this relationship between the disciplines of design and marketing when it comes to strategic branding. I'll be identifying similarities, differences, and complementarities when it comes to the two branding approaches. To achieve this I will be conducting reviews of current research, interviews with practitioners, and an analysis of marketing-led vs design-led branding programs. I'm also fortunate enough to be advised by Dr. Omar Rodriguez-Villa, a marketing professor at Georgia Tech, and am very thankful for this opportunity to work with him.