Teaching branding at university: corporate identity and effective communication

Abstract

Introduction. The article discusses the peculiarities of modern teaching of branding as an educational component of a bachelor's degree in journalism, advertising, and public relations at the university. The author considers the role of branding and corporate identity in modern communication and marketing. This is one of the key and determining factors for the success of a brand among competitors. The information environment places high demands on the quality of communication and the effectiveness of the image created. Hence the problem and the need to train future journalists, advertisers, and PR specialists who will be able to work competently and professionally on creating a holistic, multi-component brand.

Relevance and purpose. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to integrate branding into media education and the insufficient theoretical development of the concepts of “brand,” “branding,” and “corporate identity”. The purpose of the article is to identify approaches to teaching branding to students majoring in journalism, advertising, and public relations, with an emphasis on developing effective communication skills and personal and corporate branding.

Methodology. The work uses the method of theoretical analysis of scientific sources, a systematic approach to considering branding as a complex of visual, verbal, and digital elements, a descriptive-analytical method for understanding the educational process, observing the logic of teaching the discipline, modeling the step-by-step development of a brand, and a journalism case study with practical examples of successful brands.

Results. The key to effective teaching of branding to higher education students is the combination of theory with practical tasks. During practical classes, it is advisable to focus on creating a brand concept, identity, and corporate style, primarily through the development of communication skills and competencies of students. Digital technologies and the use of modern tools and instruments play an important role in this process. In addition, it is important to consider the connection between branding and other disciplines related to journalism, advertising, and public relations in the educational process.

Conclusions. The novelty of the article lies in the justification of branding as an important component of media education. The study reveals the essence of the formation of professional and creative knowledge, skills, and abilities of future specialists. The significance of the results obtained confirms the importance of using the proposed approaches to teaching branding. This is a guarantee of improving the quality of media training and developing the university brand.