New Masters degree launched by The Brand Union with Goldsmiths

The Brand Union launches an international Master’s degree with Goldsmiths, University of London.

Global brand agency, The Brand Union, and Goldsmiths, University of London are set to launch a unique, international Master’s degree in Brand Development.

The postgraduate degree, starting in September, will take a rigorous, academic approach to the study of contemporary branding and communications methodologies and their social, economic and political contexts. Key themes such as intellectual property rights, the changing media environment, globalisation and the impact of digital communications and marketing technologies will also form part of the syllabus.

The unique Master’s degree is an initiative of the respected James Curran, Professor of Communications and Director of the Goldsmiths Leverhulme Media Research Centre, and Crispin Jameson – worldwide chief strategy officer for The Brand Union.

Goldsmiths and The Brand Union, whose clients include SABMiller, Vodafone, Canon and Reckitt Benckiser, collaborated to develop the course structure and content. Throughout the curriculum, The Brand Union will play a key role, providing guest speakers and presenters from around the global network, sharing live client briefs for the students to work on, and culminating in the offer of a placement within the agency. 
 
Simon Bolton, Worldwide CEO of The Brand Union says; “Central to our philosophy is the quest for Brand Mastery, and so it is natural that we would want to connect to a Master’s degree at Goldsmiths – a unique and distinctive higher education institution, well-known for its innovative and creative approaches. The culmination of nearly two years’ worth of planning, this initiative is the most significant way we could realise our commitment to the next generation of branding and design talent.”

“The Brand Union is passionate about investing in skills and education, we believe that the art and science of brand building is something which we can help students understand before they enter the creative workforce. Through this experience, we hope to create that connection between what students are taught and what clients need from their branding partners; this is the most meaningful way we could do that.”

James Curran, Professor of Communications at Goldsmiths adds: “The partnership with The Brand Union will provide our students with invaluable practical insights and experience of the world’s biggest brands, in addition to the rigorous critical and creative approaches nurtured by the Department of Media and Communications.

Bolton continues, “Looking ahead, we hope the pilot course becomes a platform for repeating a similar programme in other parts of the world, possibly through the Goldsmith’s relationship with the Xinghua University in Beijing, China and also with MIT in the US.”