Adytum Education · Track 01 of 08
Be your own brand strategist.
For founders and SMB owners who don't have a brand person, or whose first hire needs the framework. Build complete brand systems (voice, naming, position, governance) grounded in canonical frameworks (Aaker, Trout/Ries, Mark/Pearson, Sharp/Romaniuk). The curriculum is PhD-density and tool-independent, with four tiers. Foundations is free forever.
What each tier qualifies you for
| Tier | Title equivalent | Comp range | What you can do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundations FREE |
Brand Assistant / Coordinator | $45-60K | Voice extraction · brand-check audits · asset organization · brand-guideline maintenance |
| Practitioner $499 |
Brand Strategist (IC) | $70-110K | Voice systems · naming/tagline projects · competitive analysis · brand-rollout plans |
| Expert $1,499 |
Brand Lead / Sr Strategist | $120-180K | Brand system design · team leadership · executive presentation · brand-architecture decisions |
| Master $4,999 |
Brand Director / VP Brand / Fractional CMO | $180K+ or $5-15K/mo retainer | Full brand portfolio · multi-brand companies · crisis comms · brand-equity measurement · board reporting |
What you'll learn (across all tiers)
Every tier covers seven competency dimensions. Hours given are minimums, and most learners spend 30-50% more.
- Domain theory covers brand archetypes (Mark + Pearson 12-archetype model concept, Adytum's 8 voice archetypes), positioning theory (Trout/Ries cited), brand equity (Aaker model concept), voice vs tone, and brand-portfolio strategy at higher tiers
- Tool fluency covers Adytum BrandVoice, BrandCheck, NamingLab, TaglineGen, MoodBoardGen, CompetitorTracker, BrandKitExport · Figma, Notion, Frontify/Brandfolder at higher tiers
- Process design covers voice extraction workflow, brand-check audit cadence, brand sprint facilitation, brand-governance program design
- Edge cases cover conflicting voice samples, multi-product brand voice tension, voice-drift detection, M&A brand integration, crisis comms
- Stakeholders covers working with marketing, design, content, legal, founders, exec, board
- Ethics & governance covers calibrated honesty (no hallucinated brand claims), trademark basics, voice-appropriation guardrails, AI-output disclosure, brand-safety
- Measurement covers voice-consistency scoring, brand-check pass-rate, brand awareness research (aided/unaided recall), brand-equity tracker design at higher tiers
Further reading (canonical sources to buy or borrow yourself)
We teach the concepts in synthesized form. To go deeper than Adytum Certified, read the originals:
- Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Trout & Ries
- Managing Brand Equity by David Aaker
- The Hero and the Outlaw by Margaret Mark & Carol S. Pearson
- Building Strong Brands by David Aaker
- How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp
- Eating the Big Fish by Adam Morgan