The first slide read:
“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” -Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com
From that moment on, Flavio Sasano Cordeiro was hooked.
For Flavio, launching a career in brand management was an unexpected path. After coming to Canada from Brazil in 2016, Flavio began working as a Graphic Designer for a non-profit organization. After three years in this role, his Manager mentioned that the organization would soon be undergoing a full rebrand, and would be looking to hire a Brand Manager to oversee this significant and exciting transition. Flavio, who was fully committed to the organization’s mandate and ready for a challenge, was interested in applying for the role. While he was fully acquainted with the organization, he lacked a thorough understand of best practices in brand management, and decided to take Foundations in Brand Management at SCS.
“While I was excited to learn, I really lacked confidence in my knowledge,” says Flavio. “At 44, I was worried I would be the oldest person in the class. I was worried everyone would know more than me, and that I would feel too intimidated to contribute in class. On my first day, I realized that many people in the class seemed to work for bigger organizations, while my non-profit felt so tiny and unknown in comparison. But it was this diversity in the classroom that made the learning experience so amazing. My classmates ranged in age, and there were newcomers like me from over ten different countries. I felt comfortable sharing about my organization and our brand, and it turns out that others in the class were really interested in my experience!”
Despite living in Kitchener, Ontario (over an hour drive from Toronto), Flavio chose SCS because he was excited to learn from two industry experts, Jeronimo De Miguel and Susan Floyd. He also appreciated the mix of theory and hands-on learning. “In one of the assignments, we got to coordinate a rebrand for an organization we admire. I chose the video game company Atari,” recalls Flavio. “It was a great exercise to study the company, and use all the skills I was learning to create a new brand strategy. I regularly spoke with my instructors to gain insights and ask questions, which was invaluable.”
When Flavio told his Manager he was taking the course, he started being included in preliminary brand discussions. A year after completing the course, his organization formally opened the search for a Brand Manager. Flavio applied, landed the job, and feels confident that his learning experience at SCS played a big role in his success. “I think the interview committee liked that I was dedicated to lifelong learning, and that I had relevant, up-to-date knowledge of brand management best practices,” he says. “The first thing I did when I got the job was contact my SCS instructors over LinkedIn to let them know, and thank them for everything they taught me.”
Today, Flavio is leading his organization through a brand transition, using the skills he learned at SCS to inform his strategic decisions. “I often think back to that Jeff Bezos quote. In our digital world, a brand is the heart of a company. With social media, we get brand feedback in real time; how you promote your company, and how you react to things-good or bad- is critical,” says Flavio. “Pursuing continuing education was the best investment I could have made. I can’t wait to keep taking courses at SCS and earn my Certificate in Brand Management. The experience was so much more than I was expecting, and it helped me land a challenging job that I love.”