Today’s leaders in business require creative and diverse professionals with crossover skills in marketing, media and film, but there is a significant talent gap. To answer this call, Brand Storytelling and East Tennessee State University along with seven global industry sponsors are bridging the education and diversity gap with a first-ever professional certification program.

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The Brand Storytelling Brand Film Certification is a 100% online professional certification taught by industry leaders connected to Brand Storytelling’s world-class network of professionals.  The certification appeals to industry professionals and recent college graduates looking to better understand the intersection of business, brand and film. The first Brand Storytelling Certification cohort begins Jan. 31, 2022, with five additional cohorts launching throughout 2022.

“Today, our industry is propelled by consumer behavior and forward-thinking brands,” said Rick Parkhill, Brand Storytelling founder. “Led by our core mission of education, the Brand Storytelling community is in a unique position to grow, cultivate and inspire the next generation of brand storytellers.”

This innovative certification is sponsored by world-class brands Discovery, Southwest Airlines, Intel, Univision and BODYARMOR, alongside leading brand storytelling production house UM Studios.

Sponsors support immersive scholarships, granted to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) students to participate in the immersive program. These scholarships foster opportunities for students and professionals looking to advance their skills in brand storytelling while brands get access to emerging talent.

“The worlds of marketing, media and film continue to merge in what is still considered new territory,” said Stephen Marshall, ETSU professor and chief marketing officer for the ETSU Research Corporation. “Partnering with industry to innovate education outcomes and diversity needs is central to the ETSU Research Corporation’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) mission. We are proud to ‘power’ this professional credential with world-class education experiences.”

The certification course faculty features some of today’s most influential names in brand storytelling: Marc Battaglia, co-founder of Story + Strategy and former global executive creative director for Marriott International; Brian Newman, founder of Sub-Genre brand consulting agency; Marcus Peterzell, chief executive officer of Passion Point Collective entertainment marketing agency; and Dawn Reese, senior vice president and managing director of UM Studios.

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