Beloved Brands, 1 King Street, Toronto, ON (2026)

10/13/2026

Every marketing career runs on the same five skills, and the marketers who move up fastest tend to build all five early.

Here's what each one does for you:

✓ Deep-dive analytics → faster, smarter decisions, because you find the real problem before anyone else does
✓ Strategic frameworks → think like a VP
✓ Brand positioning → clear, confident direction for your brand
✓ Brand planning → plans your boss respects, focused on the few issues that matter most
✓ Marketing ex*****on → ideas turned into action, with sharper briefs and better creative decisions

Most marketers are strong in one or two of these and learning the rest on the fly.

The Beloved Brands Mini MBA builds all five through 36 on-demand videos, readings from the Beloved Brands playbook, and workbooks you apply to your own brand as you go. It's built for working marketers who want to get ahead, and you learn at your own pace.

It's $495 USD, and the code beloved takes 10% off.

Enroll here: https://beloved-brands.com/mini-mba/

I'm Graham Robertson, and I run marketing training programs that sharpen how brand teams think, decide, and execute.

10/12/2026

In China, more than a third of grocery spending happens online. In Canada, it’s about 4%.

One e-commerce plan can’t fit every market. Match your effort to where your shoppers actually buy.

E-Commerce 101 for Brand Managers 👉 https://beloved-brands.com/ecommerce-brand-managers/

10/12/2026

𝗜𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱?

Don't let your Marketing Team be the reason you fall short

Only 32% of marketers say they've had the training they need to do their job.

The other 68% are learning on the fly, picking up whatever habits the last person happened to pass down. Smart people, working hard, never actually taught the craft.

If you lead a marketing team that isn't performing at the level the business needs, that gap is usually why. And it's fixable.

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵:

1️⃣ Brand Analytics, turning data into decisions
2️⃣ Strategic Thinking, framing the problem before solving it
3️⃣ Brand Positioning, owning a space in the consumer's mind
4️⃣ Brand Plans, turning strategy into a plan the team can rally behind
5️⃣ Marketing Ex*****on, briefs and work that move consumers

We teach what your team needs to do their job. We don’t teach theory. Your marketers apply every framework to the brand they actually run, so they walk out with a draft business review, positioning, brand plan, and creative brief already started.

You'll see the difference in how they think, decide, and perform. Sharper analysis, higher-quality work, stronger business results.

It's time to invest in your team.

𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿:

https://beloved-brands.com/marketing-training-program/

10/12/2026

Nearly half of US health and beauty sales now happen online. Food is at 10%.

Where your category sits on this chart should shape how much your brand invests in e-commerce.

E-Commerce 101 for Brand Managers 👉 https://beloved-brands.com/ecommerce-brand-managers/

10/12/2026

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸.

That's by design. The book and the training are built on the same foundation, the same five skills every brand manager needs: brand analytics, strategic thinking, brand positioning, brand plans, and marketing ex*****on. The tools in the book are the same ones we use in the room.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿.

In our 4-day training, every marketer applies each tool directly to the brand they manage. By the end, they've built their own business review, positioning statement, brand plan, and creative brief, so they leave with work they can use the following week.

The coaching is designed to feel like having a VP in the room, with the same pressure, questions, and standards they'll face in leadership meetings. And because a shared playbook keeps the learning alive, every participant leaves with the book on their desk long after the session ends.

For individual marketers, the book is the best place to start:

📕 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RY3DNBP

For leaders who want to lift their whole team, here's how our training works, with Consumer, B2B, Retail, and Healthcare versions:

🚀 https://beloved-brands.com/marketing-training-program/

10/11/2026

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 "𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀."

I love that description, because it's close to why I wrote the book. Most brand managers learn the job by watching their boss and hoping they're picking up the right habits. Some get great coaching. Many get very little. And almost everyone ends up facing the same challenges, from a business review that buries the real issues, to a positioning statement that sounds like every competitor, to a creative brief that leads to forgettable advertising.

𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

📊 Run a deep-dive business review that pinpoints what's really holding your brand back

🧠 Ask the strategic thinking questions that sharpen your choices and open up new paths to growth

🎯 Build a brand positioning that blends functional and emotional benefits so your brand owns a space in the consumer's mind

📝 Write a one-page brand plan your whole organization can rally behind

🎨 Lead ex*****on with stronger creative briefs, better advertising decisions, and smarter innovation

It's built on 20+ years running brands at Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, and General Mills, plus what I've learned training marketing teams in more than 30 countries. Every chapter includes templates you can put to work on your own brand the same week.

Over 80% of Amazon reviews are 5 stars, and many readers tell me it stays on their desk long after they've finished it.

📦 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗼𝗻:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RY3DNBP

10/10/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲.

Under pressure, every marketer falls back on their natural style. Trouble starts when that style isn't right for the moment.

𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲.

𝟭. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸? Fast and intuitive, or slow and deep?

𝟮. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲? With rational logic, or with emotional gut instinct?

Put those together, and you get four marketing leadership styles:

🐱 The 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿 (slow and rational) sits back, watches, and then pounces with the right answer. Use it for key issues, positioning decisions, annual planning, and any moment the team is solving the wrong problem. Blind spot: overthinking when the team needs to move.

🐶 The 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿 (fast and emotional) brings boundless energy and pulls people into the vision. Use it for creative briefings, brainstorms, and launches. Blind spot: excitement can outrun the strategy.

🦋 The 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗿 (slow and emotional) works the room and brings everyone along. Use it for cross-functional launches, agency relationships, and senior approvals. Blind spot: chasing consensus can water down bold ideas.

🐝 The 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 (fast and rational) turns approvals into action, on time and on budget. Use it for campaign ex*****on and the Q4 crunch.

Your natural style is where you feel comfortable. The best marketers move between all four, depending on what the moment demands.

I compare it to racing. Slow down in the corners, where strategy lives, or you crash the car. Speed up on the straightaway of ex*****on, or you lose the race.

The same balance applies to how you decide. Lean too rational, and you miss the brand's magic. Lean too emotional, and you'll struggle to explain your strategy to anyone.

I'm Graham Robertson, and I run marketing training programs that sharpen how brand teams think, decide, and execute.

10/09/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗲, 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲.

I see too many marketers stuck on the product features.

They list ingredients, specs, and technology.

Those details matter to the people who built the product.

Consumers are asking a simpler question: what does this do for me?

Our Functional Benefits Cheat Sheet gives marketers 12 functional territories to explore, from Sensory Appeal and Saves You Money to Makes You Smarter and Helps You Be Healthier. Each one includes words that spark new thinking.

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

"𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁?"

Ask it again with each answer until you land on something the consumer would actually care about.

For Gray's Cookies, the feature is 3 net carbs.

The functional benefit is lower carbs to help you battle your cravings.

That benefit speaks to a real consumer problem, and it opens the door to the emotional benefit of staying in control.

Use the cheat sheet to widen your options. Write five to ten functional benefit statements, with each one starting with "It helps me…"

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:

Does it solve a problem the consumer cares about?
Can the product deliver it every time?
Is it different from what competitors already claim?
Do we have the proof points to back it up, such as data, expert support, or a demonstration?
Does it lead naturally to an emotional benefit?

The best functional benefit bridges what your product does and how it makes consumers feel. Pair it with your emotional benefit, consumer target, competitive frame, and reasons to believe, and you have the raw material for a clear brand positioning statement.

See our Functional Benefits Cheat Sheet and complete the brand positioning process: We also have a matching Emotional Benefits Cheat Sheet:

https://beloved-brands.com/brand-positioning/

I'm Graham Robertson, and I run marketing training programs that sharpen how brand teams think, decide, and execute.

10/08/2026

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗜 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀.

The Beloved Brands Mini MBA is built for that reality. It's 36 on-demand videos, about 20 hours in total, so you can learn in short sessions around a full workload. You also keep lifetime access, so you can come back to a module whenever a new challenge lands on your desk.

The course covers the five skills behind every strong marketing career: brand analytics, strategic thinking, brand positioning, brand planning, and marketing ex*****on. Each module includes readings from the Beloved Brands playbook and a workbook, so you can apply the ideas to your own brand as you go.

When you finish, you earn a certificate for your resume and LinkedIn profile.

"The Beloved Brands Mini MBA was a game-changer for me. It gave me confidence, sharpened my thinking, and helped me grow as both a brand leader and a marketer."
Joan Kariuki, Head of Marketing

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 $𝟰𝟵𝟱 𝗨𝗦𝗗, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝟭𝟬% 𝗼𝗳𝗳. 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗠𝗕𝗔 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲.

Enroll here: https://beloved-brands.com/mini-mba/

I'm Graham Robertson, and I run marketing training programs that sharpen how brand teams think, decide, and execute.

10/07/2026

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗴𝗮𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲.

Too many marketing leaders give broad feedback like "be more strategic" or "improve the quality of the plan." That leaves the marketer guessing what to fix.

A useful skills assessment breaks marketing capability into specific behaviors you can observe, score, and coach.

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝟮𝟬 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀:

1️⃣ 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀: Can your marketers dig into data to find growth opportunities, turn analysis into clear recommendations, lead a business review, and write a sharp performance report?

2️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: Can they define a better future for the brand, pin down the key issues, and write strategies the team can act on?

3️⃣ 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: Can they define a focused target backed by insights, turn features into functional and emotional benefits, and build a brand idea that steers every touchpoint?

4️⃣ 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: Can they link strategy to the financials and write a plan that wins approval?

5️⃣ 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Can they write a creative brief that sets up great work, make decisions that stay on strategy, and lead communications, innovation, and in-store across every channel?

Score each marketer from 1 to 5, and add specific comments based on work you've actually seen.

Then look across the whole team. Patterns show up fast. You may have strong executors who need help with strategy, planners who struggle to connect their recommendations to the financials, or brand managers who understand the data but can't find the story inside it.

Those patterns become your training agenda.

Our Beloved Brands Marketing Training builds all 20 skills. Your marketers apply each framework to the brand they manage, so they leave with real work already underway.

𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝟮𝟬 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀: https://beloved-brands.com/marketing-training-program/

I'm Graham Robertson, and I run marketing training programs that sharpen how brand teams think, decide, and execute.

Beloved Brands

10/13/2026

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