Foundations of Brand Meaning and Equity

Sage Publications introduces brand meaning as something shaped by organizations, users and culture. Brand equity leads into methods for understanding awareness, associations and authenticity. It suits learners who want to connect brand concepts with research questions and distinguish what an organization intends to communicate from what different audiences actually perceive.

What you will learn

• Explore how people and culture shape brand meaning.
• Explain brand equity and authenticity.
• Compare research approaches for customer perceptions.

Who this suits

Beginners and marketing practitioners building a conceptual foundation. Sage states that prior brand-management experience is not required.

Before you enroll

Compare the course emphasis with your goal: brand strategy, customer experience, personal identity and visual design are different kinds of work. Use the published syllabus to check which one is taught. Brand examples illustrate a decision process; they do not promise revenue, valuation or audience growth for another organization.

Coursera offers paid enrollment or subscription access. Check the enrollment screen for assessment and certificate terms, trials and any financial-aid options. Provider access terms can change; review them before paying.

Put it into practice

Write three research questions for a fictional brand: one about awareness, one about associations and one about authenticity. Explain whether an interview, survey or observation would provide useful evidence for each.

Source and review

This overview is based on the provider's published information, checked on 12 October 2026. It is an editorial assessment, not a claim that we completed the resource. Time filters are approximate study ranges; projects and exercises can take longer.

View the curriculum and current access options at Coursera.

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