DM411
Strategic Messaging for Start-Ups and Entrepreneurs
Faculty
Bonnie Rothman
Founder & President at Company B
Course length
Duration
Total hours
Credits
Language
Course type
Fee for single course
Fee for degree students
Skills you’ll learn
Overview
The trick to getting people to believe in you and your company is to show them why they should care. Clear, concise, compelling messages delivered consistently are the keys to success. But the same message doesn’t work everywhere; context and audience matter.
To learn how to make audiences into believers, students will scrutinize how iconic brands and successful start-ups master messaging. They’ll look at big successes and notable flops in pitch decks, strategic partnerships, news announcements, social media posts, experiences, and presentations.
Throughout the class, students will work on designing messages for their projects. They’ll test the impact through exercises and in-class presentations, ending our module by presenting “Brand Briefs.”
Learning highlights
- Communicate purposeful and goal‐driven communications across a range of tactics and for specific audiences.
- Demonstrate an understanding of how the world’s best brands create and use strategic messages by analysing best practices — and failures!
- Develop the “muscle memory” to be a strategic thinker.
- Go on a brand safari to observe how brands communicate value in the “wild”.
- Practice delivering your messages through interviews, presentations, and discussions.
Course outline
15 classes
Session 1
What’s the big idea? Why messages matter.
Session 2
Who are you for? Defining your audience. Understanding your competitors.
Session 3
How brands are built and share messages. From mission, vision, and values to brand strategy
Session 4
Building positioning statements. Exploring tone of voice.
Due: Foundation #1 Target Personas + Competitive Audit
Session 5
About statements and key messages.
Session 6
Field trip: brand safari
Session 7
Strategy vs. Tactics Brand safari presentations.
Session 8
Your Brand Story Messaging your products.
Due: Foundation #2 Positioning statements
Session 9
Pitch Decks: messaging to investors and board members.
Session 10
Messaging through influencers. Guest Speaker: Riety Pahn, Thai influencer with over 1 MM followers.
Session 11
Visual messaging.
Due: Foundation #3 Brand messaging framework
Session 12
Sharing your message with the media.
Due: Final presentation topic briefs
Session 13
Messaging + Strategic Partnerships
Session 14
Brand brief sessions, Day #1 Final Presentations: Delivering your messages at an “industry conference”
Session 15
Brand brief sessions, Day #2, Final Presentations: Delivering your
Prerequisites
A healthy curiosity for how successful people and businesses share their stories and why they resonate.
Methodology
We will learn through case studies, lectures, in-class exercises, oral presentations, and a field trip.
Students will be required to explore one global brand throughout the class and will work individually on their own brand messages.
For class assignments and final presentations, each student will develop a strategic message plan for either their start-up or an emerging brand.
Week One: How the best brands build their messaging foundations and use them for marketing and communications.
Week Two: How to message for different audiences so everyone knows what you stand for.
Week Three: Delivering Messages live and in person – from the pitch deck to influencers and strategic partnerships to the panel discussion.
Grading
Bonnie Rothman is a public relations professional, former journalist, and screenwriter who helps forward-thinking organizations, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits tell remarkable stories that drive influence and value. Known for her creativity and innovation, she’s helped brands such as eBay, Payoneer, Kaplan, and Blood Cancer United. In a sold-out Storytelling Fire-Up! workshops, Bonnie helps C-suite executives, entrepreneurs, and communications and marketing leaders use stories to drive influence.
Bonnie was a frequent contributor to The New York Times. When she wrote screenplays, she was helped by Academy Award®-winning screenwriter/director Nora Ephron.
See full profileApply for this course
Strategic Messaging for Start-Ups and Entrepreneurs
by Bonnie Rothman
Total hours
45 Hours
Dates
May 18 - Jun 05, 2026
Fee for single course
€1500
Fee for degree students
€750
How to secure your spot
Complete the form below to kickstart your application
Schedule your Harbour.Space interview
If successful, get ready to join us on campus
FAQ
Will I receive a certificate after completion?
Yes. Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate signed by the director of the program your course belonged to.
Do I need a visa?
This depends on your case. Please check with the Spanish or Thai consulate in your country of residence about visa requirements. We will do our part to provide you with the necessary documents, such as the Certificate of Enrollment.
Can I get a discount?
Yes. The easiest way to enroll in a course at a discounted price is to register for multiple courses. Registering for multiple courses will reduce the cost per individual course. Please ask the Admissions Office for more information about the other kinds of discounts we offer and what you can do to receive one.