So, You Want to Become a Brand Education Director?
Brand education is a unique career: many people don't even realize that it's a thing! But once you're in, you realize it's one of the most strategic and rewarding roles in a company.
It's not just about training people. It's about creating alignment between marketing, sales, and education so that everyone—whether they're a customer, retail associate, influencer, or internal team member—can understand, believe in, and confidently sell your brand.
I didn't start my career in a traditional way (I'm actually a classically trained actor!), but I naturally gravitated toward teaching, storytelling, and connecting the dots between products, marketing, and consumer behavior. Over time, I realized that the better a brand educates its stakeholders, the faster it grows and the more it sells.
If you're curious about becoming a Brand Education Director, this post will cover:
What the role actually involves
The skills you need to succeed
How to adjust training for different audiences
Why making your education easy to find is just as important as the content itself
And in Part 2, I'll dive deeper into:
How to structure training for retention (LMS, slides, videos, and engagement tools)
How to measure the impact of your education strategy
The biggest mistakes brand education directors make (and how to avoid them)
Let's start with the foundations.
What Does a Brand Education Director Actually Do?
This job is a blend of strategy, training, content creation, and psychology. You're not just teaching people about products—you're making sure they can understand and communicate the brand's value in a way that drives action.
Depending on the company, this role may involve:
Training internal and retail sales teams
Developing learning materials (sell sheets, education decks, brand story guides)
Creating educational content (videos, masterclasses, webinars, short-form social education)
Leading workshops and live retailer trainings (often internationally)
Aligning marketing and sales teams to ensure messaging is clear and consistent
Working with influencers and ambassadors to ensure they are actually selling, not just promoting
The Key to Success? Understanding that brand education isn't just about teaching—it's about creating influence.
The Skills You Need to Succeed
This isn't a role where you can fake your way through. You need to be able to:
Explain complex concepts in an engaging, simple way
Adapt training on the fly depending on your audience
Think strategically about how education fuels revenue
Create education materials that people actually use
Let's break it down.
1. Content Creation (For Learning, Not Just Marketing)
Your job is to make people retain and act on information. That means creating:
Video scripts for training and social media
Engaging, well-structured presentations
Sales and education guides
Interactive workshops
Pro Tip: Get comfortable using Canva, Google Slides, or Powerpoint, but also think beyond slides. What would actually help someone remember and use this information?
2. On-Camera & Public Speaking Skills
If you're camera-shy, it's time to get comfortable.
You will be recording training videos, leading workshops, and possibly hosting live events.
How to Improve:
Practice reading from a teleprompter while sounding natural
Keep your energy high without feeling forced
Film yourself explaining a product, watch it back, adjust, and repeat
3. Understanding How Adults Learn
People don't learn by reading long PDFs. They learn through engaging, well-structured experiences.
Microlearning: People absorb information better in short, focused bursts
The Forgetting Curve: If people don't apply what they've learned, they'll forget it
Storytelling & Emotional Learning: People remember stories, not facts—so make your training compelling
Where to Learn: Look into Instructional Design & Adult Learning Theory. Free YouTube videos are a great place to start!
4. Adjusting Training for Different Audiences
You could have the best training in the world, but if it doesn't feel relevant to your audience, they won't care.
How to Make Training More Engaging:
Ask open-ended questions to gauge their comfort levels
Never talk down to anyone—whether you're training a new retail associate or a C-suite executive, invite them into the conversation
Turn learners into brand advocates—make the information useful for them, not just for your brand
Making Education Accessible Is Just as Important as the Content
You could create the most engaging, well-researched, beautifully designed training materials ever... but if no one can find them, they're worthless.
Common Mistakes:
Training materials buried deep in Google Drive folders
Overloaded LMS systems that no one wants to log into
Education that's too long, too complicated, or too outdated
How to Make Your Education Easy to Find & Use:
Centralize your materials. Keep a simple, well-organized hub for easy access.
Use multiple formats. Training decks, short videos, one-pagers—meet people where they are.
Prioritize just-in-time learning. People don't need to memorize everything—they just need to know where to find it when they need it.
Pro Tip: Next time you create training, ask yourself: "Could someone find this and use it within 30 seconds?" If not, rethink how you're organizing your materials.
What's Next? Part 2: The Advanced Guide to Brand Education Strategy
In Part 2, I'll break down:
How to structure training for retention (LMS, slides, videos, engagement checks)
How to measure the impact of brand education (KPIs, sales lift, engagement rates)
The biggest mistakes brand education directors make (and how to fix them)
Take Action & Build Your Brand Education Career
If you're serious about breaking into brand education, here's what to do next:
Comment Below: What's your biggest challenge in brand education right now? Let's troubleshoot together.
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