Professor John Balmer
Honorary Professor - BBS

Teaching

Professor Balmer is a consummate, and well-known, educationalist and PhD supervisor. In 2021 he was formally commended by the Dean for his exemplary teaching. He conceived and developed the MBA, MSc, and BA (Honours) electives in corporate identity/corporate branding and corporate marketing at Strathclyde Business School (where he was the Director of the International Centre for Corporate Identity Studies) and at Bradford School of Management and has also done the same apropos corporate marketing courses at postgraduate and undergraduate levels. Notably, he also ran executive-level MBA electives on corporate marketing for organisations such as the BBC, and Emirates Airways at Bradford School of Management. 

From 2010-2020 he was the Director of the Marketing & Corporate Brand Research Centre/Group at Brunel University and was the first Director of the landmark MSc in Corporate Brand Management at Brunel Business School and oversaw the development and introduction of the MSc in Applied Corporate Brand Management at Brunel Business School London. (This is the first course of its kind in the world). In 2022 he will lead a new postgraduate elective on corporate brand heritage which, again, is believed to be a world first.

PhD Programme (Contributor to the Research Methods Course for First Year Doctoral Students)

STUDENT INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT, APPLIED ACTIVITIES AND NOTABLE GUEST LECTURERS

Since my first academic appointment in the late 1980s I developed a reputation for innovative teaching, especially in relation to "real life" course work and contributors from leading figures from industry, consultancy, and the academy. This tradition has continued at Brunel Business School. For example, postgraduate corporate brand students have, in recent years, have, in most instances, undertaken "real life" assignments. Notably, I conceived, developed, and organised notable real life company projects. This involved contacting senior managers, liaising with them and detailing schedules of activities. Often senior managers were invited to sit in on student presentations and their feedback was of particular value to students.

Examples

• 2021 The Cooperative Bank (corporate brand consultancy and management course). 
• 2020 The Youth Hostel Association (corporate brand consultancy and management course). I oversaw the arrangements for a two day field research visit to the Brighton Youth Hostel
• 2019 Caledonian Sleeper (Railway) Service (corporate brand consultancy and management course). I oversaw the arrangements for a 3-day field research visit (on the sleeper train, one night accommodation and flight back to London) to Fort William & Inverness which included a visit to the Caledonian Sleeper Headquarters.
• 2018 The Cambridge Satchel Company. (corporate brand consultancy and management course)
• 2017 Gieves and Hawkes of Saville Row (corporate brand consultancy and management course)
• 2014 The Cooperative Retail Group (corporate brand consultancy and management course)
• 2013 London Taxis (corporate brand consultancy and management course)

Earlier real life assignments included: the House of Fraser; E Tautz and Co.

Guest Speakers

• 2019 Mr Andrew Martin. Celebrated railway authority, author, broadcaster and commentator
• 2017 Professor Stephen A Greyser. Distinguished Harvard Business School scholar, corporate communications authoriy and former Chairman of the Board of Senior Consultant Editors at Harvard Business Review.

Earlier, highly notable, speakers have included: David Bernstein (author and father of corporate communications); the Chairman of Interbrand; The Managing Director of Saffron Corporate Brand Consultancy etc.