Belfast, Maine — A professional development program, Branding, Why It Matters in Your Organization and How to Map It Strategically, will be offered May 4 at the University of Maine Hutchinson Center.

Entrepreneurs and CEO’s; management in start-ups, established businesses and profit and nonprofit organizations political campaign strategists; and marketing and public relations managers will benefit from this comprehensive program.

It has been said that if you don’t brand yourself, someone else will do it for you. The program takes a strategic approach to branding, focusing on why branding matters in organizations — not only in the formative stages but also to sustain and progress longevity, in all areas. Participants will analyze how branding and the how-to art of branding are essential to an organization and its culture.

Participants will learn:
• Why it is important to map and audit brand.
• Key elements of brand development.
• How to translate values into branding components and a strong brand identity. • How to integrate the essence of a brand with communication strategies.
• How to build campaigns that align with a brand.

Program presenter Elaine Potoker has over 35 years of work experience in management, sales, and marketing in the United States and select overseas markets. Since 1993, she has been the owner and managing director of Interloqui®, a consulting firm that provides assistance in business assessment, organizational development, international marketing, branding, workforce training and performance measurement. A published author on marketing, strategic management, and human resource development, Potoker is Professor Emeritus of the School of International Business and Logistics at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine.

The program, from 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. will include a continental breakfast and catered lunch. The fee is $125 per person. Need-based scholarships are available.

For more information, to register, request an accommodation or scholarship application, contact Diana McSorley, 338.8093, diana.mcsorley@maine.edu.

The Hutchinson Center, an outreach center of the University of Maine, is committed to offering high-quality professional development programs to the greater midcoast Maine community.

About the University of Maine:
The University of Maine, founded in Orono in 1865, is the state’s land grant and sea grant university. As Maine’s flagship public university, UMaine has a statewide mission of teaching, research and economic development, and community service. UMaine is among the most comprehensive higher education institutions in the Northeast and attracts students from Maine and 49 other states, and 67 countries. It currently enrolls 11,240 total undergraduate and graduate students who can directly participate in groundbreaking research working with world-class scholars. The University of Maine offers 35 doctoral programs and master’s degrees in 85 fields; more than 90 undergraduate majors and academic programs; and one of the oldest and most prestigious honors programs in the U.S. The university promotes environmental stewardship, with substantial efforts campuswide aimed at conserving energy, recycling and adhering to green building standards in new construction. For more information about UMaine, visit umaine.edu.