The life of a modern marketer isn’t short of challenges. With increasing pressure on short-term results, organisations often find comfort in plain, purely rational advertising.

But in reality, creativity can be a source of competitive advantage: a lever to drive business and brand equity growth.

In the LIONS Growth MBA (gMBA) – led by acclaimed marketer Fernando Machado – you’ll learn what it takes to consistently deliver great results through creativity. You’ll bridge the gap between creativity and business – with insights presented in a practical way, by industry-leading icons who’ve done the work, and delivered results.

As well as learning directly with Fernando Machado, you’ll get the chance to hear from hand-picked industry experts. Clients, agencies, artists, producers, filmmakers and more from around the globe – giving you first-hand access to the success stories from leading creatives, that’ll form the blueprint of your career.

LIONS | gMBA

Fernando Machado

Fernando Machado is a visionary global marketer with a passion for cultivating brands and driving business growth. Over the years, he has garnered a distinguished reputation for himself and the brands he's helmed, focusing on understanding consumers to create distinct propositions, innovation, design, and strategic marketing approaches.

With more than 200 Cannes Lions Awards and Creative Marketer & Brand Marketer of the year to his name, Fernando is known for pushing creative boundaries to drive business growth. His journey began as an intern, and he climbed the ranks across diverse product categories and brands. Notably, he led ground-breaking initiatives, including Dove’s revolutionary ‘Real Beauty Sketches’, Burger King’s Titanium Grand Prix winning ‘Whopper Detour’ and Gold Lion wins for the start-up NotCo with 'We Didn't Write This Campaign' & ‘Mayo Haters’.

“Grand brand genius”

Avatar

“Top 3 Most Influential CMO in the World”

Avatar

“Most Innovative CMO in the World”

Avatar

“Top 100 Most Creative People in Business”

Avatar

“Rockstar Chief Marketing”

Avatar

CMOs IN THE SPOTLIGHT: CANNES LIONS PALAIS II STAGE 2023

Who is this course for?

The LIONS gMBA gives you the tools to create, identify, nurture, develop, and measure results-driving creativity whether you’re:

  • Senior marketers

    Those working in the marketing departments of client-side organisations. Suitable for mid-to-senior levels – from brand managers wanting to level up, right up to VPs who want to supercharge their teams.

  • Strategic planners and creative teams

    Those working in mid-management strategic planning or creative positions in advertising agencies. Anyone wanting to have a better understanding of client side creative work, with a more structured view on the process of creating marketing with greater return on advertising spend.

  • We encourage clients and agencies to take the gMBA together if possible. The course is most effective when taken together as a partnership – to foster a common language and understanding of the topics we’ll explore, and accelerate your creative journey together.

Take your seat.

Ready to go? If you’re based in the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, and Italy and paying for your own place on this course, you can get started below.
 

Buy a place

Learn more.

Based outside of the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, and Italy, being funded by your company or interested in a group booking? We’re on hand to talk you through your options.

Get in touch

What does the programme look like?


The course is delivered in 11 modules over 12 weeks. With a masterclass approach covering a diverse array of topics week to week – your experience will be rooted in watching, reading and listening to the industry’s best. All tied together with weekly 1-hour video conferences, and optional content with a time commitment of up to 2 hours:

  • 11 modules (10 modules of learning, plus an extra ‘secret level’ module & one reading week)
  • 10 live weekly video conferences with Fernando, plus occasional guests
  • One to two interviews with global industry leaders per module
  • Additional materials (articles, books, podcasts) for each module
  • An exam to finalise your course learnings
  • Access to every future interview to further your learning – available to all LIONS gMBA graduates, forever

Modules

Brand positioning

Everything starts with having a clear definition of your brand’s value in the minds of consumers. This opening module provides a framework for creating
a compelling and differentiated positioning for brands of all sizes.

The brief

‘Give me the freedom of a tight brief.’ David Ogilvy recognised the beauty of simplicity, and the commercial impact that springs from a concisely articulated brief. Here, we’ll explore the principles behind the best briefs and the benefits of involving agencies in the process.

Creative criteria

Developing and critiquing creative work is an acquired skill. This chapter provides practical solutions and case studies to help you evaluate ideas in a systematic way.

Nurturing ideas

Fresh ideas are fragile and easy to kill. This module shows how to protect them, how to get comfortable with uncertainty and why saying ‘yes’ more often leads to unique and exciting concepts.

Craft

According to Sir John Hegarty, creative solutions are 80% idea and 80% execution. This module explores the relationship between the two, to prove the power of craft and the value of collaboration.

Product Innovation

Innovation drives equity growth and ensures brands remain relevant to consumers. In this module, we’ll delve into the role of research, see how to mitigate risk while innovating and learn why connecting your positioning to your product is so important.

Brand design

Visual identity is a key way for brands to express their positioning and increase consumer desire. This chapter explores the influence of design, how best to deploy it and how to bring stakeholders with you on the journey.

Partners & creators

The creator economy continues to reshape the marketing landscape. As audiences increasingly gravitate towards authentic, peer-created content this module pinpoints how to choose the right influencer to work with and how to collaborate for that magic ‘2+2=5’ effect.

Research & measurement

Standout creativity drives business results. This module provides an efficient methodology for demonstrating this fact, as well as showcasing success stories, exploring the concept of present and future demand, and how best to define KPIs.

How to suck less as a client

How have certain brands built a reputation for groundbreaking products and consistently courageous campaigns? The answer is: relationships. This module unpacks the secrets behind successful client-agency partnerships and shows why empathy and trust can drive superior business results.

Take the course and find out – Secret Module details are only revealed upon completion of Module 10.

Why choose this course?

  • Your practical toolkit | Frameworks, processes, tips. The gMBA leaves you with everything you need to prove the power of creativity and apply it to your work for business growth.

  • Dedicated facetime | You’ll get the time you need to interact with Fernando Machado and special guests – to discuss points which are specific to your learning, and quickly get through any blockers.

  • A faster path to success | By learning from people who’ve been there and done it, you’ll discover more successful ways to develop your creativity and get your ideas across the line.

  • Your LIONS gMBA certificate | You’ll leave the course with an official certification. Signifying the time you put in, and solidifying your commitment to making creative marketing that delivers tangible results.

When you complete the LIONS gMBA, you’ll be able to explain:

  • How to define your brand in a persuasive way
  • How to write a brief that actually drives creativity and gets results
  • How to evaluate, and evolve, any idea (even the ones scribbled on napkins)
  • A great campaign is 80% idea, 80% execution
  • How to innovate and keep growing
  • How to build demand today, and tomorrow
  • How to measure performance in a way that convinces your CEO that creativity works
  • How to become the kind of client every creative wants to work with

Transform your career.

Learning opportunities from LIONS offer a blend of theory and practical elements from globally-known practitioners
– leaving you ready to progress your career in creativity.
Learn with LIONS
Black on grey branded LIONS Learning banner featuring the slogan
The Course (and any Course Materials) is not accredited by any university or accreditation body. If you need an official course credit, this programme may not be the right option at this time.