Case Study:
SANS Institute
Duration
6-Month Faculty Branding Initiative
Industry
Cybersecurity & Professional Education
Scope
Strategic Authority Positioning & Digital Brand Architecture
Overview
SANS Institute engaged B/Rae Branding to support a strategic faculty branding initiative designed to elevate instructors as visible authorities within the cybersecurity industry.
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While SANS maintains a globally respected institutional brand, leadership identified an opportunity to strengthen instructors’ individual positioning — enhancing professional visibility, increasing speaking engagement opportunities, and reinforcing credibility across digital platforms.
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Founder Brittney Rae Reese partnered with participating instructors to clarify authority positioning, with the B/Rae Branding team leading digital strategy, visual system development, and asset execution to align expertise with visibility.
Strategic Engagement
STRATEGIC FOCUS
The engagement centered on:
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Clarifying individual authority positioning within the cybersecurity landscape
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Translating technical expertise into compelling personal brand narratives
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Conducting comprehensive LinkedIn, Twitter, and website audits
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Designing cohesive visual identity systems aligned with each instructor’s niche
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Developing branded one-page authority documents for speaking, networking, and professional outreach
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The initiative focused on identity infrastructure, ensuring clarity and cohesion before execution.
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Minimal institutional branding was incorporated intentionally, allowing instructors to stand independently while maintaining strategic affiliation with SANS.
EXECUTIVE IMPACT
Through structured brand strategy and collaborative design execution, participating faculty achieved:
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Elevated digital professionalism
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Clearer authority positioning in specialized cybersecurity domains
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Cohesive alignment across social and web platforms
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Increased readiness for speaking and media opportunities
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Greater confidence in representing their expertise publicly
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Participant satisfaction was unanimous, with the majority rating services 5/5 and expressing willingness to recommend B/Rae Branding.
While measurable downstream outcomes (e.g., speaking invitations, course enrollment growth) were still emerging at project close, the initiative established a durable brand infrastructure designed to support sustained authority expansion.
ENGAGEMENT MODEL
This initiative reflects a structured, strategy-led brand-elevation model that combines executive leadership with collaborative creative execution. The model ensured instructors left not just with designed assets, but with a clearly defined authority narrative supported by cohesive brand systems.