A Liberal Arts Introduction to Marketing and Brand Strategy Brands surround us: Middlebury, Google, Coke. Even you are a brand. But what is a brand? How do consumers make brand choices? And what defines the market of competing brands? In this course we will explore the fundamentals of marketing strategy and branded communications through the lens of a liberal arts education spanning psychology, geography, economics, neuroscience and art history. We will discuss a range of brand cases along with a selective reading list including the gruesome story of Vermont railway worker Phineas Gage, Daniel Kahneman’s classic Thinking Fast & Slow, and cartoonist Scott McCloud’s guide to making comics.  Tom Palmer graduated from Middlebury in 1985 (as did his wife Heather Henderson Palmer) with a double major in Economics and Geography and a concentration in Modern Art History. That blend of disciplines has been instrumental in his business success, and it is the inspiration for this course proposal.  He thanks his friend and Middlebury advisor, Bob Churchill, for inspiring him to learn for the love of learning and to teach for the love of teaching. As they say in advertising, Bob Churchill was the “pivot” in the story of his Middlebury experience./

Thomas Palmer

Reviews and ratings for Thomas Palmer at Middlebury College.Thomas Palmer teaches Marketing & Brand Strategy and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Thomas Palmer good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

Palmer was a great professor. He's a Midd alum, and clearly loves all things Middlebury. He's dedicated to the field of Marketing, and provides tons of resources that can be applicable both in class and in real world settings. Given Middlebury doesn't have a business/marketing focused major, this is definitely a great class to take if you have any interest in the field!

I really enjoyed this class. The material was interesting, and the professor was great. The only hard thing was the three-hour classes. This class would be even better if we had more projects and presentations rather than lectures.