Professional Certificate in Sport Marketing and Brand Management Blended Heerenveen

introduction

A strategic program for athletes and sport professionals who want to shape the commercial future of sport organizations.

The Professional Certificate in Sport Marketing and Brand Management is designed for ambitious athletes and sport professionals who want to accelerate their transition into commercial, marketing and leadership roles within modern sport organizations.

Grounded in the philosophy of Johan Cruyff and built on strategic marketing principles, the program focuses on making and defending high-impact decisions at the intersection of fan engagement, brand management value and commercial performance.

While particularly relevant for transitioning athletes, the program also brings together sport executives and functional specialists in marketing, finance and operations, creating a high-quality learning environment that reflects real-world decision dynamics in sport.

We offer a Cruyff-inspired, decision-driven sports business program that equips ambitious athletes and sports professionals to make and defend the commercial and brand decisions that shape modern sport organizations.

ONLINE INFORMATION SESSION: April 30, 2026 at 7PM. > Sign up!

Objectives

Create space. Drive better decisions. Build winning brands.

The program follows a clear and logical learning journey based on three core pillars of marketing and brand management:

DIAGNOSIS

• Market Orientation: Understanding what brands exist and why, how markets and fans behave, and the principles of modern brand management.
• Market Research: Collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data to understand markets and audiences.
• Segmentation: Analyzing markets, fans, brands, and Sports Strategy.

STRATEGY

• Targeting: Short- and long-term goals, market selection, and the marketing funnel.
• Positioning: Segmentation, brand growth and success, and brand differentiation.
• Brand Codes: From differentiation to distinctiveness.
• Brand Objectives: Funnel building and brand strategy goals.

EXECUTION

• Activating Brands: 4Ps and brand consistency.
• Engaging Fans: Connecting with audiences and managing commercial outcomes.
• Budgeting: Zero-based budgeting (CAAP) and brand tracking (research).

This structure reflects the frameworks used by leading sport organizations and practitioners in their daily decision-making.

Aimed at

The Professional Certificate in Sport Marketing and Brand Management is right for you, if you are a:

• Professional in (sports) marketing, branding and/or a commercial role, who wants to give their career a boost.
• Manager or staff member of a sports club, federation or competition, who wants to develop a better understanding or a strategic approach to sports marketing and brand management.
• Consultant or employee in the business or entertainment sector, who wish to deepen their expertise or specialize in sports marketing and branding.
• (Former) elite athlete, aspiring to take on a management role within the sports industry.
• Individual with a passion for sport, who wants to gain a structured and practical understanding of sports marketing and brand management.

After completing the program, participants will be able to:

• Diagnose brand and market situations in sport organizations
• Make explicit and coherent strategic choices
• Understand the consequences of those choices in execution, governance and financial performance
• Translate theory into real-life decision-making within sport organizations

The program acts as a strategic bridge between theory and practice, firmly grounded in the reality of sport organizations in the Netherlands.

ADMISSION PROCEDURE

Please complete the sign up form if you are interested in studying this program. There are no formal academic prerequisites for this course; however, some professional experience and relevant skills are recommended. The languages of instruction are English and Dutch, and participants are expected to be proficient in both languages.

Program

KICK-OFF SESSION (IN DUTCH)
On campus session, 3 hours (September 3, 2026)

• Introduction to the academic legacy of Johan Cruyff.
• Breaking the ice & cohort connection.
• Introduction to the program structure, expectations and learning journey.

The kick-off session sets the tone of the program and introduces the philosophy of Johan Cruyff as a way of thinking about sport, leadership and decision-making.

ONLINE COURSES (IN ENGLISH)

ON CAMPUS APPLIED SESSIONS (IN DUTCH)
The focus of these sessions is on hands-on application, discussion and decision-making, rather than on revisiting theoretical content. We will translate academic frameworks into real-life strategic choices within the Dutch sports context.

• Fan Engagement (January 14, 2027)
• Sport Marketing (January 21, maybe January 15, 2027)
• Brand Management (January 28, maybe January 16, 2027)

The on campus sessions are built around contrasting real-life cases, illustrating different levels of brand maturity, business models and market scope:

FOOTBALL CASES

• PSV Eindhoven & Brainport Eindhoven: Brand strategy, international positioning and stakeholder alignment
• sc Heerenveen & WOLKOM: Community-driven branding, authenticity and long-term brand building
• FC Groningen & Hero Club – third jersey: Brand activation, fan monetization and the balance between revenue and brand equity
• FC Barcelona & Spotify: Global brand partnerships, cultural relevance and strategic risk

BEYOND FOOTBALL
Selected cases from speed skating and Olympic sports are used to contrast club-based brands with athlete-centric models, highlighting differences in fan engagement, sponsorship dependency and brand control and governance.

Learning model

The Professional Certificate in Sport Marketing and Brand Management puts you at the center of your education through a learning by doing methodology. We encourage collaborative work and transfer the content to specific situations in sport marketing and brand management (connective teaching methodologies and social constructivism). Our faculty of expert professors and tutors will guide you in the learning process, providing high quality training combined with the flexibility of online study.

PERSONALIZED TUTORING

The academic team will support you throughout the program, helping you to expand your knowledge and keep pace with the program requirements and content. For each module, you will have one or two professors, depending on the particular module, and they will give you support so you are able to achieve the learning objectives. You will also have the support of a coordinator who will monitor your performance and learning throughout the academic program.

Communication and queries will be handled by:

• E-mail: reply within a maximum of 24 hours.
• Support via chat / call / video conference.

BENEFITS

• Learning 3.0: flexible schedules, different learning environments and technologies.
• World-class faculty: interaction with expert faculty and industry professionals.
• Collaborative tools, teamwork, communication and debate.
• Sports-industry oriented: training that approaches the business sector of the sports industry.
• Learning from experience: designed for professional improvement.

Faculty

The teaching team for this program combines experienced educators with active professionals from the sports sector, who are experts in their fields and connected to sports institutions and organizations.

The program also includes in-person sessions, company visits, and learning spaces led by top professionals, aimed at adding value, fostering real connections, and enriching your education from a practical, up-to-date perspective.

Lukas Dorda works as Associate Academic Director at Johan Cruyff Institute. He is a seasoned multilingual executive with over 15 years of international experience in the sports industry, bringing deep expertise in sports marketing, fan engagement, and sponsorship. He has led impactful collaborations with top-tier sports organizations, global brands, and governing bodies across Europe. He pursues a PhD in Sports Science where his research on fan engagement reflects a strong commitment to connecting academic insights with real-world practice and strengthening his expertise in the dynamic field of sports business.

Eugenia Károlyi Popcev is a multilingual sports broadcaster and content strategist specializing in global football coverage and brand storytelling. She has worked as a pitch reporter, commentator, and content editor across major international competitions, creating live and digital content that connects with global audiences. She holds a Master in Football Business in partnership with FC Barcelona at the Johan Cruyff Institute, combining strategic expertise with hands-on media and brand experience.

Folkert van der Heide is a Registered Marketer (RM) and Brand & Commercial Strategy Advisor with over twenty years of experience across FMCG, B2B, and sport. As Head of Marketing (interim, fractional, and consultancy), he partners with executive teams to drive brand and commercial transformation, sharpen positioning, and deliver sustainable growth. He has worked with leading organizations including Nolet Distillery, Coca-Cola, Iglo, Cruyff Education, and professional football clubs such as sc Heerenveen and sc Cambuur, and also lectures in strategic (sport) marketing at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and Johan Cruyff Institute.

Student services

PERSONALIZED COACHING FOR YOUR CAREER GROWTH

You’ll benefit from personalized coaching that helps you turn what you learn into real professional progress.
After the second module, you’ll have an individual online session to reflect on your goals and career direction. Later, during a collective in-person session at Esade, you’ll exchange experiences with peers and refine your strategic focus to build your future in the sports industry.

LEARNING 3.0
Diverse learning environments and technologies.

WORLD-CLASS FACULTY
Access to expert teachers and active industry professionals.

COLLABORATIVE TOOLS, TEAMWORK, COMMUNICATION, AND DEBATE
Develop essential soft skills through active participation, shared projects, and constructive dialogue.

SPORTS-INDUSTRY ORIENTED
Bringing education closer to the realities of the sports business.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Designed to support professional growth.

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