Marketing comes alive: My Sheffield journey

When I joined the MSc in Digital Marketing programme at Middlesex University, I expected it to be practical, but I didn’t realise just how experiential it would be until our eight-day residential trip to Sheffield. The city became our classroom and every organisation we visited offered a window into branding, community and creativity in action. Instead of reading case studies, we stepped inside them.

Experiencing Sheffield’s evolving identity

Our opening session, Sheffield Inspires, set the foundation. Mark Mobbs, Place Brand and Marketing Lead for Sheffield at Marketing Sheffield, shared how the city has reframed its identity, moving from a legacy of steel to a future built on creativity and culture. Hearing this while walking through the city made ‘place branding’ feel real, not theoretical.

That identity came alive in Kelham Island with Anders Hanson, the Founder and Tour Guide of Kelham Island Walks. A neighbourhood that was once heavily industrialized is now artistically fuelled by creative and independent businesses. The way he spoke about personal and organisational branding really made me think about how a person’s identity is formed through both the individual and the whole group.

Next, we had a chat with Joe Spriggs from Love Kelham, a Community Interest Company that is helping and promoting local businesses. He showed us how community-led branding grows through collaboration and storytelling, not just campaigns and how digital marketing becomes meaningful when it reflects real people.

The undeniable power of storytelling

One of the highlights of the trip was the stop at Yellow Arch Studios, known for fostering talent such as the Arctic Monkeys. Founder Andy Cook shared how their earliest branding was simply: “Find the yellow arch.” That playful mystery attracted creatives looking for something different. More than 25 years after its founding, the studio is still thriving thanks to its original creative spirit, which it continues to uphold, even as AI transforms industries.

At Yard Ball, we stepped into a nostalgic 90s-inspired football playground built inside an old depot. Founder Daniel Swales showed us how nostalgia can be reimagined into an experience people want to share. It was a reminder of how emotional connection drives engagement.

We also learned from:

• The National Emergency Services Museum, where Matt Wakefield highlighted the challenges of marketing independent non-profit museums.
• The National Videogame Museum, where Keighley Cowood explained how games foster communication, connection and STEAM learning.
• Supertram, where Nigel Wragg and Jasmine Thompson revealed what it takes to communicate with an entire city in real time.
• Rotherham United Community Trust, where Dan Wilson showed us how storytelling supports health, education and inclusion.

Each visit offered a different perspective on how purpose strengthens a brand.

What made this week special was how every lesson connected back to one idea: branding is built through people and place not just strategy. Each organisation had a strong sense of purpose and experiencing that up close deepened my understanding of what true branding looks like.

Learning through conversations

In fact, some of the most impactful learning took place outside the scheduled sessions. Conversations with classmates from different countries and professional backgrounds opened new ways of thinking. After each visit, our informal debriefs turned into discussions about strategy, audience behaviour and branding challenges.

Learning happened on shared tram rides, over meals where we exchanged stories from our cultures, during the late-night preparation for our Pecha Kucha presentation and through the rapport we built as a cohort

These moments made the experience richer and brought us closer together.

Looking ahead

Returning from Sheffield, I feel more confident in my path as a marketing student and future practitioner. This trip deepened my knowledge of community-led branding, experiential strategy and storytelling. It also made me remember why I chose this field: because marketing is like a bridge that connects people, places and potential. This week will be etched in my memory forever as one of the best moments of my time at Middlesex.

I owe it to the faculty of Middlesex University for this unforgettable experience and for continually encouraging us to explore marketing in the real world.

About the author

Yhuela Vinita Fernandes is a MSc Digital Marketing student at Middlesex University.