Branding Yourself

Branding, in olden days, was associated with hot iron, burnt flesh and cattle. Though we tend to brand everything under the sun, when it comes to branding oneself, people find the concept nauseating and unpleasant. The idea that one can be construed as a product does not sit comfortably for many, and thus the idea that people should be treated as “brands” seems too commercial a way of thinking to be relevant to most individuals.

There are many reasons for branding yourself, 1) you set yourself apart from the crowd, 2)you can position your focused message in the hearts and minds of your family, society and workplace, 3) you will ensure top of the mind recall in your audience's minds, 4) it creases your authority and will result in better acceptance of your decisions, 5) places you in a leadership role, 6) it enhances your standing amongst peers and friends, 7) attracts the right people and right opportunities, 8) adds perceived value to what you are selling, mostly ideas and 9) earns you recognition.

The goal of personal branding is to take the best aspects of branding theory and apply them to the marketing of individuals. The idea is simply to ensure a match between the goals of the individual and the market place needs. Personal branding deals with how the individual is represented in the marketplace, the level of awareness held and the things (feelings, images, perceptions, expectations) people associate with that individual. You have to constantly monitor awareness levels and control the way in which you are perceived by the marketplace, and maintain strong associations with desirable aspects and other events. It also calls for you to be consistent in the way you present yourself to the public and family.

Like any successful brand, you, as an individual, should possess a clear differentiator, the absence of which will result in you being treated as a commodity.

A personal brand can be defined as “a personal identity that stimulates precise, meaningful perceptions in its audience about the values and qualities that person stands for”

There are some crucial elements to creating a successful brand 'you'

1. Specialisation – Concentrating on a core strength. One thing that sets you apart from others and not replicable.
2. Leadership – Desirable. You need to be perceived as a leader by others. But remember, if you do not possess leadership qualities, but are a good number 2, ensure that you have the leadership status in the number 2 slot - in short, you are a damn good number 2
3. Personality – You have a unique personality with flaws. Leverage it.
4. Visibility – repetition is the key to developing a broad number of associations in the mind of the audience, and making yourself memorable. Seeing a brand continuously reinforces that the brand is good or powerful. For many people awareness equates to perceived quality, that is, they think it is good because they know it.
5. Consistency– The person must adhere to the brand at all times. People look for consistency that in turn leads to reliability
6. Nurturing – Any brand takes time to grow and must be nurtured. Developing a personal brand will take time, nurturing and consistency. Don’t change the brand abruptly
but be patient.
7.Augmentation - The brand needs to be augmented over a period of time and this has to be consistent with the original brand as otherwise repositioning will cause an erosion of brand equity. Upgrade your skill sets, behavioural patters over time.
8. Positive Energy - Ensure that you are being viewed as a positive person

You as a brand must be distinctive, consistent, based on strengths which are not easy to
copy, visible, unique, and seen positively.

Go on and brand yourself.