Branding is an important element for a product. When you establish brand of a product, say a car, you determine which ones of its many attributes are worth highlighting-- those that will differentiate your product from competition. So, for example, Volvo has branded what it builds as a ‘safe’ car and so those obsessed with safety will consider it when shopping for cars.
We also use branding to differentiate ourselves from the others. This personal branding is a natural thing to do unless and until we have gotten rid of our egos. We select one or more of our attributes and try to highlight them. This is done through how we project ourselves, what we do, what we say, and how we interact with people. The arguments we make, the subjects we select to discuss, and things we purchase are often meant to support the brand image we are trying to create and sustain.
The problem comes when people’s image of us does not agree with the one we are trying to portray. Again, thinking of cars, GM’s Pontiac was branded by its tag line ‘Pontiac brings excitement’. Well, the customers did not accept that branding. The car failed to differentiate itself from the ‘non-exciting’ brands and the whole division was shut down. (To be fair, perhaps it brought excitement in the 50s but not in the new century, so it was more of a problem of sustaining its brand.)
So it is with personal brand. We might want to brand ourselves as the rugged outdoors type by driving around in a Jeep. However, our other attributes and actions may leave the people we interact with not thoroughly convinced.
Thus, personal branding has at least two dimensions: (1) what we want people to think about us and (2) what people really think about us.
Another dimension is --- what really is the truth. We may not really be rich but want people to believe that we are. Even more interesting is the fourth dimension----even though we really are not rich by any measure, we think and truly believe that we are. This is the scary stuff, and often thought of as delusional.
I think of all this because soon I am off to India for my 40th reunion. I will meet people who I have not met for four decades. Most of us will see this as an opportunity to re-brand ourselves. The snotty kid of the past would re-brand himself as the savvy globetrotter. Efforts will be made to provide supporting evidence, leading to his brand becoming credible. Or, it would be seen as delusional diatribe by all but the most gullible.
In the end, it would not really matter. But, it will nevertheless be interesting to see how it all plays out.
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Hi Ashok, We marketing folks differentiate between "Brand" and "Branding". Brand is ALWAYS the perception that the others have about you (or your product or company) - independent of what you want or believe. Whereas, "Branding" is what you can do to create a desired perception in the minds of your target audience. For most people/companies/products there is often a gap between the brand that you desire and the real brand that you have (as perceived by others). Smaller the gap, higher the trust. In general, a good branding campaign re-enforces the perception of the real brand. A branding campaign to transform an existing brand image only works if there is a genuine change in the person/company/product - which the audience can see and verify.
ReplyDeletePS: I find the best approach to personal branding is to just ignore it and focus on doing what you genuinely like, want and believe in. Other people automatically notice your true self and that becomes your brand. In a professional setting, it does make sense to invest in branding to ensure that your audience perceives you quickly in the way you want them to.
ReplyDeleteSharad
I have confusing thoughts about this interesting topic. On one hand I hate to consider myself a product such as a toaster or microwave, but I can also see that we are also leavng an impression of who we are when we are around others.
ReplyDeleteOn the other side of the discussion, I am not sure that I try to ever portray who I am not. For example, taking your example: I don't think that I try to portray myself "richer than what I am". I don't se a point in this. If I am not comfortable in my 5'6" and 147 lbs frame, I will never be comfortable with million dollars and shining new cars. To me richness comes from your heart and how you treat others. I do not want to sound like Gandhi and I do not want to renounce all my worldly goods. However, I don't want the money as focal point in my life. Life is more than that. To me I feel rich when someone says "he touched my life" or he tried to make a difference.
My two cents.
Bharat