Thursday, November 6, 2014

Branding and what it means to you

Branding is extremely important whether it’s your own personal branding or a company’s branding.  The #SocialHokies4264 reading for next week is about branding and I’m going to spend this time blogging about branding and it’s importance.

The article, The Complete Guide to Building Your Personal Brand, by Neil Patel & Aaron Agius informs readers that branding isn’t just for companies. The article starts off about a story of one of the writers as a boy riding in a car and associating the golden arches on the highway to McDonald’s. Whenever he saw the golden arches he begged his parents to stop for a happy meal. McDonald’s had their brand engraved in his mind at a young age. McDonald’s does well with their branding, when people see golden arches they automatically think of McDonald’s. Companies, who brand right, usually have a successful long lasting business that resonates well with consumers. 

Personal branding is the same as branding a company. Patel and Agius argue that branding is “a symbol, design, name, sound, reputation, emotion, employees, tone, and much more”. When thinking about your personal branding, ask yourself what sets you apart from your coworkers or other job applicants. Patel and Agius point out that your unique qualities and what you can offer to the company are what sets you apart. Go into the job interview prepared with what you can do for the company that other applicants might not be able to do as well.

Once you brand yourself, establishing what you want in a job and what you can offer will become easier. Stick true to yourself and pull out your best qualities to shine. Remember, branding isn’t just for companies it is also for you!  



4 comments:

  1. This is a great blog post! I have been trying to figure this out for myself this semester. I know that I am different, everyone is different, but I picture myself in a job interview setting and not knowing how to describe how I am different. I need to do a bit of reading up on this stuff myself and figure out how to describe myself in a few words... also an "elevator speech" needs to be something that rolls off my tongue quickly and easily.
    It's also cool you are in sports marketing! Such a fun group of people. Our locker room is right by your office, so I always like getting to see the people you work with. I will look for you !!

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  2. Hi Kaitlin!

    This is some really great advice on personal branding. I really like what you said about going into a job interview prepared to set yourself apart from other candidates. It is so important to know what you have to offer a company that others may not.

    Monica

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  3. Hey Kaitlin,
    This is such a great article. The thought of creating a personal brand is such an interesting topic to me. I feel like it is so daunting to start but once you really figure out what sets you apart and the things you want to highlight it starts to become easier. I am currently applying for a promotion at work and I am really thinking about how to brand myself in my interview to set myself apart from the other people in my position. I think instances like these are where personal branding really is important and relevant.

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  4. I love this. It's especially relevant after our class discussion on Tuesday. Branding is kind of an anomaly. You know it when you see it, but nobody can really say what it is. But I love the claim you make at the end of your post. Branding is not just for companies, it is not just about selling a company, and it is something we can use for ourselves as an individual. Branding for myself is definitely something I need to learn more about.

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