Brand thyself! Which adjectives will use you use to describe yourself as a brand? You pay more for a branded product. The reason why you choose a particular TV set, laptop, mobile phone or a jewellery brand over the other had to do with the perception we had about the brand, right? When asked to search for any information on the web, you generally say “let me Google it” because that brand has become synonymous with the search. Every company likes to describe its brands in superlative terms, but the users have their own opinion. It is the user’s opinion that matters about a brand. You advertise your products based on readership or TRPs, watch films based on star ratings, and make purchase decisions based on users reviews. The brands that are perceived as innovative, aesthetically appealing and customer-consumer friendly, command a premium over their competitors. Brands are objectives. If you had to describe yourself using FIVE adjectives; a. Would these be the same as the ones others had used for you? b. Would these be the adjectives that you would want to be known for in the eyes of others? You are the CEO of “Brand YOU”. So what you should do to keep your brand alive, active, accepted, acknowledged, stand alone, and recognised by your target audience? Checklist to maintain “Brand YOU” Seek Feedback: In marketing terms, it is called “consumer research”. You need to know exactly what others think of you. Start with your friends and family. Build a few relationships where people can give you unfiltered feedback. Identify the areas of improvement that come up most often. Then, ask yourself which of these you would like to be associated with your brand and which ones dilute your brand? Build your expertise: The world is changing fast. Make sure you are constantly learning and reinventing yourself. Identify an area where you will be better than others. If you wish to pursue your career as a PR professional, then make sure you are an expert in Public Relations. That means knowing about your area of specialisation in-depth- say corporate communication. Then learn about other adjacent areas of Public Relations as well e.g. soft skills, advertising, event management, and creative writing. Each time you come across a new idea, try and make your own notes about how you could use this piece of knowledge. If you are a better writer than a speaker, then write a blog. If you are better as a speaker, then try speaking in professional forums. Communicating your personal brand is an important step in brand building. Keep a check on your digital reputation: Your online reputation travels very fast. Do not post disparaging comments about others. Think before you post or comment. Your digital reputation is far more complicated to maintain. It is a powerful tool that can build your personal brand, but a wrong move can also destroy “Brand YOU” very easily. It is not what you say about yourself-it is what others think and say about you, and behind your back. Beyond work: Your hobbies are not only great stress-busters, but also can actually be an integral differentiator of “Brand YOU”. There may be many PR professionals but you could be the only one to blog on films etc. Your understanding about the film making techniques and talent could make your personal brand special. Great advertising not backed by a matching product or service is a recipe for disaster. Building a brand requires careful thought and sustained effort. So, Start Today. Create “Brand YOU”. - Abhijit Bhaduri