What Is Your Brand?

A brand symbolizes the organization, reflects its value and creates credibility. Companies spend millions of dollars creating a brand and even more money defending their brands. Once established a brand is a powerful symbol of the organization. Think about Nike, Macdonald’s, Coke, Starbucks, Nestle – strong brands that speak for themselves.

As individuals in the corporate environment – we are also playing the same game as these bigger organizations. Our sphere of influence is much smaller but it’s the same game - establishing credibility, showcasing your values and building competencies. As you work and establish yourself in any company you build your own brand.

Your brand reflects who you are, how you perform, how you interact and how you deliver. To establish a great brand you have to

• Be aware of who you want to be


• Focus on creating the brand (self-promotion or active marketing)


• Delivering on your commitments and


• Nurturing your brand

Awareness about this concept is the starting point. You may see this as a branding exercise or a credibility building effort – the end result is the same. When you start – you are an unknown variable and over time you establish your brand/credibility.

Review my article on active marketing to get some pointers on how to build your brand. It is primarily a self promotion and networking exercise. This needs to be backed up by actual delivery, commitment and a value set that you embody. Just talk and no substance will only take you so far.

Consistent branding is the name of the game. It needs to be a part of you – how you function and work. This is not a once in a while exercise but a way of interacting, delivering value and reinforcing your brand. Keep your brand fresh and the marketing campaign active.