Post #14: Reflection

Hi all,

This semester has been informative, and has really helped me to consider personal branding. Before the semester started, we were given a reading assignment. We were given the option of four books, and I picked the book called BrandingPays by Karen Kang. That book was the inspiration for the focus of my blog, and it has given me a new perspective of marketing and of myself.

In terms of time in class and the semester’s assignments, particularly group projects, I have learned about marketing from so many different angles. The simulation that we completed was a great way to link all of the different parts of a business – mostly marketing and finance. I usually am not fond of group projects, but the simulation was a great group project. Each decision that we made was exciting because of the competition. We had many opportunities to present in class, and I enjoyed all of the TED Talks that we reviewed in class.

In addition to the idea of personal branding, capturing value has been another phrase that has stuck with me throughout the semester. I named my blog How and Why to Capture Value because we learned that the end stage of marketing is to capture value. What does it mean to capture value? In marketing, it means that the product or service sells itself. A successful marketing campaign will enable the product or service to sell itself – people will want it because they have to have it. The same principle applies to personal branding – that’s what I’ve been trying to get at through this blog! I think that a person can be likened to a product which fits in a certain industry, has a certain price tag, and needs to be promoted in many ways in relation to its target market. People can capture value once they assert themselves as the expert in their field or the best at their job. Just like a product, that reputation is typically the result of a long period of research, development, and time in general. BMW didn’t become the Ultimate Driving Machine overnight. Similarly, I know it will take me a long time to become the expert in whichever field I may choose.

To conclude this blog, I will leave you with this – the final words from BrandingPays: “’You have to develop a brand because everyone needs to develop a brand to be successful,’ Doreen advises. ‘You have to have all the qualities. You have to look the part, look professional and be pleasant. You have to have the communications skills.’... ‘You may have the best content in the world...but you have to figure out how to sell and communicate it in a way that people will buy and appreciate it.’ The same can be said of personal brands.” I hope this blog have helped you to find some of those ways that will allow you to sell and communicate your brand.

Best of luck always,

Be on the lookout for another blog,

Tim

Note: The text that I refer to throughout the blog is Marketing: An Introduction, in its 11^th edition, by Gary Armstrong and Philip Kotler.