You Are a Brand

In today’s increasingly competitive environment, whether working for corporate companies, family businesses, SMEs, or personal ventures, standing out is essential. Regardless of the company's nature or size, all organizations have certain principles and values taught from the moment we start, whether during orientation or through recruitment processes.

But are we aware of a crucial criterion for truly representing the brand we work for in the best possible way?

"Being aware that we ourselves are a brand."

Ask yourself honestly: how aware are you that you are also a brand?

The foundation of representing the organizations we work for in the best possible way starts with this self-awareness.

Your personal brand, or "yourself," is central to this. To better and more consciously understand this brand, you can use various business models. The key is that all organizations also have their own “personalities” and live like individuals.

In this article, we’ll explore how the famous 4P marketing mix, used in marketing, can be applied personally.

In an increasingly complex world, the simpler the questions you ask, the easier it is to find solutions, including for yourself.

For effective personal branding, apply Kotler’s famous 4P technique with the same simplicity. Instead of losing yourself in the process, you can better own it.

So, how do we do this?

Product: Everything in the world or universe can be considered a product. Some products are artificial, while others are naturally produced. According to this, we are also products and very valuable ones at that.

Just as products we see or buy have images and perceptions, we must first consider what kind of perception we want our own product to create. We need to be very clear about this.

What is your personal product? What kind of perception does it currently have? What perception do you want it to create?

Price (Value): Every product has a value. For instance, the value of an expensive luxury car is determined by factors like the brand’s history, the quality of materials used, its power, and details.

Our values are reflected in various aspects, such as the education we’ve received, the companies we’ve worked for, our involvement in social responsibility projects, our profession or income, memberships in clubs or associations, hobbies, and similar elements.

How about listing these and determining your value?

Place (Positioning): Once you determine the value of a product, its positioning is crucial. For example, how logical is it to open a foreign ice cream shop in Kahramanmaraş, known for its own local ice cream flavor?

Now, let’s apply this to ourselves. Our career path, the places we’ve worked, our future aspirations, and even the cities or locations we wish to work in are essential elements for positioning ourselves.

Review where you have worked and the positions you have held. What positions or companies do you aspire to be a part of in the future?

Promotion: At the end of these steps, we need to present the product to our target audience in the most effective way. This involves conducting effective and consistent advertising campaigns, various promotions, and PR activities.

Even if we are not aware, we do this with the people closest to us. The words we use, the sentences we construct, our body language, the clothes we wear, and many other details show how we present ourselves.

How do you present yourself? What aspects would you like to improve in this regard?

Remember...

Just as companies and organizations are perceived and managed as "living entities," you, as individuals, are also "living institutions."