A quote I learned from marketing really stuck to me…it goes:
“Branding is the promise you make, your brand is the promise you keep.”
I really liked this quote because I believe that it holds a lot of truth and validity, and thus I began to think more about branding as a whole. I used to believe that branding was about how people thought about you, but then people don’t just simply generate random ideas about others. Most of their thoughts are deduced directly from your actions. A one time thing doesn’t quite cut it either, you must be consistent.
So the best strategy for branding really isn’t about getting the word about yourself out there, it’s about doing something over and over and over again until people know you for it.
Say you win a Math competition once, but never again. Contrast this with someone who wins consistently. Who has a stronger brand in mathematics?
I guess in some ways that’s what a degree does for you. Most people nowadays say it’s ‘all about experience’ and that degrees are just ‘for show’. In some ways, it could be, but at the same time your degree helps exemplify your brand. It’s just another way to add on to people’s image of you. If you have a degree in Accounting, your brand will be that similar to an Accountant. If you have a degree in Marketing, your brand will be that of a marketer. Of course, real-life work experience and results contribute heavily towards your brand as well, but degrees seem to be good add ons in this respect.
