YOUR PERSONAL BRAND

Brand as defined by the English oxford dictionary is “any specific type or variety of something; a distinct style or manner or a specific product, service or provider so distinguished”.

Our world today is in its technological age, where information doubles by the year and the world market is won by strategist who prioritize and follow the continuous changes in stock, IT, Business, arts and so on.
Developing a personal brand takes consistency and self-discovery. In most parts of Africa where specification is not taken into consideration, one tends to find people who are in quote “jacks of all trades masters of none”. We believe in generalization i.e. learn how to do or function everywhere so that you can be well capable. As well as this is true in some regard, it also leads to a phenomena I personally term “BLURRED BRAND”. A situation where a person has not been specifically distinguished in an area of interest or work and cannot be well placed to function in a particular area.
Your personal brand is directly linked to your image and how you envision people relating with you. The first product you must learn to sell is YOU. You are a brand and to succeed in the cooperate world requires uniqueness in yourself. Here are questions we should ask ourselves:

• How can I be useful in my field of interest?
  
• How can I become a force to reckon with in my field of interest?
  
• How do I stay relevant?
  
• How can I be consistent with my delivery or service of any kind?
  

As a young writer, art promoter and brands manager of various upcoming brands, I have learned to understand that developing your personal brand is more vital than promoting any brand, because if your personal brand is well developed your respective product will be aligned to your personal brand and will sell automatically.
Integrity is very vital in developing a personal brand. Have values you live or stand for, let people identify you with what you stand for or believe in.  If you live or stand for anything at all you are a blurred brand and can easily be shifted by any opinion or suggestion brought to your doorstep.
Reading and researching helps to develop and stretch ones scope of thinking or reasoning. Information keeps increasing by the day, therefore research keeps you abreast and ahead of others. The world as of today is managed by those who have learnt the benefits of reading researching and application of information.
Africa needs a paradigm shift in brand management. Students must be taught to specialize even after generalizing and not left as such. Employers must come to the state of employing based on actual specification and not just employing random people who have limited knowledge but can perform two totally different task. Government must properly harness and promote their own products and market them to the world.
Develop you, develop internally, develop your personal brand.

Nana Owusu Baffour- kwakye
University Of Energy and Natural Resources
Writer