Personal Branding- Take 2

 Yeah, a slightly different take. You don't have to yell from the rooftop (or anywhere else)- to be a great personal brand. You may be a great cook, for instance. Or an unusual cricket umpire - I met one of only 3 women umpires in India- and so on.

Or you may have an uncanny knack of solving Math problems- most of these types are introverts, in my opinion. A strict teacher you may remember, or a loving one- can both be remembered for long. Or one that gives you very different kinds of exams. I have had all kinds, so I remember a few of both kinds.

A problem-solver, a problem-creator are both remembered. We are not talking likeable brands here, unlike product brands. If the brand is strong (either way), you are likely to remember it, or him/her in this case.

There's a reason Birbal is remembered, or Tenali Raman. May I ask if you have heard of them in stories from your childhood?

Inaugurating Batch 13 of MBA

 The excitement is building up. A new batch of students is coming in this week, and the inauguration is slated for June 9th. There are a variety of things planned for them, including talks from industry experts and alumni. 

But as a slightly different take, we also have a Golf intro session planned in our campus. I tried this with the help of colleagues at IMT Nagpur before, and some batches after 2009 may remember this outing. We had developed a golf green at IMT. Here at NMIMS Bangalore, it's only a green patch of grass we have, but the lawn serves well as a putting green. So a tee shot and some putting is possible for a basic introduction to the game. 

Golf is a useful game to future managers to know and talk about, or play. Helps network and make new friends or business partners too. Apart from being a fun-filled intro to our MBA program out on the field! We could be the only B school doing this!

I am also doing a session on Personal Branding for them, separately on another day.

Physical Meets Again

 There is this bubbly student from IIM Indore, who had a brilliant idea, of connecting alums of different IIMs in Bangalore, for fun and networking. She also runs a Youtube channel called IIM Community. I am not boasting, but I shot a video for the channel on Personal Branding too. If you want to watch, here's the link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdBOh4JntM4

But this is about a meet she organised at 2 days' notice. I went, and had fun meeting some new young friends, and discussing life, hobbies, IIM campuses, faculty, and more. Glimpses.

Shailaja, the organiser (left), and Niharika.

Ashish, right.

The group.. Pritam, varun, ..Anjani Kumar and the rest. (above)

Personal Branding- Now on Video

 I had earlier written about Personal Branding and how one might go about achieving success in it. My views, strictly, based on experience. 

Now, as a result of Shailaja Gupta Kapoor's efforts (She is a former student, from IIM Indore) combined with those of Priyadarshini from IIM Jammu, I have a video version, for those who like the visual medium better.

Take a look, and let me know what you think.. Here's the link. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR0BvP2jCHoyuAW-BVbYjgv6Tt0Wq-S4Svdcjo0CYedoQp2Z7E6OmWmyguU&v=FdBOh4JntM4&feature=youtu.be

An earlier writeup about the same topic can be found here- http://rnargundkar.blogspot.com/2020/12/my-two-cents-on-personal-branding.html

My Two Cents on Personal Branding

 For what it's worth, I will share my thoughts on the subject. 

1. Being an expert counts, so be good, very good, at at least one thing. Could be photography. I know lots of brilliant photographers, and I remember them because of it, whoever they may be otherwise.
2. Develop a human quality that's memorable-courteous behaviour in these rude times can be one. Kindness towards animals (all, not some) could be another. Maneka Gandhi first became a brand through animal activism.
3. Be active on whichever forum you choose to be on. Could be a real or social medium. A blog, Twitter, facebook, instagram, LinkedIn,..choose any one, but be regular on the chosen one. 
4. Multiple dimensions of a personality will help, not hinder. Be an expert at one, but also have multiple interests-that will develop you as a person, and a brand. (Brand Reinforcement). Some people write well ( I have a ghost-writer friend), some sing, and some dance (I have a student who teaches modern dance now). I listen to music-golden oldies in Hindi. Some have an interest in art-drawing, painting etc. and others in cooking! A prof. friend is into Chess-playing.
5. Meet people when possible. I have benefited from every person I have met, almost. They always have a fresh perspective that you never thought about. Which brings me to the next point. Brand Rejuvenation.
6. Keep evolving, and learning. Some people change wardrobes. Learning goes deeper, and you can do it through reading, watching good films, TV or OTT shows too.
7. Keep away from trash, time-wasters (fixed Sports, hateful or propagandist media) and instead DO things-relax, even, or meet a new person. If nothing, go for a walk, or travel solo.
8. Get a good photographer as a friend, to help you create memories to stand by (I have appointed Kanika Mhendiratta, my former student-she's on her way to click some pics!). Take a lot of pics yourself, and share them.
9. Last tip. Keep records, or archives of your journey. (Brands with a long memory of their history are valued more). A diary, if possible. 

A shorter video version of this is available at the link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR03jSS4JVs78nDFqLEtUb5Vs9P1WHxmzRBHH-FyhbPoP-PPN-Z00rwQv-o&v=FdBOh4JntM4&feature=youtu.be

Selfienomics- Book Review

If you take this book seriously, you may not like it that much. If you don't, chances are you will like it a lot. Because it is written in a folksy (facebookish) style with plenty of hashtags and humour. There is an underlying seriousness, though. It aims at improving you. If you are like 99% people (or is it 99.98, like the CAT cutoffs) who believe firmly that they will not improve (# Hum Nahi Sudhrenge), then that is effort wasted (# Gaya tel lene).

But it is definitely worth reading. He even takes off on IIMs and other holy cows, after saying how we Indians don't like anybody criticising our icons. Some of his jokes are ROFL type, and will keep you going through the boring parts- there are a few, like advice on how much water to drink a day and why (haven't we been through this somewhere?).

There is also a panacea for many of India's ills- a better justice system, which works fast and well, and online where possible. The solution may sound naive (after all, he did not take the offer from IIM Bangalore), but the point is well-taken, that many of our systems of governance and citizen services are archaic.

Another point well-taken is about our responsibilities to society, and to ourselves, being neglected in the blind pursuit of the "family's good" (# Mere paas maa hai).  His advice on personal branding is good, and the reason why I bought the book in the first place. Create a first opinion, rather than just a first impression. Because people take time to form an opinion, but stick to it after they form one. Don't waste money on branded clothes, but dress well. ("If you want to know how, look at gay people-they have been in the closet longer than most"- jokes like these abound in the book). Remember things about people who you want to know better, if necessary by digging up info on the net, and using it to make conversation (# Stalking-the good side).

Generally, quotes from lots of people (like 'Patriotism is loyalty to a piece of real estate'- be a global patriot instead) also make this readable. (#Go Read it)

Personal Branding and Digital Marketing

Two hot topics, and that is a good reason to research them.

I am involved in doing just that, with a journal paper on Personal Branding with my co-author Bhagylakshmi, due soon, and a case on which I am working as a precursor to offering a course on Digital Marketing in the next academic year.

Personal branding is about how you as a person can become a brand that is polished and well-known, in a systematic manner- using all available media, including word-of-mouth, social media and any other mainstream media (of course, the last may be too expensive for most). Other avenues to build a brand could be to write books (assuming people will read these!), and becoming known as an expert in a given field. Red Adair was a guy known for his expertise in capping oil-well fires, for instance. So find out what you are good at, become an expert through honing your skills, and brand yourself accordingly.

Digital marketing is about using any digital media to advertise, promote or market your brand (personal or corporate). It may include organic and inorganic methods, including creating a buzz without paying for it, and paid advertising and marketing where you need a budget. In either case,  the likelihood of measuring the response is higher than for traditional media. Of course there is much more, but this is the gist of it. As preparation for teaching the course in the near future, I am on the lookout for stories about successes and failures in Digital Marketing. If you have some, email them to me at rnargundkar@gmail.com.You can disguise the names if you wish to protect identities.