Who really needs a Brand identity?

Who really needs a Brand identity? Every human who breathes. Yes you read it right. By the end of this article I am sure to have convinced you that this statement is nothing but absolutely relevant & true today.

Approximately 3.3 Billion people are employed world wide, earning a livelihood and/or sustaining a family based on their work income. I am not saying this, Statista is. Now that we know its not an exaggerated figure, You and me both can agree that its a pretty big number.

Now imagine this, all these billion people who want to earn in exchange of providing some service or product depend on human interactions in some way or the other. Even those professionals who are in technological fields wherein the machine exposure is greater than human interaction would at times need to display their skill set of machine learning, to a human, to get those opportunities he needs to cash his talent.

We are all surrounded all the time with people who are working, having a distinguished professional & personal life (at least that's the goal). The interesting fact here is we all unknowingly create our Brand identity all the time. If you are the serious, down-to-work no gossip colleague (we all have one), well that is your brand. If you are the party animal, always up for some adventure in & out of workplace, that's how you have build your brand in the eyes of the World. Brand is not just an identity at workplace, what about personal life? We all have that one cousin we want at our weddings & gatherings to make a dull event, eventful. Isn't that your brand too?

There are plethora of definitions of a Brand. Various Google definition of 'Brand' are 'A brand is a name given to a product and/or service such that it takes on an identity by itself" , 'A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller's goods or service as distinct from those of other sellers' etc etc.

Lets go one step further to AI, afterall that is going to be our future search engine, ChatGPT says "A brand can be defined as a set of characteristics, values, perceptions, and emotions that are associated with a company, product, or service. It represents the overall image and reputation of a business and includes its name, logo, tagline, messaging, and visual identity. A brand is more than just a logo or a product; it is a unique identity that distinguishes one company from another and creates a sense of recognition and loyalty among customers. A strong brand can help a business stand out in a crowded marketplace, build trust and credibility with customers, and ultimately drive sales and revenue."

Now lets connect the dots. If you need a brand identity to set your product apart from the competition what makes you think that you competing against billion people for a livelihood, won't need one? We are and will be perceived based on our set of characteristics, values, perceptions, and emotions.

All artists, creators, leaders are Brands themselves whether or not they are aware of it. And we all know how careful they are in protecting their brand, and how they are perceived by the world.

So at the end all I want to do is stir a thought in your mind, are you, reading this article, working or not, not a brand? How do you think people perceive you? how do you want to be perceived? And remember, even Companies "Build Brands", there are no "Born Brands" in the World.