Turning a Person Into a Brand

Introduction

Brand arises from the distinguishing of a product or service or a behavior from the general category. A brand exists when a specific component holds a distinct value within itself for which it can be focused and recalled within seconds. It takes a lengthy process and requires efficient marketing strategies to turn a product or service into a brand; therefore, a symbol, logo or design becomes the signature of the brand name. Sometimes a persuasive slogan is capable of making people understand the brand value of a product. Above all, a brand is the remarkable value under which a less recognized product or service might be well accepted and from that point of time, the marketers actually start to work on developing the product with that strong brand name. Moreover, brand works as the determinant of alerting the marketers to continue the modification in the product life cycle so that products never become obsolete to customers.

Brand carries the maximum significance in the activities of marketing. The tasks of marketing become easier when a strong brand value exists in a product. Moreover, a famous brand creates the number of prospects and enhances the interest of the existing customers to stick to the brand. A logo or a design not only creates discrepancy but also provides an overall perception of advertising, promotional activities, customer service, and so forth. There are numerous famous brands in different category of products and services. First of all, when we think about beverage the first name which normally comes to mind is Coca-Cola. With regards to advanced cell phone we usually recall Apple’s iPhone. Moreover, there are more famous brands of diversified product items such as Nike for T-shirts, Gucci for bags, and Hush Puppies for shoes. Furthermore, KFC has changed the taste and branding of chicken for its distinct process of making the crispy chicken. Thus, in every field of around the people can see a brand name which is triggered by the audiences easily.

The concept of “person as a brand” was first published around 1835 and started to gain attention until the 1920s, but not since the 21st century have people began to pay great attention to the concept again. A person who himself is a brand works as a consistent message which aims to show that individual’s professional and aesthetic value and self-advantage, and ultimately the individual person distinguishes himself from his competitors and holds an advantageous position among the clutter of the competitive market. Therefore, a person establishes himself as a brand with his charismatic behavior and, eventually, he himself turns into a brand name even though he is not a product or a service.

• Problem Statement: This study identifies the factors of how a person can turn into a brand through his talent and skills. In order to screen the factors, the research has been conducted based on a particular musician’s career utilizing some brand personality traits in the process.

• Research Questions: The following questions are set to be as research questions in this study:

  • 1.

    Can Personal Branding be a strong segment of brand?

  • 2.

    Does an international musician possess the brand elements?

  • 3.

    Is A.R. Rahman a strong brand personality as a musician?

• Thesis Statement: In this study it is first intended to discover the theoretical factors related to brand and personal branding. Regarding this statement, we elucidate the benefits and implementation of personal branding focusing on essential elements of a brand personality. Moreover, the difference between impact of a brand personality and a non-brand personality is also a concern of this study. In addition, we also elaborate on how a person’s name can work as a significant symbolic term like a product or a service.