The Concept of “Branding”, Personal Statement Example

The concept of “branding” can be briefly defined as a company’s promise to its customers. This may seem like an oversimplification, but on closer inspection it reveals a much broader set of ideas. A company’s brand is a symbol of the value and quality offered by the organization. This brand might include a logo, but the logo itself is not the brand; it is a visual representation of what the organization offers to its customers. Branding is the foundation on which successful marketing efforts are built. Branding explains what the company is and what it offers, while marketing seeks to get that message out to potential customers. In the age of globalization and instant communication, branding is more important than ever before. A company’s brand must attempt to speak in a universal language that crosses language and cultural barriers. While it is not always possible for a brand to achieve such universal appeal, it is the brands that are strongest that will cut through the clutter and leave lasting impressions with the greatest number of people. Branding is an ongoing process of identifying an organization’s purpose, value, and message and presenting that information to customers. A strong brand must be tended and cultivated in a way that reflects the functions of a strong, vital organization.

In much the same way as I believe strong brands must not remain static, I also believe that I must strive to cultivate my knowledge of branding as an ongoing process. I do not view my opportunity to earn my MPS as the end of my education, but rather as the next step in a lifetime of learning. I have lived and studied in South Korea, Russia, and the United States, and have had the chance to immerse myself in a diverse range of cultures, social conditions, and worldviews. I have channeled my creative energies into specific outlets, from graphic design to photography and other visual arts, and have hands-on experience in e-commerce and cross-platform art direction and marketing. It is my intention to bring my experience and skills to bear and to build on this background as I pursue my degree. As I see it, branding sits at the nexus of a range of disciples and fields, and successful branding in the 21^st century must incorporate such things as culture, psychology, business, and design. I have learned that the development of a strong brand is often a collaborative process, and I look forward to meeting and working with talented, creative, and driven individuals from a diverse background.

In this next phase of my education I intend to explore more thoroughly the concept of branding as a universal language. A strong brand is a means of communicating between an organization and its customers in a way which transcends spoken and written words. If this is a necessity in the global marketplace, then it is also necessary for those who develop brands to truly understand this. As someone who has lived, worked, and studied in countries around the world, I feel particularly well-suited to the task of understanding and identifying the elements of a strong brand. I wish to build on these skills so I can learn to develop strong brands that reach the greatest number of people, and I believe this program offers the opportunities I seek.