The MBA is the most popular degree for international students, but many are not aware of the benefits of focusing on brand marketing. With this blog post, I will explore why an MBA student should focus on branding and how it can open up new opportunities in their career
The first thing that comes to mind when people think about branding is just creating a logo or slogan. However, there’s much more involved than that – you’re looking at your company culture and values as well as what sets you apart from competitors. This helps establish customers’ perceptions of your company so they’ll want to buy from you rather than someone else. It also allows companies to communicate with their target audience better by understanding what kind of content resonates with them best (e.g. video, infographics, images, etc.).
‘For MBA graduates, branding is important because it will help you to identify your brand or company’s identity and an effective market positioning. This has become more relevant now that companies are doing business worldwide rather than just locally.’ — Dr Anjali Bansal (lecturer in marketing at the University of London).
How can MBA students focus on branding?
- Choose electives in marketing, business, and design to gain a better understanding of branding concepts
- Enhance your skills by taking additional courses or earning certificates in graphic design, social media marketing, etc
- Get hands-on experience by working with a non-profit organization or start your own business
- Join the Young Entrepreneurs Organization (YEO) to meet ambitious individuals from around the world and network with other professionals in different fields.
- Get a job at a branding agency to gain industry knowledge before you enter the workforce full time
- Network with professionals, entrepreneurs, and business leaders who can provide valuable advice on how to start your own business.
- Start a blog or join the Young Entrepreneurs Council (YEC) where you can share your knowledge with other students
- Join online communities of innovative thinkers like the Top MBA Social Network
- Attend entrepreneurship conferences to learn more about entrepreneurship and exchange ideas with successful entrepreneurs
- Participate in case of competitions during your MBA to gain statistical, statistical, and problem-solving skills that you can apply to any business process
Role of social media platforms in branding
- Social media platforms like Instagram will help businesses create unique visuals for their brand that convey the company’s identity to its target market.
- Social media platforms like Facebook will help businesses connect with their customers and provide value by sharing helpful content that serves as educational resources for your customers or prospects.
- LinkedIn is a great platform for branding since it allows you to showcase your unique skills, experiences, and abilities to make yourself more desirable in the job market.
- YouTube is another platform that can be used to effectively brand your company by promoting your products or services through video ad campaigns.
- Twitter is a great way for businesses to provide updates, read what customers have to say about their products or services, and take the feedback they receive into consideration so you know what areasof your business could be improved.
- Successful branding extends beyond social media platforms to include aspects like how your employees interact with customers, the customer journey before and after their purchase, etc.
- When you brand yourself properly, other people will want to emulate what you do so they can build their own personal brand (e.g. Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, etc.)
- When you have a successful personal brand, other companies will be eager to hire you because of your unique skills and contributions that can help their businesses grow.
Key takeaways for MBA students
- Brands provide consumers with values they seek so they’re willing to pay for it2. Brands are what make people buy certain products or services
- Branding is not about creating ads or logos but an experience that connects with the target market
- Once you have created a great brand, your product or service will sell itself
- When you have a successful personal brand, other companies will be eager to hire you because of your unique skills and contributions that can help their businesses grow.
Conclusion
Whether you’re an MBA student looking to advance your career, or a budding entrepreneur just starting out, branding is one of the most important skills you can learn. The principles that are taught in business school will help take your company from start-up to success – and they’ll also be applicable if you ever work for another brand. All it takes is some careful thought about what makes your product special, how customers see it, and what sets it apart from competitors. If you need any further advice on this topic before launching your own campaign strategy or working please get in touch with KCR Consultants! We would introduce you to the most updated marketing and branding techniques and also connect you with experts in the field.
