Learning by doing

March 2024 ⁄ 952 words ⁄ image @ Anna Shvets on pexels.

How do you become a branding expert? Through study and instinct? Or does it follow the same logic as becoming a parent, a little more every day?

Many jobs require formal training. You can't drive a car without taking lessons and passing a test. You cannot scuba dive without a scuba license. You can't be a teacher, lawyer, therapist, or beautician without proving you know what you're doing. But you can be a parent without any training - and that's a pretty responsible job. And what about branding? Do we know what we are doing?

There is currently no formal training for parents, although some people believe that a parenting license would be appropriate due to obvious and fatal parenting mistakes. The decision to become a parent is still based on personal desires and circumstances. Parenthood is earned, not given. Our expertise is based on our own observations and experiences, guided by our own desires and ideas. The same is true of branding. We all instinctively engage in branding as part of our social affiliation dynamics. Some do it more consciously than others in order to be recognized in a certain way. But does that automatically make everyone a branding expert? The subject is complex and difficult to explain in layman's terms. Much of the field is based on comparisons and is difficult to prove. It is about long-term goals. Success or failure will only be seen in the future. There are parallels to parenting.

Is it possible to learn branding? Isn't it enough to have a feel for the brand and grow into it? Doubts are justified. When we talk about a parenting license for raising children, we should also think about a branding licence. In both cases, the responsibility for the future is immense and does not diminish as life and adulthood progress. On the contrary: small brand - small worries, big brand - big worries.

But how do you get a branding license? What entitles us to branding so that a potential client doesn't feel like he's financing an adventure? Is it enough to show the client previous successes? That would be like showing off your older child as proof of success. We are not cloning yet and are still dealing with individuality. We also secretly know that in branding, the origin of success and therefore the lineage cannot always be clearly proven. Developing and maintaining a brand requires a deep understanding of marketing strategies, market research, design principles and communication techniques. These are skills we have acquired through formal education, such as university studies, but also through practical experience. When it comes to application, we always take an individual approach, just like the essence of a brand.

Many acquire their branding knowledge and skills solely through hands-on experience and self-study. Those who drive a lot are the best drivers. They may have worked in a variety of fields, such as marketing, design, or entrepreneurship, where they acquired specific skills relevant to branding. Many come to branding as career changers from other fields, driven by their interests or passions. These career changers often bring different perspectives and skills that are valuable to branding. There is no single path to branding. Today, career changers are also valued in education, and not because of a lack of talent.

Formal training is therefore not absolutely necessary to be successful in branding. There are currently no hard and fast rules or official regulations that define this. Who decides what requirements are necessary for branding? It is not our driver's license that makes us successful, but our experience, our personality and our convictions. Acting like a brand is the best proof.

Branding is like becoming a parent: some come to branding like a virgin to a child, others are excited after their first experience and want more. Those who begin do not yet know what to expect on the journey and how their nature and behavior can change with increasing experience. Because branding always starts with you, even as a child.

Intelligence is inherited through genes. Many behavioural traits - especially intelligence - are genetically determined. Although up to 75 per cent of IQ is heritable, meaning that differences in intelligence between people can be explained by genetics to that extent, people with high IQs do not automatically have equally intelligent children. In addition, twin studies by the American behavioural geneticist Eric Turkheimer of the University of Virginia have shown that our genetic potential is strongly influenced by our social environment. While the composition of our genes undoubtedly plays a role, it is the quality of our social environment that determines the extent to which we are able to realise that potential. This requires education, not money. Branding is ultimately an art that anyone can learn, regardless of budget or IQ. ⁄⁄rb