Graduate / India opened to foriegn investors; SOP/International marketing & Brand Management [4]

Hi there,

I came across your platform looking for SOPs for reference. I have completed mine now . I will be grateful if you can go through it once and give some suggestions!!

Have been trying to adapt some of insights I got from reading various threads.

Here it goes :

When I was young I saw three brands mostly coming home- Nivea, Dettol and Old Spice. My father loved them and still does. Back then they defined cream, soap and aftershave lotion for me. I had no idea I will grow up wanting to be closely associated with brands as a core part of their communication. Till the time I came to study at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), brands were what product labels read. They were just names.

What always appealed to my inquisitive mind was how these brands retain their ground amongst the plethora of brands that surround us. Through my graduation and work experiences I have been able to understand some facets of it, mostly led by design. And what I seek through my masters is to be able to understand the business and society guided perspective of sustaining and communicating a brand image.

This need was triggered by a project involving the development of communication for an upcoming quick service restaurant at my current job. I had the opportunity of working as a core part of this project, working closely on identity development, deliverables, in-store communication and outdoor communication. During one of the meetings, where the discussion was based on numbers more than aesthetics driving the communication, I realised my views were not wholesome. Masters in marketing, with concentration on branding, will help me fill this loophole that I felt that day.

When I joined NIFT, I became conscious of brands and consumers and the world that links them. I wasn't aware before that this love my father had is actually termed 'Brand Loyalty'. Every project had a central theme mostly a brand to be dealt with. One of the early projects about developing a point of purchase fixture was dedicated to my father's love. The brand chosen was Nivea. A research about the brand history and its evolution, consequently leading to a design development for point of purchase, helped me learn the importance of change in the ever-growing market of brands-still maintaining the consistency of the brand's image.

I explored this idea in the colloquium paper based on rebranding. It was a study on the changes that a brand image undergoes while adapting to the changing demands and needs of the consumers parallel to its expansion plans with the case study of Vodafone's launch in India. I gained good insight into the levels, relevance and effectiveness of rebranding. I learnt that a there needs to be a strong strategic campaign accompanying such changes, supported by better product or service offerings.

During a summer internship, working with a jewelry brand as a communication designer, I got to implement this change of image. Working on a whole new set of deliverables, uplifting the communication of the brand, ranging from advertisements to guest invites, was a good learning experience. Prior to this internship, I wasn't confident about my graphic design skills, but through self-learning and hard work developed that confidence.

My college portfolio has work ranging from prop development to building an identity for a new brand, from a self-written poem to devising a marketing activity for promotion of a fictional brand. It also has glimpses of work done in photography and styling. A college professor, seeing my portfolio, once told me that being good at too many things can be a negative and make it difficult to choose one. Taking that advice very seriously for the graduation project I focused on my core field of interest- visual merchandising. It was based on the exploration of exhibition design and industry through practical exposure and secondary research. I worked for an agency developing designs learning the skills of pitching them to client, and seeing them being implemented. I scored a perfect ten for my graduation project and was awarded the 'Best student in the subject of Visual Merchandising'. I understood the importance of choosing right and staying focused.

After completing graduation, I took up the job of a visual merchandiser for the home retail business. With this job profile I had the responsibility of handling work at the store level. It involved maintaining the look and feel of the stores along with seasonal changes in terms of thematic displays and planograms. Generating an instant customer reaction and feedback, this job made me understand the value of a brand where it matters the most- the consumers.

Gaining a lot from working on a store level I moved on to working for a corporate a branding manager at Reliance retail. It involves planning of branding for a new formats and rebranding of old stores in a manner which is customer friendly and upholds the identity of the brand. I have independently worked on projects involved in upgrading the branding of various product categories like beauty and beer & wine. It has helped to understand in-store communication-retaining a brand communication language throughout all categories.

Brand Management is what I want to focus on, for involving myself in the entire process of brand development, expansion and growth is what I want to associate myself with. Having a good understanding of design, consumer behavior, retail, and brand communication I believe I am well suited for masters in International Marketing focusing on brand management. It will be challenging to consume the business aspects of this field but I feel equipped and charged to take on this challenge, broadening my horizons and having a sparkling understanding of the communication of the valley of brands that fills the world today.

What appeals to me about the programme at Lund University is the blend of marketing and brand management it offers. I would be looking forward to modules in strategic brand management and marketing intelligence. Moving out to study will definitely add new dimensions to my thinking and personality, as moving out of my hometown to a metropolitan for bachelors study did. In return I will not only add to the diversity in terms of my culture and thoughts but also be a dedicated and enthusiastic student.

India had opened the doors for foreign investors, so my future portfolio should have me working in my country for an international high-end brand as a brand and product manager, followed by working for the development of an Indian brand. Since the market trend seems to be brands for and from Asia I am sure that having the academic knowledge will go far in helping me have a strong foundation to fulfill my aspirations.

Regards,
Sonal Grover