There are many definitions of brand. My favourite centres around the 'gut' feeling you get for a product, service or experience – how it makes you feel. However the deeper I delve into organisations, the more I realise that depending on how you look at brand, this definition really only scratches the surface and requires a more connected view.

My mother always told me to preserve my reputation, as it is more precious than silver or gold. "Wealth can be won or lost," she said, "but if you lose a good reputation, there's no getting it back."

Is a reputation irreparable? Not necessarily, but it's no easy cleanup once it's been tarnished. PR agencies are supposed to be experts at issue management and public opinion, and yet oftentimes they care more about their clients' reputation than their own.

It's a straightforward process that a Manager goes through with a recruiter when there's a need to recruit someone into his or her team. A job is opened, and a brief to source the best candidate based on agreed parameters is provided to the recruiter.