Digital Breadcrumbs and Brand Building: Why Authenticity Matters More Than Ever

It is no longer unusual to meet someone for the first time and already know something about them. A quick search online, a glance at LinkedIn or Instagram, and their digital breadcrumbs begin to form an impression — often stronger than an introduction across a table.

That was the central provocation at a recent InsightXSeries talk at Vidyashilp University, where Ms. Meher Taj, Director – Branding & External Communications at EY, invited final-year students to think differently about branding. Not as something reserved for corporations, but as a daily act of shaping one’s own identity.

Branding Beyond the Logo

When asked, “What is a brand?”, the answers from students reflected the usual associations — logos, products, names, reputations. But Ms. Taj’s counterpoint landed with weight: “A brand is simply an impression.”

That definition reframed the discussion. Skills may matter, but impressions often decide which skills get noticed. The students’ spontaneous debate captured the dilemma of a generation entering competitive markets: is excellence enough, or must visibility travel with it?

The Three Pillars of Trust

To give direction, Ms. Taj laid out what she called the Three Pillars of Trust:

• Intention — clarity about what you want to be known for.
• Authenticity — a reminder that projection without truth collapses quickly.
• Consistency — the slow, steady proof that builds credibility.

Her advice resonated strongly with students grappling with how to present themselves online. “You are leaving digital breadcrumbs every day,” she said, underscoring that self-presentation on digital platforms is no longer optional but foundational.

From the Personal to the Professional

The conversation extended naturally into employer branding. Post-COVID, companies began articulating Employee Value Propositions (EVP) to attract and retain talent. Ms. Taj drew a mirror image: just as organisations brand themselves for prospective employees, individuals brand themselves for prospective employers.

One student’s question about whether branding fuels inequality drew an unexpected answer: aspiration is not exclusion, it is often motivation. Brands slightly out of reach, she suggested, can drive ambition as much as they set boundaries.

A Special Note for Tech Students

Perhaps the most striking advice came for engineering and technology majors. “As technology becomes more similar, what will differentiate you is not the code alone, but the brand you build around it.”

In an era of rapid automation and AI parity, differentiation will be as much about identity, trust, and voice as it is about technical proficiency.

Why This Matters at Vidyashilp

The session reflected exactly what the InsightXSeries was designed to achieve: to bring industry voices into academic spaces, not for lectures but for lived reflections. Students were not passive listeners. They debated, questioned, and re-examined how they project themselves in the world.

For Vidyashilp University, this was not just another Saturday talk. It was an exercise in preparing students for professional life where their skills, values, and digital personas will converge. The message was clear: intention, authenticity, and consistency are not branding jargon — they are career essentials.

The reflections in this blog draw directly from Ms. Meher Taj’s session on ‘Authentic Branding in the Professional Sphere’, part of Vidyashilp University’s InsightXSeries. Led by the Career Development and Placement Office, this initiative is designed to leave students with not just knowledge, but insights they can carry into the future of work and life.