I MET her three years ago. We were at the Miss Guyana Universe Swimsuit Competition held at the poolside of Castellani House.  The music was loud, so we shouted hello at each other. She wore bright red lipstick and had the widest smile I’d ever seen. In the midst of the bikini-clad bodies that traipsed about, we talked… about this and that, and the colour of the swimsuits. Red, apparently, was not the best choice of colour. The colour of the pageant’s premier sponsor was blue.
Even by Guyanese standards, the event started late, and the drinks weren’t coming fast enough. To stop me complaining, she tempted me with a beer. I refused to be drawn, so we talked some more as she slaked her thirst… About branding; the décor…. Branding; the lights… Branding; the competitors… Branding; her shoes… Branding; the stage show… Branding…
Man! This chick was sure obsessed with branding!
Meet Sharon Lalljee, a young advertising professional, consultant and owner of Tactical Branding, one of Guyana’s premier advertising and marketing companies.
Tactical Branding was founded some six years ago on about $300,000 in the bank, sheer bravado and keen expertise. It offers brand building and development, copywriting, graphic designing, television production, and media planning, as well as public relations, events planning, website designing, exhibition designing, staff training in sales and corporate designing.
Sharon says she always knew she wanted to be a businesswoman but is still surprised that she was able to do it at just 26 years. Her keen expertise and 16 years in the marketing field have rewarded her with an impressive portfolio of local, regional and multinational corporations, all of whom depend on her creative services and unique interventions as the silent architect of their consumer campaigns and brands, known in the media and sold on markets every day.
An Advertising and Public Relations major, she was trained in the UK and graduated with merit from the Cambridge College. She holds writing credentials from Buckingham Tutors and is a certified member of the Copywriting Institute in Somerset, now the Blackford Centre for copywriting in London. Before that, she attended St. Joseph’s High School.
An only child, Sharon grew up in Georgetown, but did not move around much, except for when her parents separated in 1988. Then, she stayed with her dad until he migrated. She says she never felt deprived as a result of her parents separation, as they both maintained an amicable relationship as far as her affairs were concerned.
As an adult, however, she travels a lot, for business, but also for pleasure. She likes to experience various cultures within the region.
Sharon has a preference for certain brands, like Guess and Mont Blanc. She also has a preference for red lipstick and perfumes. She prefers fresh scents. Asked about her favourite foods, she said, “As unsophisticated as it is, I prefer dhall and rice cooked by me.”
She is deeply passionate about Guyana and its people, and does what she could officially and unofficially to add value to that love for country and people. Sharon is a Rotarian, a member of the Rotary Club of Stabroek. She despises cruelty towards animals, children and women.
Her vices are saintly. She likes listening to New Age music; it connects with her spirit, she says. She also likes experiencing new cultures for inspiration, and having stimulating conversations, as they open her to new perspectives.
She says she is in a relationship with an amazing young man who is very supportive of her corporate endeavours and long-term life’s objectives. Should they decide to take the next step, it appears he would make an equally amazing father, given his natural love for children.
Arun — the amazing young man — says Sharon has an “intuitive capacity for critical thinking” which he finds “irresistibly attractive.” He feels that while she’s an oxymoron, and is fiercely independent and contemporary in many views, yet at the same time she embraces traditional values.
He has a deep appreciation for her commitment to truth and introspection, and says she has an innate artistic awareness that she is very modest about.
About their relationship, Arun says, “We have an interesting blend of traits that has led to a mutually inspirational relationship.”
The ‘oxymoron’ however feels that she is a brand builder and quiet driver of the industry who acts on an inherent need to make a meaningful contribution to her country and corporate clients, and an unconventional thinker who merges the traditional value system with that of strong female modernism, style and conviction. Controversial at times; but always for good reason. Committed to quality and substance in her professional and personal life.  She says she is also a coincidental student of ‘higher reason and enlightenment’ and operates within the discipline of greater Universal justice and believes that to be the ultimate law above the Law of man.
On social issues, she says she tries to remain neutral; not because she does not care, but because she is yet to meet a politician who has, over time, lived up to people’s expectations, both locally and globally. She believes her efforts to create change are better directed towards humanity and environmental development, as opposed to prima donnas and personalities.
Among her list of favourite things are the book, ‘The Greatest Salesman in the World’ by Og Mandino; the movie, ‘Gandhi’; and the quotation, “Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.”

As to what attracted her to advertising, Sharon says the field allows her to express her creativity in a way that meaningfully enhances local, regional and international commerce.

But surely this job must be demanding! True, but deep breathing helps her cope, as does operating in a structured manner that honours deadlines and client priorities as they come. And how does she keep a healthy balance between work and her private life? She says she continues to strive to stay in sight of her personal and corporate responsibilities, as a result her social life sometimes takes a nosedive.
However, reading the growth figure in the annual reports of her clients and hearing about their success stories in the news reminds her that she is part of a winning process. This makes the countless late hours and the rare occasions of disharmony in her personal and family life worth it.

Sharon concedes that working in advertising has a fair amount of challenges, but believes that she is largely underestimated by her peers, and this may be the ticket of her success.

She says, “Corruption is the most critical problem in my field. Advertising people and suppliers who are not qualified to produce quality work win contracts and favours by offering “kick-backs” to dishonourable company officials. This makes the playing field very uneven, and it floods the market with sub-standard and ugliness which ‘does not sell’ the client’s products, nor offer them sound return on their investment.”

Tactical Branding is celebrating its 6th anniversary with a new website, www.tacticalbrandinggy.com.
Happy Anniversary!