The power of personal branding...

The concept of brand or branding seems to dominate our professional and social culture these days.  Everywhere you turn there's an article or a book or a keynote preaching the importance of brand - establishing your brand, strengthening your brand, protecting the brand, etc.  Doubt the validity of its importance?  Well, simply close your eyes and picture an apple logo or swoosh symbol and ask yourself what else comes to mind?  Ask yourself what products you envision while pondering that particular apple or swoosh?  What adjectives would you associate with those products?  Doesn't take much effort to realize that the concept of brand can be a pretty powerful thing.

I co-facilitated a training session with several colleagues (Heather and Jill, I still have fond memories) and wanted to share several points from that training content in addition to some of my own research. The American Marketing Association dictionary defines brand as "a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or services as distinct from those of other sellers."  Historically, the term originated from the Old Norse word, brandr meaning "to burn" as exemplified by ranchers who literally put their mark on cattle, some of our earliest brand champions.  Consider the words of Scott Bedbury, an immortal in the advertising world for his concept of "Just Do It" (Nike) and the rebranding of Starbucks:  "A great brand taps into emotions.  Emotions drive most, if not all, of our decisions.  A brand reaches out with a powerful connecting experience.  It's an emotional connecting point that transcends the product."  As you think of several corporate brands near and dear to your heart, do they succeed in tapping into your emotions?  Positively or negatively?  And how likely are you to change your mental or emotional perception of that entity?

The evolution of several popular brands...

I'd like to spend a few minutes and talk specifically about the responsibility and power that each of us has in the most important brand of all - that of our personal/individual brand.  A personal brand is essentially our reputation, the way in which we are perceived by others, the summation of adjectives, descriptors, and emotions that are conjured up when our name is mentioned in conversation.  How am I perceived by others: smart, lazy, arrogant, sarcastic, dare I say....restless?  What do I stand for?  What are my convictions, core values, and principles and are they reflected in my thoughts, words, and actions?  In the long-term, what will others say about me when I'm gone?

Dare to be different - to stand out in a crowd...

I found a great article on WikiHow that provides a step-by-step plan for creating a personal brand.  You can find it here... How to Build Your Personal Brand.  Several of the steps that really stood out to me were: set goals for your public image; keep your brand fresh; be ubiquitous without over-reaching; and get people talking.  I would also add that a personal brand possesses many elements: your personal brand as a parent, a child, a sibling, a citizen, a colleague, a friend.  It's important to think about your individual identity and reputation through each of these lenses as all of them play a crucial role in how you're perceived.

Another important observation is the interconnection between our personal brand and our professional careers, not to mention the impact personal brand can play in impacting a corporate brand, an employment brand, etc.  In our role as employees, our personal brand can't help but be reflected in the perceptions made by others who see us as the "face or voice of the organization."  It's inevitable.

What will be written here?

I'm taking the time to self-assess my personal brand.  To better understand how I'm perceived by those around me - the people closest to me.  And to make certain the personal brand perceptions I have for myself are consistent with the views and opinions of those I care about.  Some elements I'm concentrating on include: personality, dependability, passions, values, hobbies/interests, and the features/qualities that distinguish me from others.  It's been a healthy and eye-opening exercise so far - one I encourage you to try.

I'll end with some personal favorite quotations on the subject.

“Branding demands commitment; commitment to continual re-invention; striking chords with people to stir their emotions; and commitment to imagination. It is easy to be cynical about such things, much harder to be successful.” - Sir Richard Branson

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” - George Bernhard Shaw

“Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken”. - Oscar Wilde