| By Gary C. Sain, Chief Marketing Officer/Partner, Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell
July 1, 2005
What is a brand? A brand represents the sum of all experiences over time between an individual and a company, product, or service. A brand represents an expectation, a level of quality and it's a measure of trust. It's more than a logo. “Products occupy a space on a shelf; brands occupy a space in your mind.” Most of us are acutely aware of the concept of branding. It surrounds and influences our decisions every day. Branding has certainly become the buzzword in 2005!
I would also suggest that each of us is a brand. Not in the context of a Procter & Gamble product, but in an attitudinal frame of mind. How each of us positions ourselves within our individual enterprises, as well as the business community as a whole, dictates our future success. The same branding principles used in companies every day can be tailored to individuals who want to stand out from the crowd. If great brand are about relationships, then individuals have the greatest opportunity to brand themselves. I call it the I BRAND principle .
A few well-known individuals within our industry have done an excellent job in branding themselves. In fact, they have done it so well…their enterprise is an extension of their own personal brand. Don Trump, Steve Wynn, Richard Branson, Bill Marriott, Herb Kelleher, Jonathan Tisch, Ian Schrager, Bob Dickinson, Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Roger Dow, Arthur Tauck, Matthew Upchurch and Peter Yesawich come to mind. However, you don't have to be a “founder” or a CEO to be an individual brand.
I feel anyone in sales, marketing and customer service has the greatest opportunity to differentiate themselves through I BRANDING . Customers buy people first. They want to build a personal (one-to-one) relationship with an individual, not necessarily the company brand they represent. Granted, we all represent our company's brand, but genuine long-lasting relationships are driven at the individual level. The reason for the customer to believe (or not to believe) is how well sales, marketing and customer service professionals position themselves in the eyes of their customers. Secondly, how well they deliver on their personal brand promise.
Let's focus on the fundamental pillars of branding as it relates to I BRANDING …
- Unique/differentiated…Am I able to stand out from the crowd? Do I offer a discernible difference not easily duplicated?
- Relevant…Am I standing out in a way that is meaningful to my customers/peers/boss?
- Credible/believable…Am I able to tell my story in a convincing manner and consistently deliver upon my brand promise?
- Esteemed…Am I running my business life (and personal life) in a way that builds respect and trust?
- Knowledge…Am I knowledgeable about my company, my customers, my competition and my industry? Do the customers I serve know what I do?
These are the fundamental pillars your personal brand must be built and managed around. Strong personal brands maintain a competitive differentiation. They offer a solid, trusted base from which to initiate and/or respond to change. Change is forever constant within our business and personal lives. The mark of a great personal brand is how they deal with change. Charles Darwin said it best, “The most powerful natural species are those that adapt to environmental change without losing their fundamental identity which gives them their competitive advantage.” Strong personal brands always deal from a pillar of strength. Their deep beliefs and their unwavering commitment to what they stand for never changes. Their advantage is their commitment to consistent behavior, which brings value to their stakeholders. A strong personal brand also clarifies choice. It limits and screens out non complimentary options and competitive threats.
In Al Reis's book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, he said a successful brand is based on the concept of singularity. It creates in the mind of the prospect the perception that there is no product on the market quite like your product. This is certainly true as it relates to the individual brand. To broaden your appeal, narrow your position. Standing out through a distinctive, discernible difference is critical for proper positioning. Most of you are keenly aware of how this works in consumer branding. However, it works as well for your personal brand. If you cannot see the distinct differences your personal brand can offer, look harder.
Ideal positioning of your personal brand does the following…
• It makes you unique and differentiated;
• You are more relevant and meaningful to key audiences, including your superiors;
• You are known for leading, not following;
• You are more concerned with your customers'/peers' needs, not your own desires;
• You transcend yourself from being transactional to being relationship driven;
• Because of proper positioning, you offer clarity in who you are, what you do, what you stand for;
• Ideal positioning supports long-term growth.
How does one properly position oneself? It first starts with the right attitude. Attitude will determine altitude…how high you can soar. No personal brand can ever maximize its true potential without the right attitude. When it comes to fully understanding your personal brand position, check your ego at the door. You need to be clinically analytical and look at everything with an unbiased open mind. Next is research. Not research you purchase. This is research you do yourself. First, you need to differentiate yourself in three market places…1) within your company, 2) within your industry and 3) within your targeted audience(s). You do this by gaining insight into what the needs/desires of these respective audiences are and becoming exceptionally relevant to them. You learn what is critically important to them. Secondly, you create a personal brand position based on the strengths and weaknesses of all your stakeholders, competitors and company associates.
Positioning in I BRANDING is focusing your skills. You cannot be everything to everyone. No individual can position himself/herself as anything. I would suggest creating a positioning statement for yourself. Answering the following questions may be useful…1) Who are you? 2) What business are you in? 3) What people do you serve? 4) What are the special needs of the people you serve? 5) With whom are you competing? 6) What unique benefit does your customer or supervisor derive from your service? These are classic questions all brand managers ask themselves. In I BRANDING , they become your personal questions to answer, which helps you properly position yourself.
In addition, consider asking others how you are honestly perceived in the business arena. This goes back to the research I was speaking to. The most important activity in marketing is knowing where you stand with your company brand in the minds of your targeted audience. It's extremely hard to be relevant or meaningful to your audience if you don't have this insight. Your personal brand is no different. You need to access how your audience perceives you. Perception is the key word. All of us think of ourselves differently than those around us. Ask your customers, family, friends, peers and industry associates to help you paint a picture of your personal brand. Only then, from insight, can you build on the building blocks to enhance your brand positioning and delivery.
As importantly, you build upon the quality traits of your personal brand, which you deem as distinctive. For example, returning all phone calls within four hours of the call may be one. Another one may be answering all correspondence, including e-mail, within 24 hours. Another example may be sharpening your presentation skills in order to achieve more speaking opportunities. Mentoring junior staff members may be one. Taking the initiative to develop one new idea per quarter may be another one. The list is endless. The key is delivering your brand promise through distinctive activities/results that reinforce your individual brand position. This creates a discernible difference for your personal brand and allows you to rise to the very top of mind awareness within your targeted audience(s). Jerry Garcia may have said it best, “Don't be the best at what you do, be the only one at what you do.”
Knowledge can be one of the most distinctive discernible differences. Your insight into your company, your industry and your customers is a huge value proposition you can leverage. Anyone can identify problems. Personal brands that stand out are those who offer solutions. Having the skill set to effectively identify and develop solutions is based on insight and knowledge. A fundamental building block in leveraging your personal brand is to never stop learning. Whether it is a master's degree, an accreditation, continuing education courses, industry networking events, trade and business publications, etc…great personal brands never feel they know it all. Their commitment to always being the best is what sets them apart.
Trust is a key word often associated with branding. The ability for a customer to trust a brand because of past experiences/associations and purchase again is the essence of great brands. Delivering on the brand promise every time is the reason to trust. Your personal brand is no different. Your word is your brand. Your behavior supports your word. Your positioning supports your behavior. Meeting and exceeding the expectations of your customers, your superiors and all other stakeholders is consistently delivering upon your brand promise. Only then is there a reason to believe.
Lastly, how do you know when your personal brand is in need of vitalization? Here are some thoughts…
• Have you strayed away from your core beliefs?
• Do you have a well-established identity?
• Have you lost your edge?
• Has your performance slipped?
• Are you on top of your industry trends?
• Are you in touch with your customers and their wants and needs?
• Have you been outmaneuvered or become “outdated” by competitors or peers?
• Do you continue to differentiate yourself in a changing, competitive marketplace?
• Do you have the elasticity and strength to succeed in an ever changing world?
• Are you consistent in your business relationships?
Certainly, food for thought. I BRANDING is an attitude. In today's competitive marketplace, branding is occupying a distinctive (favorable) space in the minds of your targeted audience. I BRANDING ensures you are occupying the right space for the most important brand…YOURSELF. YPB&R is a leading travel marketing specialist
that delivers marketing payback through the creation of compelling,
integrated communications, including everything interactive. For more
information, please contact Gary C. Sain at gary_sain@ypbr.com
or 407-875-1111.
© 2005
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