How important is “Brand Me”?
For those of you who have seen me speak on the subject of “Brand Me“, you’ll know how important I believe your own personal brand is. Whether you are the only face of your business, trying to get on the career ladder or well established as a manager in a large enterprise, the brand values you convey are the person the world perceives you to be.
In my workshops, the “brands” that often come up are Apple, Nike, Dyson and Coca Cola. All big, no, massive global brands. But what about those individual brands? The Beckhams, The Queen, even the Kardashians (from my younger audience!) are global brands in their own right.
77 years ago (well before mine and Bare Bones Marketing’s time might I add!) a certain Fred Perry won a very prestigious tennis title. For the younger generation though, Fred Perry is a clothing brand, signified by a recognisable logo and a quintessentially British feel. Who would have thought that nearly 8 decades on, the “youf” of today would be wearing the clothing brand known as “The home of authentic British street fashion”?
I make no apologies for the timing, but as I sat with my (Apple) iPad in the glorious summer sunshine watching the tennis yesterday afternoon, I wondered if another global brand had emerged. From a somewhat stereotypical image of a “dour” Scotsman, to one with a dry, if yet subtle sense of humour, he’s beginning to make a brand transition. He hasn’t received the “big bucks” endorsement deals of his more outgoing counterparts like Federer and Nadal, and I wonder, even with a historical win under his belt, if the sponsorship contracts will flow. I’m not suggesting that he needs to change his personality, but like all of us with a brand to market, he needs to work on identifying his brand values and embody those in everything he does. He has the benefit of actually being very different to his peers. He’s not the glamorous “catalogue” type, so he needs to identify the brands who reflect his values – from what I can see – hardworking, determined and tenacious.
So, when you’re thinking about who you are and what your brand values should be, think about the brands that you most identify with. And be different.
I wonder if my grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be wearing “Murray” clothing – the “grind ’em down, seat of your pants” brand.