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People may be talking about you, whether you like it or not. Or worse, they may forget or ignore you altogether. Do you want to be promoted more easily? Give them something simple yet distinctive to talk about. Your reputation will precede you.
Personal brands used to flourish by luck, and were knighted by royalties. Musicians, fashion designers and other celebrities used to be the only ones who leveraged personal brands.
Times have changed.
A job well done isn’t enough. It never was. It’s always been about who knows who, who you know, and moreover, who knows you. Self-promotion used to travel through the “old boys' club.” Thankfully, times have changed.
Boys and girls of all ages, colors and backgrounds can now join the club. It is our responsibility to create and nurture our own fan clubs: The “Personal Brand Formula” is the convergence of experience and expertise, of art and science, of celebrity and management.
We’ve been wearing portable music headphones for decades now. Yet every brand missed the greatest advertising opportunity, right before our eyes. Nowadays, walking down the street, it’s hard to miss those distinctive white wires dangling from round earbuds.
Those white wires stand out in the crowd of boring blackness. We instantly recognize them. We’re instantly reminded of their brand. They’re promoted by hipsters, hippies and hip-hoppers. Once an oddity, white wires are now the sign of ‘cool.’
You can use such a clever tactic to make a name for yourself. You can stand out from the crowd. You can be instantly recognized for your substance and style. How can you leverage a simple yet distinctive characteristic? What are your “white wires”?
Welcome to the world of “p’Branding.” A personal brand – like a corporate brand – is a representation of one's value. Businesses borrow the cruel practice of branding performed in the Wild West (and originally in Africa).
