|
|
|
|
The Power
of a Self Brand.
By
Catherine Kaputa, Personal branding strategist, coach and speaker
Today, branding isn't just
for companies. Hollywood celebrities. Or highly-paid athletes. People
in all walks of life are starting to use personal or self branding to get
ahead in their careers.
The single factor that often
explains the difference between a professional who is competent and doing
okay and one who earns a significant income and is quoted in the news is
self branding.
What
distinguishes a brand from an unbranded product?
Branding is the "image"
created in the mind when you think of a name, a product or a person. It
is your feelings and perceptions about the brand's attributes, how it performs
and what it is worth.
Successful brands have an
irresistible attraction. Brands are in demand. They are people magnets.
They build a strong emotional bond with their clients, customers or fans.
Brands are viewed as being
different from other products in a category. And most importantly, brands
have value. They are perceived as having higher quality than competitive
products.
Any way you slice it, brands
have the power position over products any day.
Brands
win over products hands down.
Think about the differences:
| A
brand |
A
product |
| Is bought |
Is sold |
| Forms an emotional bond |
Is unemotional |
| Has high visibility |
Has low visibility |
| Is unique |
Is a comodity |
| Lives forever |
Becomes outdated |
| Commands a premium price |
Is price sensitive |
| Has evolving story |
Is one dimentional |
| Creates buzz |
Is low interest |
| Is relevant |
Is static |
| Is memorable |
Is forgettable |
|
Self
branding defined.
Self branding is creating
an asset out of who a person is and what they can do. A self brand
is a strong personal identity based on a clear perception about what that
person stands for and what sets them apart from others. A strong
emotional bond is created between a branded person and their audience or
clients who believe without a doubt in the added value the branded person
brings to a job, situation or event.
Self branding involves two
key changes.
One, a change in your way
of thinking and what you do.
You think like a marketer
- the brand manager for You, Inc. You act like a marketer. You focus on
a target market. You look for unmet needs that you can satisfy. You add
more value than your competitors. You develop a marketing plan, and
execute it. You make changes as market conditions change.
The second change is in how
your colleagues and clients begin to see you. There is a change
in perception based on a focused self brand that is differentiated from
that of other people.
As in product branding, the
most important thing is not what you say about yourself, but what others
say about you. You need to think not in terms of what you want
to say, but what the market wants. Not what you want to do, but the reaction
you want to get from your customers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
