Find a Great Self Brand Strategy to Get Great Results:
Strategy No. 1. Be the First
By Catherine Kaputa, founder of SelfBrand (www.selfbrand), a brand strategy company that works with people, products and companies
This article is number one of a series covering ten brand strategies from the commercial world that people can apply to themselves to propel business success excerpted from Catherine’s new book, of U R A BRAND to be published by Davies Black Publishing in February, 2006.
One way to figure out the best self-brand strategy is to look at brand strategies from the commercial world.
Start by devouring good books on individual companies and products. Successful brands always attract analysis. Or read about how brands develop winning strategies. Once you start studying the world of commercial branding, you’ll see how the branding strategies and tactics have lessons for you too. And there is no reason one can’t work for you, too.
Self-Brand Strategy 1: Be the First
Everyone knows being first is an advantage. The first mover generally ends up the leader in the category and is often the one we keep in mind. And because it’s the leader, everyone believes it to be the best in its category.
Being first is a formidable advantage. Michael Dell was the first direct seller of personal computers and currently dominates the business. Jeff Bezos created the first online book and retail marketplace, and it is now number one. And the list goes on and on.
You’re probably thinking, “These are business giants, and this kind of accomplishment would be impossible for a mere mortal like me. How can I be number one in anything?”
You don’t have to be a brilliant inventor to create a first. New categories are popping up all the time, as you’ll see once you start looking. You just need the proper mind-set. Often, you can slice the category to create a new subcategory and be first in that. Think of it as carving a new niche out of a category.
The "be the first" strategy is a very successful one for entrepreneurs, but executives can use it too. Enterprising employees or intrapreneurs often create a new market niche—whether it is a new type of product, service, or customer niche. These firsts may end up being enormously profitable for the company and for the employee’s self-brand. And there are lots of different ways to slice up a category and create a new area to be first in, as you will see in the next brainstormer.
Brainstormer
Uncovering New Firsts
Look at your business or what you do as something that can be sliced in various ways to make new categories or subcategories.
What new categories or subcategories can you create? Write your response in the space below.
|
|
If you can’t think of anything, read The Origin of Brands, by Al Ries and Laura Ries, and try the exercise again. If you still come up blank, think about the question again before going to sleep, and you’ll have answers in the morning.
|
|
|
|
|
|
November 1, 2005 Vol.1, No.5
|
U R A BRAND
How Smart People Brand Themselves for Business Success.
By Catherine Kaputa with foreword by Al Ries.
To be published by Davis Black in February, 2006.
Click to find out more
Who We Are
Catherine Kaputa is a brand strategist, speaker and author. She is president of
SelfBrand, a marketing consultancy that works with companies and individuals
who want to unlock the optimum marketing focus and game plan.
www.selfbrand.com
|
|
|
|
|
