What Is A Personal Brand?
December 7, 2007 | In Making A Diff. Lifestyle |
Table of contents for Personal Branding
- What Is A Personal Brand?
- Product vs. Brand
- Giving To Impress vs. Giving To Assist
- The Mirror Test
A brand is the instant feel or knowledge that one gets just from hearing a particular name or seeing a logo. The term “personal brand” is a metaphor, comparing an individual’s reputation or public image to that of a business’s reputation or corporate image. Most people don’t think of their reputation in these terms, because they are not trying to build a business based on themselves. However, what if you did take a moment to think of your public image as a brand rather that just an expression of your personality?
For instance, think of the Dalai Lama. I instantly think of someone who believes that we are all valuable - that all life is valuable - and acts like it. He doesn’t have it all figured out, but he is loving in his acceptance of his shortcomings. He is neither egotistical, nor accusing. He just is, allowing life to unfold, observing as it does. Perhaps you don’t get quite the same mental picture, but your mental picture is probably very close to mine.
Now, think conversely of Britney Spears. Here is a woman who is oversexed, overwrought, and totally out of control. The media hounds her (which may add to her breakdowns), and never finds anything good. She shaves her head, puts her children in danger, does drugs, and generally makes a mess of her life. Even if only half of what the media says is true, this is still a woman in desperate need of a life makeover. No matter what the cause, I doubt you find her to be a role model. Again, you may not have exactly the same vision at the mention of her name, but I bet your vision is similar to mine.
Why do we have similar visions of both these individuals? Because of their reputation, built up from numerous words and deeds. They have not developed their reputations deliberately, unlike the way a business promotes their brand and logo. However, like a business, their reputations have reached the level of a brand, and their face the level of a logo. So, even though we don’t know the Dalai Lama or Britney Spears personally, we are very familiar with their personal brand.
Everyone has a reputation and a public image that form their personal brand. Some want to make their personal brand a household name; others just want their personal brand known in their field. But whether you want to be famous or not, make no mistake, you are building a brand. So here’s the big question - are you building your brand deliberately, or haphazardly?
Until recently, I’ve been building my brand haphazardly. Certain aspects of my brand - like my loyalty and integrity - have always been part of me. Other aspects of my brand I’m building. My friends and family know me as someone who cares and wants to give back, but (I don’t believe) that they see me as an activist (yet). Until this point, I’ve only been a part time activist, therefore, I haven’t built a solid brand as one. However, now I’m changing that; I’m acting deliberately to build my personal activist brand.
Unfortunately, although personal brands can be shattered in an instant (think of Martha Stewart getting arrested), they can’t be built in one. It’s going to take some time. As I’m figuring out exactly how to build my activist brand, I’m focusing on three areas:
1. Being passionate about what I do and letting that passion shine through: Product vs. Brand
2. Giving from the heart, not just (or maybe at all) from the wallet: Giving to Impress vs. Giving to Assist
3. Being able to look at myself at the end of the day and know that I did what I could to establish my personal brand: The Mirror Test
Over the next three posts, I will expand upon each of these topics in more detail as to how I will achieve them. It is my hope that you can learn from my musings and apply some of the same tips or techniques to your life. As you read through this series, I encourage you to leave me your comments below; I want to know what you think.
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