Below you can watch all of the presentations from Fledge Demo Days. I especially appreciate the shout out for my photography towards the beginning.
This is one of the most beautiful art projects I've seen in a while. I also find it especially powerful in that it focuses on what is right about a person rather than what is wrong. Whether it's core to their mission or smart positioning I think it is extremely wonderful to see corporations taking a stand to promote positivity. What does this inspire in you?
A brand is not a tangible thing. It can be valued, but
cannot be owned. A brand is the collective sentiment felt about you or your
product. Since we’re talking about personal branding, we're talking about you.
When somebody conjures up your name, what comes to mind? Are you reliable,
trustworthy, fun, exciting, honest, hard-working, respectful, etc.? At its
core, branding is fairly simple—its’ setting an expectation or set of
expectations and then either failing to meet, meeting, or exceeding those
expectations. Strong brands are strong because we know what to expect from
them. Stronger brands are stronger because they exceed your expectations.
Participating in their brand says something about us and our tribes. There’s a
reason for the saying, “You're only as good as the company you keep.”
Zappos is commonly referred to as the gold start of customer service. They have a brand that is centered around providing a superior experience for the people who choose their business. We can spend money on all sorts of design (and we should), but word of mouth will make or break your brand. Trust is paramount. Don’t try to ‘create a brand’ based on what you think people want. Instead, it will be well worth your time to more fully and deeply understand who you are at the core of your being, learn your strengths, passions, values, and talents, and then work on contributing to the world around you.
In an article that appeared in AdAge, executive vice president of Nielsen Online Digital Strategic Services Pete Blackshaw writes:
Zappos is a game changer, and it found value -- and ferocious word-of-mouth and brand advocacy -- in a place most of us leave for dead and certainly don't consider even close to being a media channel: customer service. They took this "cost center" input and turned it into an unassailable asset, fortified by the founder-CEO's sometimes "cult-like" (arguably irrational, by the typical marketing book) obsession with serving the consumer at all costs. It wasn't flaky. He approached this with focus, discipline, real incentives and an obsession over a "different" set of numbers. (Is Customer Service a Media Channel? Ask Zappos, 2009)
Assignment
Your goal for your first assignment is to begin collecting information from which you will learn what your brand really is. The reason this assignment is first is because it might take some time to get the responses you need in order to move forward with what you uncover in the next lesson.
- Make a list of ten people. This list should include some people you know well and some you don't. If you can, include family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. Try to include both people you are in communication with currently as well as the past. Former partners can be good for this as well.
- Make a brief note, email, tweet, Facebook post, or phone call to the people in your list and ask them know you are working on personal or professional development and would appreciate their help and feedback about who you are.
A few examples of notes are:
- Dear [insert name here], I am working on better understanding my gifts and talents in the world. Could you please describe me in three words, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.
- Dear [insert name here], if you had to describe me in three words what would they be?
- Dear [insert name here], could you describe a time when you felt we were most connected?
- Dear [insert name here], could you describe a time you felt I was most me?
Personal branding means different things to different people. When I first set out to build a set of personal branding resources I thought people might find beneficial, I asked a lot of people where they needed guidance, what their goals were, and where their passions lie. Because of the misunderstandings around the term “branding” and the negative connotations associated with those misunderstandings (as well as how it’s been perpetuated through businesses and individuals who abuse it), I found it difficult to use the term. However, personal branding is the term that describes the process through which you build a truthful reputation. The most commonly accepted definition of personal branding is the one put forth by Dan Schawbel, who says:
“Personal branding describes the process by which individuals and entrepreneurs differentiate themselves and stand out from a crowd by identifying and articulating their unique value proposition, whether professional or personal, and then leveraging it across platforms with a consistent message and image to achieve a specific goal. In this way, individuals can enhance their recognition as experts in their field, establish reputation and credibility, advance their careers, and build self-confidence.”
Maybe you’re looking to better understand your strengths and/or values. Perhaps you’re looking to make a transition in your career or are interested in learning how to use traditional and/or social media. Whatever brought you here, I sincerely hope you find real value in reading, watching, listening to, and participating in the journey. To make sure we’re on the same page, here is what I think about personal branding and how I will approach using it to form genuine relationships and build a presence based on your essence.
Personal Branding Is NOT…
- Shameless ego-stroking and self-promoting
- A buzz word
- A logo, tagline, and/or elevator pitch
Why Does Personal Branding Matter?
- 5 out 6 adults in North America are considering changing jobs
- You can expect to have 10 jobs in your lifetime—we no longer identify primarily with our job or company, so we need to know ourselves
- The workforce is not secure—you can’t rely on a company to always take care of you
- You are more empowered to positively affect you and the people around you
- We are increasingly concerned with spending time with people and doing things we love
You Do NOT own your brand?
- Your brand is the collective sentiment held by people who know you or know of you.
- You have the power to help control that sentiment by building trust, setting proper expectations, and continually exceeding those expectations
Three C’s of Personal Branding
- Clarity
- Consistency
- Constancy
Throughout these lessons, feel free to contact me, ask me questions, correct me, or otherwise engage. I'll do my best to provide the honest information that will provide the most value to you. But please let me know if there is anyway I can provide a better service. I respond most quickly on Twitter at @michaelbmaine.