THREE STEPS TO A WINNING BRAND (PART TWO)
THREE STEPS TO A WINNING BRAND (PART TWO)
Wednesday, 18 April 2007 11:23
Through unearthing the true you and consistently and constantly living your personal brand, you attract what you need to achieve your goals without having to "wrestle with the universe" to acquire it. In part two of this two-part article by William Arruda we conclude with the final steps of constructing a winning personal brand.
by William Arruda Step 2: Express Yourself. Describe the essence of your brand. From the results of Step 1 above, start to create a personal brand profile.
List your brand attributes, create a brand statement and even your personal brand tagline. This will help you as you develop a plan to communicate your brand. Find the Right Mix.
Once you know yourself, your competitors, and your target, you can identify the ideal combination of communications tools that reach your audience effectively. This can vary widely depending on your goals, but maybe you will want to write articles or contribute to your internal newsletter. Maybe regular speaking gigs are more appropriate for your brand. You need to evaluate all possible communications tools and select the right combination to reach your target audience.
Mark Everything You Do with Your Brand. Whether you're giving a presentation, participating in a meeting, or writing a report, you never have to leave your brand behind. Always ask yourself how you can connect your brand to every given situation. Every meeting, every project, every business trip – every business meal! Live and Breathe Your Brand. Live in a state of inquiry for two weeks – to start. Question everything you do, every tool you use, every article of clothing you wear. Are they consistent with your brand? Do you have a WAP phone but use a printed calendar or a handwritten to-do list? Do you carry a briefcase? Make sure everything communicates the essence of your brand. Get used to living in the inquiry. It's a tool that will help you keep your brand clear, consistent, and constant.
Step 3: Evaluate and Evolve. You've identified your brand. You've developed communications tools to reach your target audience. But how do you measure your brand success? Evaluate The key is putting metrics in up front. If you are an employee of a company, you can use performance evaluations, and informal feedback from managers and peers. Find a group of people to use as your focus group: trusted people who will provide truly honest feedback, perhaps your mentor or a performance coach. If you are a consultant, provide your clients with feedback forms after every project. Request feedback on your web site. Get as much INput as you can, to make your OUTput as strong as it can be. Evolve. To remain relevant to their target audiences, all strong brands evolve with the times.
This could mean line extensions (Starbucks is now serving teas; McDonald's is offering salads). It could be modifying the ways you communicate your brand (moving from a printed resume to a resume on CD). It could mean augmenting brand attributes as you continue to grow in your career (much like Volvo has been adding style to safety in the design of their cars). Whatever course you take, make sure your brand continues to be authentic, differentiated, and consistent. In a world where cities, wars, CEOs, politicians and highways are branded, you need to think about yourself in the same terms. So build and nurture your brand. There are three simple steps. Leading you along one clear path to success. (Part one of this article is available on this website under the title: Three Steps to a Winning Personal Brand Part One) Reproduced with permission from www.reachcc.com
