I spent the past weekend at a business conference in Toronto, where I had the chance to talk to some consultants about image and personal branding. Apparently this is something pretty important, especially if you plan on surviving in the business world (which I do).
After having some time to mull it over, I’ve been thinking about just that. What’s the image that I’m sending out? What exactly is my brand? Am I an Adidas: “Impossible is nothing”, a General Electric: “Imagination at work”, a Sony: “like.no.other”, a Gillette: “The best a man can get”, a Jockey Underwear: “Best seat in the house”…
Sorry, too easy.
But all joking aside, I was challenged over the weekend to think of 3 people who’s ‘brand’ I really admired. I consider myself to be pretty selective and after some thought, I went with:
Sir Richard Branson – For his charisma, glam factor and business intuition.
Michael Jordan – For his inspiring work ethic, dedication to his team and passion for his sport. (I HIGHLY recommend reading the book: How to be Like Mike. It made a fan out of me.)
And finally, I’d really like to have a woman on my top 3 list. And maybe you’ve got some suggestions in this area. For my third ‘brand idol’ here’s what I’m looking for:
- Integrity – someone that I respect
- Substance – no flakes please!
- Glam factor – that rock star quality
Choosing brand idols can be one of the most important things you do to shape your brand. You can emulate and even copy another person’s brand to adopt those admirable qualities that you see in your idols.
So the question becomes: Are you a Double Diamond: “I’m only here for the beer”, an IBM: “Business is our middle name”, or an iPod Mini: “Next big thing”?
Some advice given to me: choose your brand wisely and OWN IT. What ever brand you create for yourself, be sure to wear it with pride in ALL you do. Let your brand speak for you through your work and be sure to take it with you to every interview as summer approaches!
Who are your top 3 brand idols?
Comments (3)
Hey Kate, I really enjoyed this entry. I like the slogans you mentioned. The best a man can get. Haha. Nice one. I haven't given any thought whatsoever to who my three brand idols are, but I did try to think of which female would fit in there, considering what you're looking for.
I would have to say without a doubt whether you like the woman or not, that Oprah Winfrey has done a pretty dang good job of becoming her own brand. Although one can certainly question the motives behind her newest show, "Oprah's Big Give", the fact is that in the end people will benefit from the money given away (even if the contestants MUST know that they're going to get a pretty big prize themselves). She has her own TV show, her own magazine, her own XM Satellite Radio channel, the books she includes on her TV show GET READ, and she's managed to keep a talk show on the air longer than you've been alive, Kate. Hehe.
The fact is, she came from not much and has made a lot of herself and helped millions of people along the way. The woman gets things done! True, she introduced the world to Dr. Phil (groan) but I guess she's done enough good to negate that one. Waddya think? Is she worthy of your spot? If not, who outdoes her?
Hey Nick,
Oprah's a good one. Definitely crossed my mind, but she doesn't quite make the cut for my list. Here's another contender:
"Meet the leading lady of Canadian finance"
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080326.wyakabuski0327/EmailBNStory/robColumnsBlogs/home
It's really funny that you are blogging about branding this week Kate. I was happily going through my Finance assignment, which happened to be in part about Apple (my favorite brand), and came across this website: http://brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=415#t83
It's the results to a survey conducted by brandchannel.com on the influence of brands on everyday life. It's quite an interesting read, especially if you are into stuff like that, and asks questions like "What brand, if sent back 100 years, would have the biggest impact on the course of history? How?" and "Which brand inspires you the most?". Funnily enough, Apple was the majority answer for both questions.
Something to think about, how can you brand yourself in such a way to inspire people? Should we look to... Apple... for the answer to that question?
J
Submitted comments must relate to RBC p2p. All comments will be reviewed and only approved comments will be posted. HTML is not allowed. Comments that include personal attacks on RBC or RBC Employees or other participants in this forum, make obviously false or unsubstantiated allegations, or include vulgar or libelous language, will not be approved. Posted comments are the views of the individual author and not of Royal Bank of Canada. By submitting a comment, you agree to be bound by the Terms of the RBC p2p Blog.
 |
|
utilities
|
 |
