About a Brand
by Jen Wright <img src="http://lookingglasslane.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/branding.jpg" alt="branding" title="branding" width="500" height="333" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-740" />
I'm going to take a poke at this thing called personal branding.
We hear it all the time now. You are a brand. I am a brand. But what does that mean? I wanted to go to a reputable source to see exactly how it's described. Dan Schwabel, an author and blogger who has branded himself with his knowledge of self-branding, posted Personal Branding 101 on Mashable's site. These are excerpts, merely lines apart from each other, in his article. Read them, and think about them for a second, both as separate ideas, and then as they work together, or more importantly, if they can work together.
There is no hiding anymore and transparency and authenticity are the only means to survive and thrive in this new digital kingdom.
Today, I want to share the personal branding process, so you can start to think about what face you want to show to the world and how you want to position yourself for success!
I guess I could be a shit and just stop here, as Schwabel pretty much makes the case for me. But it's not my goal to pick on anyone, especially someone who's out there doing their thing with all they have, as he appears to be. Step outside of your marketing minds for just a minute and ask yourself this: Isn't the very crux of authenticity a lack of constructing a facade of self?
I always ask myself if things make sense on a human level, because if they do, the odds are, they'll be compelling for a brand. In real life, actions speak louder than words. In real life, people who spend a lot of time telling stories that posture them as this or that, are annoying and everyone can't wait to see them prove themselves wrong. They'll even gladly volunteer to help prove them wrong. In real life, people who follow their passions and just get their shit done, attract the most attention. And in real life, especially since social media, your brand is not what you say it is, it's the sum of what the world says about you, measured against your actions.
Here's my fear: Arguably, I may have the whole concept of self-branding wrong. Maybe, in its purest execution, a person could brand himself and remain free of the constraints placed by the one snapshot of his face he has decided will represent him. But I fear people don't work that way. We have limited vision. We can't look in two places at one time. And I believe our energy moves in the direction of our gaze. If we're told that personal success requires that we look at ourselves, every minute, and focus on the brand message we're sending out, well, you've read about Narcissus, right?
I'll end with this. Alex Bogusky is one of my heroes in this business. You've probably heard of him. Why? Because he's got a hellofa story. Read his Twitter bio to see how he describes himself in one sentence.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-766" title="Picture 1" src="http://lookingglasslane.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Picture-11.png" alt="Picture 1" width="335" height="156" /> <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-767" title="Picture 3" src="http://lookingglasslane.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Picture-3.png" alt="Picture 3" width="335" height="156" />
Does it sound like he's anxious to have a concrete, personal brand? Or check out CP+B's new-ish beta site to see how they brilliantly implemented the "you are the sum of what your work does in the world" concept. It rocks. And just think of how much more time and money they have to do more cool work because they're not policing their brand. Everything people say about them shows up. Listen to Bogusky: "The good, the bad and the mildly unnerving."
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
