Brand new Brand YOU
"Personal branding reflected in the zeitgeist. Watching the pros in entertainment, politics, business. And now you. What makes YOU different?"

 A strong brand name is usually synonymous with high quality items and a long history of successful business dealings. When people think about the things they like to buy, you will usually find these successful businesses popping up in their minds. 

Strong brand names have the support and following of a great number of people. They usually also have the financial backing to create positive vibes about their overall business proceedings. If you took a look at the energy that has been created because of the success of a business, you will find these companies shining above all the rest. It takes money to make money, so strong brands usually experience a multiplication of their profit margins that reach exponential growth proportions.

A strong brand has been a very important part of large corporations throughout history. Even businesses that were a part of early technology have followed nearly the same courses of progression. They usually start as a small company and become stronger and stronger as time goes on. These types of companies usually don’t experience any negative attention, they simply continue to produce exceptional results and make customers happy. Almost always, without fail, these companies have a strong product that carries their name to a form of business super stardom. Look into the background of some of today’s most popular companies and you will find these facts to be overwhelmingly true.

Traditional marketing, like you see in the retail stores in every major urban area, has developed into what we know today as “brand name fame”. If you look at the history of the most successful brand names in the retail industry, you’ll find that most of them have quite an impressive and charming history. There are countless examples of brands which have become a part of our lifestyle: the brand name might have become a part of a commonly used phrase, we see friends or family members talk about one brand or the other each day and the list could go on and on.

There are certain brand names you may know of, like Johnson & Johnson, who have built their fame through their superior and high quality line of products. They achieved “brand name fame” because they simply produced a superior choice of items to purchase. Other newer companies such as Phat Farm approach the market with high quality lines of clothing. They rose to fame because they got linked up with companies that could promote their product. In terms of urban clothing and street wear, this fits right in with the success stories of the streets.

People and companies that want to create an effective brand name need a true story to go with the fame. Just like an object in the real world, brand names have to represent a purpose, quality and a sense of well being. Brand names always need to have more to them than just a name. Brands that are just names will be lucky to survive the promotion period. If they do survive, the only reason they do is the superior level of quality the product provides buyers.

Ask yourself 4 main questions. These questions were posed at a seminar given by one of America’s greatest personal branders, Joe Calloway.

Rate yourself from one to 10, with 10 being the best, for each of these questions:

1. How good are you?

2. How good are you compared to your competition?
Before you put down a number, answer this: How often do you win when you go up against them? Now rate yourself. The competition isn’t just the enemy; the competition is a report card.

3. How good does the market think you are?
What is their impression of you as a person? Do they even know you exist? What has your impact been on your market? What is the big picture of you in your industry? How are you positioned? Before they can think you’re good, you have to have done something good. Now rate yourself.

4. How good do your customers think you are?
Here is your true measurement. Here is your reputation. Here is your fate. Here, in a word, is your “brand.” It is your personal brand. Now rate yourself.
Add up your ratings, divide by 4 and you’ll have better idea of where you really are as opposed to where you think you are.
What is the reason for the gap between your number and 10 in each of the four questions? If you figure that out, you will soar on every level. Your past will tell you exactly where you are today and why. Most of the time, a journey of self-discovery is the only way. Once you realize the gap, buckle down and start improving your numbers. Start with a plan–even if you just scribble some notes on a notebook, it will clarify your thoughts and solidify your actions.

Your personal brand is the most important and valuable asset you have. The reason for a poor, weak, or unknown brand is that people blame someone or something instead of taking responsibility for actions and outcomes.
Joe Calloway’s expertise is in personal branding. His book, “Becoming a Category of One,” will tell you how you can separate yourself from all the others who do what you do, become positioned in your marketplace and excel against your competition.

Well, after an extended late summer siesta, I’m back, invigorated, and scouring the web for tips, hints, and insight on how to brand yourself into a position of power. To reacquaint you with what we mean by personal branding, I’ll let Peter Montoya explain it, but know that you don’t have to be P-Diddy, er, Diddy, to brand yourself. Check back soon, as I’ll be updating more often now that the snow has hit the ground.