Estimated reading time: 7 minute(s)
Originally published 1.7.09
Written By Jesse Muhammad
I have been getting a lot of great feedback from the first two parts of this three-part series on Branding and Marketing Yourself.(Part 1 and Part 2)
Readers are getting excited about setting an agenda for themselves and more importantly executing it!
There is so much wealth of knowledge on this subject matter. Mastery of something is a journey so never get to the point where you think you have “arrived”. Rather always maintain the posture of a student and soak up information daily.
I recently read an article on FastCompany.com and management expert Tom Peters stated something powerful about branding. He said wrote:
“It’s a new brand world.
That cross-trainer you’re wearing — one look at the distinctive swoosh on the side tells everyone who’s got you branded. That coffee travel mug you’re carrying — ah, you’re a Starbucks woman! Your T-shirt with the distinctive Champion “C” on the sleeve, the blue jeans with the prominent Levi’s rivets, the watch with the hey-this-certifies-I-made-it icon on the face, your fountain pen with the maker’s symbol crafted into the end.
You’re branded, branded, branded, branded.
It’s time for me — and you — to take a lesson from the big brands, a lesson that’s true for anyone who’s interested in what it takes to stand out and prosper in the new world of work.
Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.”
Now, let’s close this three part series on Branding and Marketing Yourself by discussing three critical elements of branding that all corporations and great individuals have used to propel themselves. It’s the same questions that many like Russell Simmons, Rachael Ray, Martha Stewart, Jay-Z, Warren Buffet, and Bill Gates had to answer in order to get where they are today.
It’s time for YOUR serious branding and marketing campaign. Answer these questions honestly and thoroughly and get after it now.
Critical Element Number 1
What do you stand for?
Critical Element Number 2
What sets you apart from others?
Critical Element Number 3
What makes you marketable?
Remember people gravitate towards something based upon perception and will stay based upon trust. Meaning the brand has credibility with them.
The time is ripe for the world to find out what they have been missing out on from the hidden brand called YOU.
Mediocrity is NOT in Your D.N.A…so don’t settle for it.
