I just read Thomas Gad’s book “4-D Branding: Cracking the Corporate Code of the Network Economy” – a very straightforward and simple book on brand building. After reading the book, I got more convinced that a likable brand is built by one person, or a very small team with a clear, unified vision. Good ideas lose their true potential if they are torn by too many differing opinions and interests.
I looked at my own brand and it seemed to have very little personality. How can anyone be interested in us if we don’t represent anything? Until this day, we’ve been just a combination of our skills, while we should be a unique composition of skills and vision. I believe it can be achieved by taking more control over our brand, and I want to be the responsible one. This is a quest to take the identity out in the open, to represent something.
Thinking my own brand lead me to a question – what does it take to create a brand? I think it takes only one mind to make a brand. A good brand is a personality, it’s got something to say and it wears a unique outfit. A strong brand is an ideology that can either be loved or hated. I’m afraid creating a brand is as simple as declaring a goal, telling about it and living the brand ideology. A determined mind will draw attention and gather followers. Those who like you will become your crew.
Living the brand is crucial. The brand of your dreams will come alive when you start living it. As long as you see it as a dream, it will remain a dream.
It’s quite odd how minds sometimes drive the same routes. This might be a bad example, but I tell it anyway. After I had this thought of brand personification, I googled up Thomas Gad and found out that he had written a new book a few years ago: “Managing Brand Me — How to Build Your Personal Brand“. Now would probably be the perfect time for me to read this book. Check out his website.
From now on Netura will be presented in a more personal way. I will concentrate on carving out the complexion. It will look more like me.
I am hugely interested in future web technology – it seems to have very few limitations. The thirst for latest technology also reflects in Netura’s services. We serve meeting areas for brands and people. Almost anything imaginable can be done, the hardest part is to imagine. That is also something I want to do – first imagine and plan, then connect the people who can make plans reality. Juoni.net began in a similar way.
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We discussed this a bit on msn yesterday and continued some more at Pownce, but here are some additional thoughts:
- A brand might be a wrong word here. I’m more into terms like “values” or even “personality”. They are more high level and they are something you can control. The brand in turn is what the customer sees when she looks at you.
- Also I’ve been thinking that it might well be possible to create the brand with more people than just one. That’s the difference between your personal brand and the company brand.
- But you’re right, creating a value statement is crucial for your company. If your business partner isn’t interested in working towards creating one with you I think you’re doing the right think when taking the initiative in your own hands. Go for it!
- I didn’t quite get your idea about serving meeting areas for brands, maybe you could write something more about that?
- And maybe you should still try to think of a more high level vision statement?
But in general, this is great stuff! Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!
Self-employed lawyers, accountants, financial planners, real estate, and health experts know how it is to build their practice – often without a “crew” to support them in their marketing, rainmaking, sales, etc.
Thus they must build a personal brand reputation that precedes them. Moreover, they have professional codes of ethics and compliance to follow.
But there are 3 differences between a personal brand – and a reputation. In a word: Leverage.
~ Vik Rajan
PersonalBrandMarketing.com