Tom peters personal branding pdf

Brand Me

INTRODUCTION

Why is a goal by Beckham enjoyed more than a goal by any other player? Does the answer lie

only in the talents possessed by these individuals or something beyond that? Do these

personalities “brand” themselves and consciously do or refrain from doing things that affect their

brand image? A BRAND may be defined as a name to which a set of associations and benefits as

become attached in the consumer's mind. This name could be that of a product, a service, a

corporate entity or even an individual. There are numerous examples of people who have

become brands. Internationally, numerous names across industry sectors and occupational

profiles come to mind including Madonna, Armani, Michael Jackson, Tiger Woods, Michael

Jordan, Richard Branson, and Mother Teresa, etc. In the business arena it is a widely accepted

fact that dynamic CEO’s become intrinsically linked to the companies they represent. (E.g. Jack

Welch, Lee Iacocca). As such it is important not only for a company to brand its offerings but

also its people and its leader. This essay is to help you branding yourself and understanding the

concept behind “Brand Me.”

THE PERSONAL BRANDING PHILOSOPHY

Personal Brand - A personal identity that stimulates precise, meaningful perceptions in its

audience about the values and qualities that person stands for. It was branding guru Tom Peters

who started the personal branding movement with an essay that appeared in Fast Company in

1997 under the title “The Brand Called You.” Peters wrote, “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.’”

Peter Montoya, author of The Brand Called You, believes the key to personal branding is

knowing how you are perceived by others. Montoya writes, "Personal branding lets you control

how other people perceive you... You're telling them what you stand for -- but in a way that's so

organic and unobtrusive that they think they've developed that perception all by themselves.…

When done right, it's irresistible.” (Personal Branding Press, 2002).

Just like companies brand their products to create some unique associations in the minds of the

target consumers, personal branding also involves the creation of strong, unique and favorable

associations in the minds of the people around. But unlike products which have a conscious

marketing program to build and maintain brand values, personal brands are built unconsciously.

Even if a person does not play any role in branding himself, others will automatically create

some associations about him depending on his nature and habits. Therefore one should play an

active role in creating a brand for oneself.

THE NEED FOR PERSONAL BRANDING

Various authors have different views on the need for personal branding. However, all of them

agree that a personal brand plays the same role as any brand does – of differentiating a product,

service (or person) from others. Steve Van, author of Get Slightly Famous, points out the

following advantages of branding oneself:

 Differentiate yourself from your competition

 Position your focused message in the hearts and minds of your target customers

 Confers “top of mind” status

 Increases authority and credence of decisions

 Places you in a leadership role

 Enhances prestige

 Attracts the right people and opportunities

 Adds perceived value to what you are selling

 Earns recognition

 Associates you with a trend

 Increases earning potential

Peter Montoya however says that a personal brand does not:

 Cover up incompetence

 Make you famous

 Get you to your goals

and suggests that an individual should develop a Personal Brand:

 When you feel unrecognized for accomplishments

 When others are achieving goals you set for yourself

 When you feel you have gone as far as you can conventionally

 When you want an edge over your competition.

HOW TO CREATE A PERSONAL BRAND

Creating personal brands is very much like creating any brand. We must decide the brand

elements, give meaning to them, position them, communicate the meaning and manage it over

time. According to marketing consultant Kristie Tamsevicius, an underlying assumption of

personal branding philosophy is that each of us has unique gifts and a distinct purpose in life.

The personal branding pyramid can be shown as follows:

DETERMINE WHO YOU ARE

Since personal brands have a direct reflection on the person, to identify our personal brands we

must ask ourselves – what do I do that makes me different. We must identify our greatest

strengths and most noteworthy personal traits.

Personal branding is about determining who you are at your core authentic self, rather than

inventing a brand that you would like to be perceived as. One’s personal brand emerges from the

search for identity and meaning, out of which comes an awareness of personal strengths and

talents.

It also involves determining ones brand elements - making conscious choices about the people to

associate with, the clothes to wear, the food to eat, the place where to stay, the way of speaking

in public and in private etc. It is essentially telling the world who you are through visible cues.

DETERMINE WHAT YOU DO

This involves writing down ones greatest area of professional interest or passion. This reflects

the kind of work one wants to do in life. It involves asking oneself - What do I do that adds

remarkable, measurable, distinguished, distinctive value? What do I do that I am most proud of?

Personal branding is not applying an attractive mask, it is understanding what ones values are,

and learning to make these values relevant to other people. Much of developing a personal brand

centers on identifying personal values.

POSITION YOURSELF

By identifying the qualities or characteristics that make a person distinctive from his competitors

or colleagues, one can create a positioning for himself. What have I done to make myself stand

out? What would my colleagues or my customers say is my greatest and clearest strength?

While promoting “Brand You,” everything than a person does or chooses not to do

communicates the value and character of the brand. Everything from the way of handling phone

calls, to the email messages, to the way of conducting business in a meeting is part of the larger

message that is sent about a personal brand. Just like it is true for products and services, good

personal brands stand apart from others and create strong favorable and unique associations. The

aim of every personal brand is to be clear, distinctive, and be easily understood, and to expresses

a unique, compelling benefit that people believe in.

MANAGE YOUR BRAND

According to Montoya, the key to any personal branding campaign is "word-of- mouth

marketing." The network of friends, colleagues, clients, and customers is the most important

marketing vehicle that a personal brand has got. What they say about the brand is what the

market will ultimately gauge as the value of the brand.

The personal brand must establish a place of trust and relevance in the prospects minds. The

more it is believed by people, the more it will spread throughout the market without pushing.

To evaluate how “Brand You” is doing, it is necessary to obtain honest, helpful feedback on the

brand performance, growth and value. The next step is to work to close the gap between what the

brand is today and how it wants to be perceived by others.

THE “BRAND ME” TASK

Write a two-page essay on “Brand Me” that follows the noted chart above. Identify each stage:

1. Determine who you are – Your Specialty (Develop a Personal Brand Statement) 2. Determine What you do –Your Service 3. Position Yourself – Your Audience 4. Manage Your Brand – What will you do to Manage Yourself?

Guidelines:

 2 Pages (Cover Page separate)

 Double-Spaced

 12 point font, Times-New Roman

 Use your resume for ideas about how to describe your brand

 Ask friends, family, or colleagues how they would describe you to others.