GenXmanager: Leadership for the Generation X Manager

This is the logo of one of the world’s strongest brands; Coca-Cola. Personal branding can learn quite a bit from corporate branding. In their textbook, Marketing Management 12th edition, Kotler and Keller note 10 attributes of the world’s strongest brands. I think these are relevant to the topic of personal branding.

1. The brand excels at delivering the benefits consumers truly desire.
   This goes back to my previous article about delivering value. You can’t fake it. You need to deliver real value each day. If you don’t, your brand is worthless.
2. The brand stays relevant.
   This relates to another article I wrote about becoming an expert. Are you on top of your game? Are you continuously learning your craft to stay relevant and even ahead of the curve?
3. The pricing strategy is based on consumer perceptions of value.
   If you are an entrepreneur does your price point match the value you offer customers? If you work for an organization, is your salary in line with what you deliver? It is okay to be the Wal-Mart or Nordstrom of your specialty but just don’t try to be the Nordstrom if clients see you delivering Wal-Mart value (and vice versa).
4. The brand is properly positioned.
   Whatever your specialty, there are likely hundreds if not thousands like you. How are you different? What sets you apart?
5. The brand is consistent.
   Does your brand communicate a consistent message or is it wrought with conflicting messages? You can’t be ambiguous. When people see or hear your name you want them to know exactly what you stand for.
6. The brand portfolio and hierarchy make sense.
   In brand speak this is Coca-Cola having an umbrella over all its “sub-brands” like Diet Coke, Sprite, etc. In personal branding terms, does everything you offer make sense? For example, I discuss leadership, social media, and personal branding on this blog. It makes sense. If I discussed tax code, denture cleaning, and pet obedience training, you might be a bit confused about my brand.
7. The brand makes use of and coordinates a full repertoire of marketing activities to build equity.
   I’m simply going to quote the authors as this makes sense for corporate and personal brands. “Have you capitalized on the unique capabilities of each communication option while ensuring that the meaning of the brand is consistently delivered?” This includes your presence on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media tools.
8. The brand managers understand what the brand means to consumers.
   For personal branding, do you know how your audience sees you? Make sure there is no perception gap between how you communicate your brand and how your audience interprets your brand.
9. The brand is given proper, sustained support.
   Make sure you are doing all that is necessary to nurture your brand and provide yourself support. That can mean everything from getting proper training to keeping your blog updated.
10. The company monitors sources of brand equity.
    Make sure you are keeping track of your brand through various web and social media search tools. Checkout 46 Free Social Media Monitoring Tools to learn how.

Though this list is geared to corporate brands, it works very, very well with personal brands. Print this out and take a look at it daily to make sure your branding strategy matches that of the world’s strongest brands.

Whatever your passion or focus is in life, become an expert at that one thing. As I mentioned in the article about personal branding and delivering value, “Learn everything you can about your area. Stay current on the latest trends. Experiment and try new approaches. Be someone people turn to for information.”

This is more difficult than it initially sounds. Your passion is like a diamond, it has many facets. Becoming an expert in any field or knowledge area takes time, patience, and hard work. You can’t become an expert overnight. Here are some tips for getting you on the road to becoming that wellspring of knowledge you want to be.

Read

This may sound obvious, but immerse yourself in books, websites, blogs, magazines, and journals that are focused on your passion. Get a notebook and jot down important points, experts in the field, and areas where you need to do more research.

Attend conferences

Conferences offer you the opportunity to learn from established experts and mingle with others who share your passion. Exchange business cards and keep in contact with those you meet after the conference. Follow them on Twitter, friend them on Facebook, send them an email. Keep in touch. Build your network.

Use Twitter

Scour the Internet for experts and if they are on Twitter, follow them. Following the right individuals and organizations can really enhance your knowledge of a specific subject.

Go to school

Sometimes to be an expert you need more than self-taught knowledge. You may need a degree or certification. For example, if you are passionate about helping others, dream about being a nurse, and want to one day write articles for distinguished nursing journals, you need to first become a nurse and gain years of experience. Even if your passion doesn’t require a degree or certification, taking a class from an experienced teacher can help you on the path to becoming an expert.

Seek mentors

Whether your passion is piloting helicopters, raising chickens, or training executives to be better leaders, seek a mentor. Others have taken the very same journey and most are happy to share their best practices and lessons learned. All you need to do is ask.

Network

Get to know others in the field by going to conferences, exhibitions, workshops, and social gatherings that are focused on your area of passion. Though personal, face-to-face connections are critical, don’t forget to network online. Find message boards, newsgroups, websites, Facebook pages, and blogs where members are discussing your passion. Actively participate. Pose questions. Answer questions. Make insightful comments. Make friends.

Teach

I’ve learned that the best way to solidify your knowledge of something is to teach it. Why? Because you need to know your content well and articulate it to others who want to learn. You can teach well before you’re an expert. Depending on your passion, you can teach at public libraries, community colleges and four-year universities, elementary and high schools, eldercare communities, and corporations.

Do

At some point in your reading, research, and classes you’ll actually need to do what you are learning. If you’re learning how to take great photos you’ll eventually need to go out and practice what you learn. If you’re learning how to speak better in public you’ll need to get yourself in front of an audience and practice your new skills.

Keep learning

Even when you reach a level of knowledge and experience to be considered an expert in your area, keep learning. Don’t sit on your laurels. Too many people and organizations get complacent and forget that in order to stay on top, learning must continue.

These are but a few ways to get you on the path to becoming an expert. Depending on your area of passion, there might be other methods as well.

My definition of a personal brand is very simple. Your personal brand tells the world about you. Your brand tells the world what you stand for, what your values are, what your expertise is, and ultimately why the world should even care.

A personal brand combines elements of marketing, career planning, and personal development.

The Marketing Angle

What is a brand? According to Kotler and Keller a brand is “a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors.” The key word here is ‘differentiate’.

The Career Planning Angle

Career planning “is a lifelong process, which includes choosing an occupation, getting a job, growing in our job, possibly changing careers, and eventually retiring” (from About.com). I think career planning is much more. Career planning involves matching your strengths and passions to what you will do for a living throughout your life. The key words are ‘strengths’ and ‘passions’.

The Personal Development Angle

Personal development encompasses many disciplines but here I’m relating it to personal values and understanding your purpose in life. Your values drive your behaviors. Your values define who you are and what you stand for. Your purpose in life is your overarching reason for living on this earth. The key words are values and purpose.

So, your personal brand comes down to differentiation, strengths, passions, values, and purpose. Branding yourself is the package you present to the world and methods you use to communicate that package. There is much more to say on this topic, of course, but this is a very simple definition (my definition) of a personal brand.