“Who are you?… Who? Who? Who? Who?”

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OK.  I am serial entrepreneur.  But, each venture has been different.  No sequels.  As opposed to Hollywood, where risk taking is no longer practiced.  Transformers 3.   Hangover 2 (one wasn’t enough?)  Harry Potter 7+ (I guess they knew what Google had planned)…etc. Even our presidential campaigns.  Newt 2+ (or is that minus?)   Mitt 2.  Palin 2 maybe…Oh, wait- did I just violate her trademark?  (and what would that connote, anyway?) But, that is not the subject of this article.  I was going to talk about branding.  Brands don’t allow for inconsistent images. When we develop OUR brand, it has to be clear- but able to grow with time.  There was a time when Coca Cola would never have used the term “Coke” for anything but Coca Cola.  Now, there’s Coke Zero, Diet Coke, Coke, Classic Coke, Vanilla Coke, Coke Cherry, et. al…  Obviously, Coca Cola’s concept of a brand has changed. Brand management is a technique that was pioneered by Procter and Gamble.  P&G defined the concept that the brand connotes a promise made to the consumer; the company needed to  maintain that promise, position the concept in the marketplace, and then insuring the customer gets that promise delivered each and every time.  Brand management gets the customer committed to the brand, just as the company is committed to the customer.  And, the brand connotes quality. That concept was extended to personal brand management in a book by Al Ries and Jack Trout (Positioning:  The Battle for Your Mind).  At the time, we used that book as the bible for our clients’ brands- and our services to our clients.  It makes it clear to our chosen niche what can be expected from us.

And now some 30 years later, I recognize that book provided the first inkling of the revolution we now call personal brand management.  And, after looking the book over again this weekend, I realize it’s still a timely resource.  A reference to which we should refer, when we wish to develop or refine our corporate- or personal- brands.

We put ourselves and our companies at risk when we develop these brands.  The risk is we can’t deliver.  The risk is that we are exposing ourselves (are we wearing any clothes?).  But, without those risks, we can’t reap the rewards.  Re-read (or read for the first time) Ries & Trout’s masterpiece.  The flip side is that people don’t always buy rationally- emotion is important, too. Brands may be considered tops in name recognition and evoke great feelings- but they don’t always translate into sales.  That’s where the comfort factor takes hold.

The opposite of “nothing ventured, nothing gained” is not “play it safe”.  Rather, the proper choice is “To the brave, go all things”!  But remember- YOU are taking the risk- you want your customer to feel comfortable choosing you and your offering.  Keep their risk minimal.Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A.

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24 thoughts on ““Who are you?… Who? Who? Who? Who?””

  1. I resonate with this very much. I once read that back in the day, certain brands were designed to sound good or appeal on the radio. Coca Cola was one of the examples given. It sounded intriguing, they thought. Although the internet has changed things with branding in some ways, it’s still important to have an interesting brand (I was inspired by Seth Godin’s book, Purple Cows). I also think that your brand and you are inseparable. I did all of the BrandU homework and learned a lot about myself in the process. I highly recommend some process to gain clarity and yes, courage 🙂

  2. Thanks Roy:

    Can’t wait to check out this book. I love what you wrote: with risk we can’t reap the rewards. Nothing is certain; so we might as well go for it!

  3. Great perspective and insight regarding the development of a personal brand. Given the nature of the Internet and social media, you’re crippled if you’re not working on that front!

  4. Hi Roy!
    Branding is still new to me and I have to admit that I am a bit intimidated by it. It has always sounded so finite. Like it’s impossible to change once you’ve committed to the brand. But your example of Coke and how the brand can grow with you makes it seem less daunting. I will have to check out your book suggestion. Thank you for another great post! ~Suerae

    1. SueRae:
      The problem is that most people talk about branding- but don’t really explain it. And, yes, P&G and Coke are great examples. That books, by Ries and Trout is available in paperback- and it belongs in every small businessperson’s library. It has a wealth of information that is still timely after 3 decades.
      Thanks for dropping in!
      Roy

    1. Me, too, Roberta. I still have my little white books among my two shelves of marketing materials. (Remember- I rid myself of one book to acquire a new one…)
      Thanks for dropping in and commenting.
      Roy

  5. Roy, thanks for sharing this book. It sounds fascinating and I’m adding it to my list :). All the information I’ve looked at about branding has been recent. I think it’d be valuable to check out this book that sounds like a foundational resource.

    1. I guess I should have brought this book up to our group earlier, Leanne.
      I have been a fan of Ries and Trout for three decades. And, they understand branding. Too much of the tripe on the web fails to understand the concept, which is why so many tyros get confused.
      It’s in your library- or you can buy the paperback for under $ 5! The problem is you’ll refer to it over and over- and the binding will decay. (You don’t want to see my hardcover edition 🙂 ).
      Roy

  6. Jump in, take the risk and go for it … hmmm, sounds like the perfect definition of business owner, enterpreneur or even human being! Thanks Roy for all your great information and like everyone else, will have to check out the book.

    Branding is huge, important and the basis for our success. As long as we can emotionally connect to our audience will produce a more stand out factor I believe what makes the magic happen!

    1. Glad you enjoyed it, Lynn.
      I think Ries and Trout have been overlooked by the generation that is promoting the internet/social media. And, I think they have by and large not explained the concept of branding well enough for the tyros to joing in the fun. Which is why I decided to bring this 30 year old book up now.
      Thanks for your comments. Love the first sentence!
      Roy

  7. All boils down to “who we are”! 😉

    The book sounds amazing, will check it out and get back with more input! Book reviews, the group is getting even more interesting! 🙂

  8. Thanks so much for this book review, Roy! I’ve been thinking a lot about my brand lately and this will be such a valuable resource! I especially appreciate you mentioning that our brand can evolve. It’s such a common sense concept that I had overlooked! =)

    1. I have been a fan of Ries and Trout since I was introduced some 3 decades ago. The amazing thing is how well this book holds up (ok, not my hardback, but the writings…)
      You will find much to savor in this book. Thanks for dropping in…
      Roy

  9. Interesting post Mr serial entrepeuner with no sequels – always enjoy the humour!
    When I was first getting on social media and my website, I did try to brand myself with having a consistent message throughout. I guess when that was done I went on to other things and was just me in what I did, how I behaved as an entrepeuner and as a person.
    It sounds like the book might be timely for me then!

    1. Maureen-
      I have found their analyses to be spot on, decades after they wrote them. Different than Drucker (and much easier to pick up and read), but about as timeless.
      In my book (no, you can’t have my copy), you can’t go wrong with them.
      Roy

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