Apr 13 2010
A brand – to be or not to be
Pre-Ramble: There is a lot of buzz and quite a few books out there that promote the value of “branding” yourself as a way to attract recognition and business. I just don’t know about that. As a dedicated “intuitive thinker” who delights in the pursuit of random stuff, the idea of nailing myself down to a single focus is more than a little scary.
Well, so, by ”branding,” of course, I don’t mean scorching your backside with a hot metal “K.” I mean representing yourself to others — who you are, what you do and what you are about in a specific and consistent way. Beyond a title or symbol, a brand is a holistic summation of the character of a person or entity — its personality or reputation.
Brands of businesses are all around us … the bold FedEx letter forms, the Nike swoosh, the little blue Twitter bird, the Target … target, the Apple … apple … They all have a distinct look and feel … they all have a unique differentiated point of view. Alina Wheeler discusses the many dimensions of “brand” in Designing Brand Identity (2003) …
There is substantial evidence that companies whose employees understand and embrace the brand are more successful. What began as “corporate culture” under the auspices of human resources is fast becoming branding, and the marketing department runs the show; … each touchpoint is an opportunity to strengthen a brand and to communicate about its essence; … brand identity increases awareness and builds business.”
I get it. I can see the value there. The more people recognize you/your brand for what you “do,” the more likely they are to seek you out when they need someone to do that for them (… or with them … to them … whatever). I am so all over this in the business world. I believe that businesses who are able to articulate a clear consistent message about who they are and what they do are ideally positioned to attract meaningful (and prosperous) business opportunities. So, I guess it is no small stretch to apply this same principle to the individual. At any given time, in any given place, you as an individual may be called upon to perform as the brand that you are.
I guess what that means is, that at any given moment ”you” are a potential business … or a potential business opportunity. By establishing a consistent set of attributes, skill sets, a look and a feel for yourself, … you are constantly marketing yourself in the world marketplace. I guess that’s the big hairy deal about the “new social media” venues – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter. In launching a Home Page, or a Profile, or even a blog (!), you are, for better or for worse, putting yourself out there as a brand. Yikes – no pressure there.
The dilemma I have is, if in order to successfully be “a brand,” you have to forsake the enticing array of random very-cool-stuff that lurks around so many corners, it that worth it? Creativity and its kissin’ cousin, innovation, are made from the very stuff of random collisions/conjunctions of things and ideas. So, does a guy have to sacrifice the capacity to think big, out-there thoughts for the privilege of having a successful business or personal brand? (How do the folks whose brand is that they Think Big Out-There Thoughts make that work?)
The Take-Away: Doomed. If I need to be together enough to align my appearance, environment, family members, pets, possessions, activities, attitudes, disposition and every confounded twittering thought in my head with my designated “brand,” …
… JUST SHOOT ME NOW.
I don’t have a gun in hand. You do great in your blog and in life without
wearing sign on your back!
I have a response to: “So, does a guy have to sacrifice the capacity to think big, out-there thoughts for the privilege of having a successful business or personal brand? (How do the folks whose brand is that they Think Big Out-There Thoughts make that work?)”
NO! A well concepted, developed, and executed brand is able to represent the objectives, abilities, and goals of a person or business to their audience–all of which must be thought about prior to embarking down a path, and then evolved over time. Often, though, “guidelines” and “standards” are set up because a client doesn’t want the ongoing cost or consideration involved in growing and evolving a brand–they think of an identity as something to “have done” (ie a “logo” or a “package” or…a template…believing others can then just “apply” it for multiple purposes). When this doesn’t work they way they had hoped, they may decide they need more “standards” and “guidelines” to keep things “in check”.
Among the unfortunate assumption that many people make is that a brand is: a logo, a rigid “look”–or handcuffs that keep you tethered. Often, people start out wanting a “logo”–the first step down the path to dullsville. A brand identity doesn’t start with a logo, it starts with defining the big picture–who are you? what do you want to communicate? who do you want to communicate to? why? (and more questions that take time and consideration to both ask and answer). Your designer (partner) will be curious and may challenge assumptions to help you focus on defining the problem instead of jumping ahead to the solution. Once this takes shape, your design parnter can begin to develop “how” to communicate appropriately to your audience in ways that are unique (for the right reasons).
There are often times that a client does not want to go through the time or effort involved in this, however. They just want a “logo”, or they simply say they “know what they want” in an effort to spend as little time or money as possible to get there. This often results in something that doesn’t work long term. When a designer is seen as one who “carries out ideas” and makes things look good–or is hired to simply respond, “serve” or be an order-taker–many opportunities can be lost. One analogy is the difference between a carpenter and an architect. You can be your own architect and hire a skilled carpenter, and get a beautifully crafted execution of your vision, or you can hire an architect who can help you define your needs in order to develop something beyond your preconceived ideas and belliefs that can grow and evolve with you