Branding--Not Just For Businesses

In the business world we often discuss the power and importance of a product's brand. Branding a product is a powerful way to influence numerous customers over long periods of time. The brand of a product is the emotional connection a consumer has with that product which persuades the customer to keep coming back or to avoid it all together. Thus, brand recognition is created by multiple experiences a consumer has with a product--both positive and negative. In addition, a product's brand helps create a level of expectation a consumer has about the product. Consequently, a brand is a powerful influencer that takes time to create, develop, and then change if necessary. A good long-term branding strategy alone can help make a business extremely profitable for many years.

So what is your personal brand? Is your branding strategy helping you to be profitable? Each of us creates a brand with others by our actions, behaviors, and habits. Our brand either encourages others to work with us and be around us, or it has the opposite effect. The way we treat people, even during insignificant moments, categorizes us as a certain type of commodity, which determines if people want to remain or become loyal customers. If we create a positive brand, we will be able to have a strong influence on others and impact them for good. If our brand is negative, we will push others away or attract the wrong loyal customers.

To create our personal brand, we must ensure our actions and behaviors are in line with the values and culture we want to promote. The longer these behaviors are consistent over time, the stronger and more evident our personal brand becomes.

Certainly there are varieties of unique personal brands that are effective or “good” based on each individual’s unique beliefs and values. Likewise, there are mixtures of “right” behaviors that help create the specific brand we may be seeking to establish. The most important thing is that we are mindful of our behaviors and our interactions with others and realize that each day we establish building a personal brand.

Different types of brands will attract different types of loyal customers. Does our brand attract the type of people we want to be around? If not, we need to reflect on what we are doing, and we must try to change our brand through altering our behaviors, actions, and habits. Remember, it takes time to change and reestablish a brand, but putting forth the effort today will pay off in huge dividends tomorrow.

Are you proud of your personal brand, or is it time for a rebranding strategy? Think about it. Each day our actions and behaviors establish our personal brand with others—and this personal brand gives us the ability to influence and impact others. As we become more conscious of daily actions, we begin to take control of our own personal brand. And establishing the right brand will help us become more effective leaders and better people! Happy branding!!