Me Inc.
If you think
about the brands that really matters in your life, probably you will think in
the ones you use the most or that you are more loyal to (from Coca-cola to the brand you use to wash your dishes). However, there is one which is the
queen, which has an impact in every aspect of your life, even if haven’t
realize it yet: YOU.
Basically,
it’s impossible not to have a personal brand (from now on, Me Inc.). You are a
brand, and you can choose between being the white-label one or being the new
Iphone 11 (you know, a really expensive phone that maybe doesn’t worths the
price but is still being sold so fast that is scary).
According to
AMA, a brand is a "name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that
identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other
sellers." (American Marketing Association,
s.f.)
And aren’t
you a group of characteristics that make you different from your colleagues?
So, in this
case, choose to be the Iphone. Because there is nothing wrong with white
labels, but being in the supermarket waiting to be picked just in the cases
where people can’t afford to choose their first option is not really cool.
And if you
are thinking in just having a low-profile in order to avoid starting to remake
your personal brand (the famous “I don’t want to be judged” position), there
are some bad news for you: it’s impossible. Define your personal brand or she
would do it for you (Blanco, 2011) . It’s impossible not to communicate:
you do it all the time, even if you don’t want to.
Now that
these two facts are clear (1. You are a brand 2. You brand is formed by what
you communicate to the world), here it comes the key question: How can I manage
my brand? Well, don’t panic. Here are some tips in order to help you:
First of
all, know yourself dude! Try to answer these questions (Maybe is not as easy as
it seems).
1. What
do you want? Set clear goals.
2. What
do you want to share to the world? (Or in other words, what are you trying to
say).
3. Try
to make an elevator pitch: who are you in less than 50 words (the amount of
words you can say in the time it takes you to take the elevator)
Once you
have set what you want, you can go to the second part: where are you now? You
already have a personal brand whether you want one or not; so, it’s time to
find out the way people perceive, think, and feel about you. Small tip: A
common misconception about personal branding is that it’s self-centered and all
about you. But the truth is: personal branding is all about your audience. (Bence)
Discover the
perception that people have about you in order to know your strengths and
weaknesses.
Once you
have achieved this self-knowledge, it’s time for strategy: build a credible and
faithful image about yourself. And then, it’s time for the third step:
communicate it! Use everything you can to help yourself: reputation, social
media, blogs, storytelling, networking, ... be bold).
Your
personal brand is made not only by what you said, but more important, by what
you do. It’s an 24/7 of 365 days a year worth-effort, so be consistent and
moreover, avoid negative attitudes. And remember: don’t pretend to be someone
you are not!
Bibliography
American Marketing Association. (n.d.).
Bence, B. (n.d.). Branding matters.
Blanco, R. Á.
(2011). Tú Marca Personal. España: Prentice Hall.
Brandyourself.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://brandyourself.com/blog/how-tos/your-personal-brand-assessment-and-brand-you/ (
Oro, G. G. (2014,
september 28). Yo, Sociedad Limitada. El País. Retrieved from: https://elpais.com/elpais/2014/09/26/eps/1411748434_103560.html
Ortega, A. P. (2011). Expertología: La ciencia de
convertirse en un profesional de referencia. Alienta.
Peters, T. (1997, agosto 31). The Brand Called You. Fast
Company. Retrieved from: https://www.fastcompany.com/28905/brand-called-you
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