To understand branding, it’s important to know what brands are. A brand is the idea or image of a specific product or service that consumers connect with, by identifying the name, logo, slogan or design of the company who owns the idea or image.
Branding is when that idea or image is marketed so that it is recognizable by more and more people and identified with a certain service or product when there are many other companies offering the same service or product. Designers work on branding not only to build brand recognition, but also to build good reputations and a set of standards to which the company should strive to maintain or surpass. (1)
You can brand yourself!
You can establish a strong brand for yourself as an individual. This is especially important if you want to stand out from other candidates. Branding yourself enables you to be distinctive.
Who are you? Who cares?
With proper personal branding, not only will you find out who you are, you will make the right people care, opening up many opportunities specifically tailored for you. (2)
Personal branding
Personal branding is a strong personal identity based on a clear perception about:
• what you stand for
• what sets you apart from others
• the added value you bring to a job or situation
Your personal brand is the sum total of:
• other people's feelings about your attributes and capabilities
• how you perform
• their perceptions about what you are worth
Aspects of a successful personal brand
Consistency
Can we expect the same quality in everything you say/touch/do?
Below is a photo of my best friend, Antonio. Think of his hairstyle, eye color, smile and mannerisms as his personal brand. Every time I see him, engage in conversation with him, it’s a consistent connection. I’m familiar with his hair color, eye color, smile, mannerisms, what he sounds like, his likes/dislikes, etc. Every time, it’s a clear, consistent message.
Now, take a look at him without a consistent use of his personal attributes. I don’t even recognize him! A splintered effect occurs. This makes me uncertain, uncomfortable, hesitant and not very happy to see him.
Now, directly connect this mindset to your own marketing materials. A consistent use of your brand elements allows others to get to know your brand and personally relate to it. If you're not consistent when promoting yourself, how can your clients or potential employers trust you to be able to do it for them? As you send out your marketing materials, keep in mind hiring managers and clients don't know you personally. They rely on your effective use of design elements to get a sense of who you are.
Understand your target audience
• Who are you talking to?
• Research your audience!
• Talk to them in their language.
We are all rather egocentric when it comes to design. Most graphic communication is created on a mass scale; meant to be read by numerous viewers and yet we all engage with it as if the design is speaking directly to us. When viewing graphic messages, everyone asks “what’s in it for me?” Get a mental picture of the person you want to communicate to and talk directly to them. It’s important to keep in mind: you can’t be all things to all people.
Creative design | personal brand identity
It may seem superficial. It may be unfair. We may not like it. After all, why should you be judged by your looks? Self-presentation – your visual identity – is important because of the link people make between what something looks like on the outside and what’s on the inside. We do this today despite all the familiar admonitions, such as, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” (3) The way you look, carry yourself, the clothes you chose, the way you decorate your home, how you present your brand have a profound influence on other people’s judgment of you. (4)
Do your visuals reflect what you are saying? People attribute personality to your identity. All points of contact: your cover letter, resume, business card, website, promotional materials, etc. should visually relate and project a strong and steady message. I like to think of it as visually connecting the dots. If one piece of communication is conservative, another aggressive and yet another demure and soft-spoken, your visual voice can present as splintered or having multiple personalities. This will surely confuse anyone who doesn’t know you personally and is relying on your use of design elements to become familiar and comfortable with your brand. The end result: a consumer or client who doesn’t know what to expect each time they see a message from you, leaving them feeling uncomfortable and uneasy.
You’re creating a branding element that identities you:
• McDonald’s has the golden arches.
• Bono has his tinted, wraparound sunglasses.
• Larry King has suspenders.
• Now I must ask: what do YOU have?
Relevance
Is what you’re communicating making sense to the potential employer or consumer? What are their needs? How can you fulfill them? Remember, you’re marketing, PR, advertising and branding yourself!
7 Steps to establish your own personal brand (5)
Step 1, identify what you value
Your personal brand is ultimately a reflection of everything you value. For example, if you value knowledge, then your brand will likely incorporate the way you acquire, use and communicate information.
Step 2, identify what makes you unique
With your values as your foundation, determine your specific uniqueness. Everyone is unique and special in some way. How are you different as an individual? How are your skills different? Incorporate this uniqueness into your personal brand. A good way to start this line of questioning is to conduct a S.W.O.T. Analysis and list your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.
Step 3, identify how you want to be perceived
As discussed above, branding is about other people’s perceptions of you. You have the power to control most of these perceptions with your actions and presentation. Consider how you want to be perceived in your potential employer or client’s mind. Whether you like it or not, you already have a reputation with the people you know. Maybe you’re branded as the funny one in the group, or the big mouth; whatever it is, you have a brand.
Step 4, identify your specialty
Consider what specialty you want to be known for and take action to achieve it. When you’re consistent with your specialty, everyone will know you for it.
Step 5, identify your target market
The personal branding goal is to build employer/client loyalty. Determine your target market and speak directly to them. You want your target audience to feel they need your expertise. You don’t want them to say, “He/She’s good.” You want them to say, “We’ve got to have him/her on our team!”
Step 6, write your brand
A brand is a phrase that jumps out at you from the page and grabs your emotions. Write a statement. Start by incorporating at least one action verb. Then keep it short and simple. Make it unique, memorable and repeatable. You want to ring an emotional bell that causes potential employers and clients to focus on you, and you alone when they need your type of service.
Step 7, visualize, walk and talk your brand
Once you have created your personal brand, publicize it. Talk about it and ask others to spread the word. Establish a group of advocates who understand you and can publicize your personal brand to all the people they know. This will create a word of mouth buzz.
Conclusion
Effective personal branding enables a potential employer or client to get to know you through your choice and consistent use of type, imagery and messaging. Every piece of communication coming form you should establish a comfort level and instill confidence in your capabilities proving you’re the right person for the job. Not only do your concepting skills and designs need to be top notch, your personal branding needs to be too. No pressure there!
Blog Resources:
(1) http://www.brickmarketing.com/define-branding.htm
(2) http://artofselfbranding.com/
(3) http://www.imakenews.com/worldwit/e_article000588446.cfm?x=b11,0,w
(4) http://www.selfbrand.com/art10strategies.shtml
(5) http://www.myarticlearchive.com/articles/5/078.htm
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