Burger King, Butts & Branding
Most everyone knows about branding in the context of commercials, brochures and logos. But in working with my clients, I have found there is a gap in understanding what professional branding is and how powerfully it impacts a business’ bottom line. So this is the first in a series of posts about how to discover and develop your professional brand.
Good branding is about creating a positive, emotional reaction in your target customers. Marketing companies understand the importance of getting this emotional reaction because that reaction typically leads to sales. So they design logos and commercials to do just that. Burger King has received a lot of negative attention about their commercials. This one has “The King,” “Sponge Bob” and women dancing to a Burger King version of the rap song “I like Big Butts.” Regardless of your feelings about the content of this commercial, Burger King has succeeded in getting a positive, emotional response from their target market – young men. And they obviously hope to see this campaign translate directly into increased sales.
You Have a Brand
So what does this have to do with you? You Have a Brand. I’m not talking about a logo; I’m referring to the emotional reaction people have to you. And believe me, they have one! Think of it this way:
- When people see you at a networking event, what is their emotional reaction? Are they happy to see you or do they suddenly get involved in other conversations?
- When a client looks at their caller-id and sees your name, are they anxious to answer the phone or do they let it go to voice mail?
- How do people respond to your Tweets? How frequently are you re-tweeted? Are your followers consistently engaging you in conversation?
The answers to these questions are indicators of your current brand.
You Are Your Brand
Let’s take this one step further and say You Are Your Brand.
My friend and social media guru Chris Brogan said to me once, “Websites don’t sell products, logos don’t sell products. You are the product.” He’s right. Think about it a moment – there are thousands of people who do what you do: Coaches, Consultants, Human Resources professionals, Attorneys, Realtors, Salon Owners, Food Vendors, Recruiters. Why will someone choose to do business with you? Because of who you are and what makes you distinctly you.
Creating a Professional Brand
The first step in creating your brand is to determine the emotional reaction you want others have to you. Rather than let your brand evolve accidentally, wouldn’t you like to take control over how you are perceived in the marketplace?
In Part 2, we’ll dive more deeply into this subject.
Photograph courtesy of yanec.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Companies (and people) need to be purposefully developing their own brands instead of letting the branding occur outside the walls. Things will always occur that they can’t control, but starting early with a solid message can lessen the chances of something unexpected!
Great post Alicia! The emotional part of branding a business is one too often ignored. Keep it up!
I’m looking forward to your follow up posts on this topic.
Looking forward,
Michael
Thanks Michael! Sometimes we get so caught up in visual branding that we forget to take a look at how we are branding ourselves.
I really loved the emotional part of branding in regards to the reaction of people when they see you at a networking event and are you one of those that goes to voice mail. The things that make you go HMMMM. Great Post. Thanks Alicia!
Thanks Sonia! It has helped me be much more aware of how people are reacting to me rather than focusing on myself at networking events.