What is the difference in creating a brand like Coca-Cola and one for your everyday entrepreneur?
My parents moved into a new community just prior to me visiting them during this holiday season. Every time we walked by a new neighbor, my mom would introduce me.
“This is my son, he is an inspirational speaker and an entrepreneur coach, he likes the outdoors and is very active…”
After a while I realized that every new neighbor we met, my mom introduced me the exact same way.
It turned out that I was branded by my very own mom. We are branding ourself whether we like it or not. The real question is, are we doing it subconsciously or with intent?
There is no difference in how Coca-cola brands them self and how an entrepreneur should effectively brand them self. The process is all principle based.
Branding yourself has faced a paradigm shift. How entrepreneurs branded in the past will never be how entrepreneurs need to brand in these times in order to be effective.
Before you spend any time or money creating a strategy for your marketing and branding, you need to be aware of the 3 pillars that all your strategy needs to be built upon.
Most peoples brands are nothing more than fancy words and slogans they put on a piece of paper and than try to market the hell out of it.
You need to turn your brand in a movement. In order for anything to have movement it needs to have a life of its own. In essence give your brand life. The obvious next question is, “how do you give it life?”
For any brand to have life, it needs to do one thing – it needs to make people feel. A brand with life within it makes people want to be part of it.
When you give your brand life, it will become a movement.
Just like any relationship has a foundation, you need to be aware of the foundation of your relationship with you brand.
3 PILARS
Tip Of The Tongue:
If I were to go around the room and ask your clients to tell me about you, your brand. What would you like them to consistently have at the tip of their tongue that they are ready to say?
Chasing Rabbits:
When you try to chase 3 rabbits at the same time you will catch none. Even if you can sell your product or services to the mass – you need to have a niche market that you brand yourself to.
The more you focus on a niche the more powerful your brand will become.
Street Lessons:
If there is anything you are going to focus on when marketing yourself. Any information that you share. Always always always keep one thing in mind. Educate your niche market.
Now educate does not mean you bombard them with information they can already get on the internet. Educate them based on their state of mind, their fears, concerns etc. Things that they as laypeople can relate to and more so are craving for.
Going forward, everything you do with your branding and marketing ask yourself this question.
What emotions am I making people feel? The answer to that question will be your existing brand.
Would love to hear about how people have made their brand different and unique.
Fred Sarkari
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Good points! You gave me some ideas on what I need to look for in our customer base. I’m sure there is a trend somewhere in there. I am going to dig a little and refocus on our niche market. The trend is my friend. Thanks for the info.
Mahalo,
Josue’
Josue’ what you need in your brand is to bring me back to Hawaii to help you with your brand. OF course between all the surfing and Corona’s. I owe you a beer anyways.
Hope all is well.
Hi,I’m taking some time to write you a comment. I hope you don’t mind I’ve bookmarked your page, your post is really helpful for me. Zoe x
Hi, nice comment. I look forward to your next topic. Thank you, Jolie
Excelente material.
This site is a walk-through for all the information you wanted about this and didn’t know who to ask. Look here, and you’ll definitely find it.
Giving a brand “life” or an associated feeling is something I hadn’t thought of before. Kinda like the sound of opening up a Coke… “snap, swishshshs, glug, glug, Aaaaah – just makes you wanna go out a get one
Now my challenge is trying to find a way of creating that feeling with our own brand. Thanks for the tips… I’ll keep working at it.
Carmen, you have hit the nail on the head.
Here is a question for you to think about. – What is “that” feeling you want people to feel?
I have the niche but not sure how to “bring the brand to life” except by continuing my courteous, prompt and efficient service. Is that what you mean?
Victoria, a great question to which we wish was a simple answer.
COntinuing what you mentioned is only the beginning. Its what is expected to be able to just play the game of business. The important part is what comes after that.
Your product / services and more so you as an individual has life when people feel something when they think of you. Carmen above gave a great example with Coke.
First figure out what you want your clients to feel. Then everything that you do, produce, market etc. should focus on those emotions.
Macdonlads focuses everything on family
Starbucks focuses everything on experience
Apple focus everything on inovation
Without this all we are is a product to our clients.
Download the free book on the top right and it takes all this into detail.
this blog post is a good example of what Apple has done to give themselves life.
http://mentalsidewalk.com/2010/10/what-we-can-learn-from-apple-computers-battling-windows-pc/
Your mom is very proud of you and what you do in life.
I am sure she will brand you and your work very honestly.
Unfortunately, Fred, my mom has had passed away 17 years ago. But she was the same kind of a person yours is. She would be my best brand-maker and promoter of all!
Now, since I have no ‘luxury’ of having her around anymore, it is up to me to do the task.
I simply say the following if asked what I do:
“I help people like yourself set up their home business, teach them how to make significant income by appreciating people in their life, and show them how to have more fun, better relationships and do good in the world and make it a better place.”
Cheers,
Vlad
hey fredymama i am really luky to have your sister as my mom and your mom as my mamaige and of course YOU!!!!
LOVE,ZAL
Zal, I look so forward to your comments. You brighten up my day.
Love you
Hi Fred,
Soooo true.. I did this without knowing it! I created a slogan “Are YOU wearing a SIMS?” built by passion to have my style of jewelry be recognized in new places & spread by word of mouth. And now the stories I have coming back with strangers walking up to ladies asking if they are wearing a SIMS all over the place, and now on TV Canada AM, it’s advice that works – to give life to a brand! Kudos Fred for hitting the nail on the head.