| Strategy is the brains of branding. This
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| | establishment," whether it was
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| is true for products,
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| | big industry (Roger and Me), the NRA and
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| for companies and for people.One way to
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| | the gun lobby
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| figure out the best self-brand strategy
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| | (Bowling for Columbine) or President
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| is to
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| | Bush and the war in
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| look at brand strategies from the
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| | Iraq (Farenheit 9/11).The Anti-position
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| commercial world. Start by
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| | can be very risky, particularly in you
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| devouring good books on individual
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| | work in a corporation (although many of
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| companies and products.
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| | them have a few
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| Successful brands always attract
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| | maverick employees who ride the
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| analysis. Or read about how
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| | Anti-position horse). It is
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| brands develop winning strategies. Once
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| | a self brand strategy adopted mainly by
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| you start studying
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| | people who are very
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| the world of commercial branding, you'll
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| | confident in their position or have
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| see how the
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| | nothing to lose.However, the
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| branding strategies and tactics have
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| | Anti-Position can be a great positioning
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| lessons for you too.Here are four brand
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| | strategy for entrepreneurs. You build
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| strategies from the commercial world
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| | your point of
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| that people have used to build a strong
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| | difference for your company as the
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| self-brand. And there
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| | antidote to the leader.
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| is no reason one can't work for you,
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| | You and your company symbolize
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| too.Self-Brand Strategy 1: Be the
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| | everything the leader is not.
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| FirstEveryone knows being first is an
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| | You position the leaders strengths as
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| advantage. The first
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| | weaknesses.So, if you like to go against
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| mover generally ends up the leader in
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| | the grain, the Anti-position
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| the category and is
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| | may be for you. The strategy is
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| often the one we keep in mind. And
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| | simplicity itself.
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| because it's the leader,
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| | Whatever the leader in your industry or
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| everyone believes it to be the best in
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| | line of work is
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| its category.Being first is a formidable
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| | doing, think of doing the opposite
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| advantage. Michael Dell was the
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| | within reason. You could
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| first direct seller of personal
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| | find a market that is looking for
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| computers and dominates the
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| | someone just like you.Self-Brand Strategy
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| business. Jeff Bezos created the first
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| | 4: Own an AttributeThe most common
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| online book and
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| | positioning strategy for brands is to own
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| retail marketplace, and it is now number
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| | an
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| one. And the list
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| | attribute. Mercedes-Benz's brand
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| goes on and on.You're probably thinking,
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| | strategy is built around
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| "These are
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| | prestige, BMW's is driving performance,
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| business giants, and this kind of
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| | Subaru's is
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| accomplishment would be
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| | ruggedness, and Volvo's is safety.For
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| impossible for a mere mortal like me.
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| | this strategy to work best, you should
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| How can I be number
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| | select the brand
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| one in anything?"You don't have to be a
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| | attribute that is credible for you to
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| brilliant inventor or genius
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| | own and gives you
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| to create a first. New categories are
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| | maximum opportunity in your category.For
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| popping up all the
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| | example, when Pampers first developed the
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| time, as you'll see once you start
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| | disposable
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| looking. You just need
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| | diaper in the early 1960s, sales were
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| the proper mind-set. Often, you can
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| | poor. The marketing
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| slice the category to
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| | was positioned around convenience, a
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| create a new subcategory and be first in
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| | brand attribute that
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| that. Think of it
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| | had a clear-cut benefit for busy moms.
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| as carving a new niche out of a
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| | Moms didn't have to
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| category.The "be the first" strategy is a
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| | disinfect and clean the diapers
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| very successful one for entrepreneurs,
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| | themselves or use an
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| but executives can use it too.
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| | expensive diaper service. Convenience
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| Enterprising employees or
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| | was especially
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| entrepreneurs often create a new market
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| | beneficial for moms on the go with their
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| niche-whether it is
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| | babies. They didn't
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| a new type of product, service, or
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| | have to carry stinky cloth diapers
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| customer niche. These
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| | around with them until
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| firsts may end up being enormously
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| | they got home. But that attribute
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| profitable for the
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| | positioning didn't
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| company and for the employee's
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| | resonate with mothers. They felt guilty.
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| self-brand. And there are
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| | Cloth diapers were
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| lots of different ways to slice up a
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| | best for babies, while paper diapers
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| category and create a
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| | were best for moms. So
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| new area to be first in. If you can't
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| | moms voted with their hearts, and sales
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| think of anything, read
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| | were poor.Then Pampers changed its brand
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| The Origin of Brands, by Al Ries and
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| | positioning to "better
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| Laura Ries. If
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| | absorbency," which was a benefit for
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| you still come up blank, think about the
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| | babies. Mothers could
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| question again
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| | buy the diapers and feel that they were
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| before going to sleep, and you'll have
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| | doing what was best
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| answers in the
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| | for their babies, not best for them.
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| morning.Self Brand Strategy 2. Be the
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| | Sales took off, and
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| LeaderThere are many ways to define
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| | cloth diapers and diaper services went
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| yourself as a leader. You can
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| | the way of the buggy
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| be the leader of your department, your
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| | whip.Every category is associated with
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| company, or your
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| | attributes that are
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| favorite charity. Or you can be the
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| | important to customers and prospects.
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| leader in sales at your
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| | And you can slice your
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| company, or a leader in sales of a
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| | industry, profession, or job category to
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| segment of the market.Many professionals
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| | find the best fit
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| have a leadership claim and feel they are
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| | for the attribute you want to own and
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|
| |
| | the category in which
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| doing leadership things, yet they are
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| | you want to do it. This is true
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| not perceived as a
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| | regardless of your industry,
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| leader. To be perceived as a leader, you
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| | whether it's financial services,
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| have to lead with
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| | manufacturing, marketing,
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| ideas and lead by example.As a leader,
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| | law, medicine, academia, or what have
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| you have to have to
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| | you.Your job as a self-brander is to
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| be able to articulate ideas that are
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| | stake your claim to the
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| worthy of being
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| | attribute that is best for you and is
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| remembered and you have to be able to
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| | not owned by a
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| inspire others.
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| | competitor in the arena where you will
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| Ideally, you want to "own" a word or an
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| | have the most impact.
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| idea in the minds of
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| | Benjamin, had just been promoted to
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| your employees (or whoever the target
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| | president of his
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| audience is) so they
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| | company. The good news: it was a great
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| will know what your battle cry is. Most
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| | job. The bad news: it
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| important, you have
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| | was a difficult job. Sales revenue was
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| to underscore your ideas with actions,
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| | down, and his
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| preferably bold
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| | industry was in a serious slump.
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| actions that demonstrate what you stand
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| | Benjamin's first task was
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| for.Bianca, had recently been promoted to
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| | to rally the troops and unify the
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| head a department at
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| | company, particularly the
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| her company. Bianca's first task was to
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| | division heads, most of whom were strong
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| rally her team under
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| | personalities with
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| her leadership. (Bianca had been
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| | a tight grip on their fiefdoms.We built
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| promoted over them.) To
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| | Benjamin's personal-brand strategy around
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| articulate a department mission, Bianca
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| | the
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| created a mantra,
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| | attribute of follow-through. It was an
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| "Full Engagement." She wanted to
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| | important attribute,
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| introduce a new sense of
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| | one that many colleagues and employees
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| "engagement" - a passion for excellence,
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| | associated with him
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| a focus on clients
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| | because of his track record. Other
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| and innovation.Bianca asked each of her
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| | executives might have
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| managers for a five-page memo
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| | great creative skills or people skills,
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| outlining key initiatives, including
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| | as Benjamin did, but
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| what the company should
| |
| | none had his sense of accountability and
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| do to get employees more engaged with
| |
| | follow-through.Follow-through was an
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| clients and in its
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| | important attribute for the company at
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| businesses. And she implemented the best
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| | this juncture. In Benjamin's estimation,
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| suggestions on
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| | the company's
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| "engagement." Her group's focus on
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| | problem was not a lack of innovative
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| "full engagement" landed
| |
| | ideas but the inability
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| more business and created a dynamic
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| | to follow through internally (by getting
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| spirit at the company.
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| | all the various
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| And positioned Biana as a leader.Self
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| | departments to work together) and with
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| Brand Strategy 3. Be the OppositionAs
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| | clients (by focusing
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| much as leaders are part of the mythology
| |
| | on being a real business partner, not
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| of our
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| | simply on closing).Benjamin wanted to
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| country, so are underdogs. We have a
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| | lead by example in terms of
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| soft spot for the
| |
| | follow-through with colleagues and
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| rebel, the lone convention-defier who
| |
| | clients, and he also took
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| takes the opposite
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| | positive action to embed the attribute
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| path of the establishment (the
| |
| | in the company
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| leader).Volkswagen put the Anti-Leader
| |
| | culture. One of the first things he did
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| Position strategy on the map
| |
| | was broadcast his
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| when it introduced the VW Beetle to the
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| | management philosophy to all the
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| United States in the
| |
| | employees. His rallying cry
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| late1960s. The brand was positioned as
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| | was "Follow through, everywhere, all the
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| the antidote to the
| |
| | time."Catherine Kaputa is a brand
|
| big car habit with now classic
| |
| | consultant who works with
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| advertising headlines like
| |
| | people, products and companies (sign up
|
| "Think Small" and "Lemon."That's why
| |
| | for free
|
| being the opposite of the leader can be a
| |
| | career tips newsletter Corporate icons,
|
| good
| |
| | star
|
| self brand strategy. Michael Moore is a
| |
| | athletes, entertainers all understand
|
| classic example. His
| |
| | what it takes to be in control and in
|
| movies and books tweak "the
| |
| | demand. In her new book, U R A BRAND!
|
