Why Build a Brand, Just Buy It!
Personal Branding
February 10, 2016
Welcome to Alphabet Domains Live Online Marketing Class for Wednesday, February 10, 2016.
It’s good to see so many here for this most informative subject … Why Build a Brand, Just Buy It!
Two keywords … build and brand takes us back in time … in history so we can fully grasp the value of branding.
All through history cattlemen put their brand on cows and horses to differentiated theirs from anyone else … that was very important in maintaining the integrity of the brand.
It was so important to the owner of the brand to make sure everyone respected the brand. If someone was found in possession of a “branded” animal they could lose their life … accused of stealing the animal.
Thieves would purposely create a “branding iron” in an attempt to mask the true ownership of the animal … when caught they were usually hung.
As the word spread, no one wanted to have someone’s animal on their property. The consequences could be life-ending for them. The “brand” identified the owner. It would have been in the best interest of the person who found the animal to return it before the owner realized they possessed it.
There were companies who specialized in creating the “branding iron” and the brand was officially registered with the government or an agency.
Under certain circumstances, when the “brand” was “masked” by thieves or unscrupulous characters, the owner would rebrand using a new “branding iron”.
It could be quite costly to rebrand all of those cows or horses with the new “iron”. It was a necessity in order to maintain the integrity of the brand.
Imagine the owner of 10,000 animals spread over hundreds (or thousands) of acres having to rebrand using a new “Registered Brand” … WOW!
His team knew their work was going to be of gigantic proportions … and would take some time to build the new brand.
Why build a brand? … because there was no easy way to erase the “bootleg” brand that was “burned” into the hide of the animals.
If a new owner took possession of the property along with the animals, and wanted their own brand in place … “build a brand” was the only option. Starting all over again with the new “branding iron”.
This history is not lost on us … owners of property are still “branding” their property. Many times this mindset gives rise to the brand being permanent.
Companies want their brand to be permanent…
Many owners want their brand to stay in place even though they no longer own the property and have been very creative to keep it this way.
Look at all of those cars on the road that are privately owned … still have the “free” license plate cover in place advertising the dealer who sold it to them, sometimes years later.
Look at all of those trucks on the road that are privately owned, still have the logo or insignia of the manufacturer as a permanent brand. They’re advertising the previous owner, the manufacturer without compensation.
Or those nice fitted jeans with the “brand” of the manufacturer still in place … advertising the company, the company who no longer owns the jeans.
Those nice fitted jeans with the “brand” of the manufacturer still in place are advertising the company on their private property.
Look at those well put together T-Shirts with someone’s name or product on them … for free!
Look at those well put together tools, tractors, glassware, pots, pans, phones and tablets with a brand or product proudly displayed on them … for free!
What advertisers know…
Advertisers have conditioned the masses to keep their “brand” on the product even though they no longer own it … and it’s working!
They like the idea of having an army of “local advertisers” walking around selling their products for years without compensation. This is very appealing to advertisers.
Sometimes you’ll see an entire family “advertising” products or services for free on their newly purchased t-shirts even though they did not get a price break when purchased.
Sometimes you’ll see an entire family would be “advertising” their “branded” cars for free even though they paid full price.
Keep in mind these same companies would pay millions dollars to a television network to have a 30 second commercial aired during a sporting event. Brand advertising should be free for individuals …. in their mind.
Advertisers capitalize on something…
All advertisers like this unique and subtle avenue of marketing … after all it’s always been like this, right? No!
There was a time when people were paid to wear banners and garments advertising products and services … then a new idea came in to being.
Advertisers came up with a new paradigm that works. “All of those plain white t-shirts can become advertising spaces for our brands … they’ll do it for free out of pride of ownership.”
All of those plain t-shirts did become advertising spaces for their “brands” … they’re doing it for free out of pride of ownership right now.
Advertisers and Marketers tapped into the “Pride Factor” pride of ownership and went about pre-selling their products to other consumers … it worked!
Advertisers tapped into the pride of ownership, having something only a few could afford and went about “selling” this idea to consumers … it worked! “My shoes are better then your shoes” or “my car is better than your car” idea … it worked!
Keeping up with the “Joneses” …
American humorist Mark Twain made an allusion to Smith and Jones families with regard to social custom in the essay “Corn Pone Opinions,” written in 1901 but first published in 1923. “The outside influences are always pouring in upon us, and we are always obeying their orders and accepting their verdicts. The Smiths like the new play; the Joneses go to see it, and they copy the Smith verdict. – Wikipedia
Companies realized for decades this “Joneses” mindset and have used it very effectively. All a company would have to do is create a brand, introduce this “Keeping up with the Joneses” idiom and people would build the brand for them … it worked!
Previously we covered Nike, Verizon and others who have been quite successful letting their customers promote their products this way because it works. Many companies spend a very small portion of their budget on advertising because of the “Joneses” effect.
After all, who wants to be with the second best or buy the second best … most people have too much pride for that to work. Be with the best, buy only the best and show your neighbors so they can try to “Keep up with the Joneses” … it works!
That’s why the Second National Bank failed … people want the First National Bank. That’s why the Second …. Church stayed empty … people want to go to the First …. Church.
That’s why the Second B…. Church stayed empty … while people went to the First B…. Church … the Pride Factor works even in religion.
By tapping into the pride factor, marketers have saved a lot of time and money on brand building. People are conditioned to build the brand for them.
Oh how the cattle ranchers would have felt if they could sit back and everyone rebranded those cows for them … no brand building … WOW!
Why build a brand, just buy it!
This is not about cows or horses or t-shirts … it’s about branding … more specifically Personal Branding!
Keep in mind many people are not fully aware of what a personal brand is … and that is what this class is all about.
Without a Personal Brand … it’s game over! Marketers will sell you a brand and send you out into the world to wear it, promote it and tell your friends to go buy one and all of this … for FREE!
That is why this is so important … selling oneself as a brand rather than selling an entity as a brand. Voluntarily promoting another brand when you are a brand is inconsistent with Personal Brand building. Promoting one’s brand always pays.
This is how advertisers feel … “Thanks for wearing our t-shirts at the football game in front of 60,000 people … keep up the good work for us, for free!”
So how does this work … this Personal Branding …
First, let’s make sure everyone understands what branding involves. Entrepreneur magazine explains it this way. Branding is a marketing strategy that involves creating a differentiated name and image … often using a logo and/or a tag line in order to establish a presence in the consumer’s mind and attract and keep customers.
Branding is a marketing strategy to differentiate … a name and image to make one stand out in the crowd. Branding is a one of a kind name and image or logo that make ones stand out in the crowd, like the branding did for cattlemen.
Anyone who have tried to build a brand knows it’s a monumental task, so they hire marketing companies to help … a very good idea!
The one key factor in all of this is most often missed and this point we all have to get crystal clear. Are you ready to hear this most important fact … the one fact that matters.
Are you ready to hear this most important fact … the one fact that matters … okay here it comes.
YOU ARE THE BRAND … THE BRAND IS YOU!
Not the product or the service … but you … any name given to the company is still you!
The new directors of Apple found that out the hard way after they sent Steve Jobs packing, only to bring him back. Steve Jobs was Apple!
Steve Jobs was and still is the Apple brand … few will ever debate that fact!
Steve Jobs built the brand and his branding, thoughts and actions still live at Apple headquarters.
One’s company by whatever name was created or built by someone … or a group, they are the face of the company, the brand.
Look at Disney … Walt is still the Brand! You, the owner is the brand! Personal branding is you!
You are the brand … is a message many entertainers and athletes miss and this explains why many are so reckless in speech and actions.
Reckless behavior on the street, driving drunk, wrecking cars, foul language, nasty social media posts and so on, hurts their brand … hurts them!
Personal Brand building … involves doing that which builds value. Without Personal Branding and Brand Building Your Career is Dead … any doubt? Ask Tig.. Wo..ds! Ask Bil. Cos..!
Everyone should brand themselves (like the cattlemen of old) … and build up their “brand” value. Do the things needed to add value to your “brand” … to You!
It starts to make sense why a person in business should have t-shirts made with their product or service on it not that of another “brand”.
Going to a football game … wear your logo, product on it … let your clothes promote you … your brand!
That promotional license plate cover should be selling your products … those ink pens you hand out should have your brand on them.
Those nice designer jeans with the perfect fit should have your brand or covered over with a garment containing your logo. This increases your brand value, your value.
A gentleman was asked why he removed the emblems of the truck manufacturer from his new pickup truck and had his customized logo put in it’s place.
His answer was mind blowing …
“I’ve advertised every company on my vehicles from day one … now that I have my own company, my company emblem is on my vehicles.”
From the hood emblem to the license cover. He even engraved the logo (brand) into the tailgate and the side mirrors. He branded his vehicles! He promotes his brand and adds value to it everyday!
Now to the “Just Buy It” part of this program …
Why Build a Brand, Just Buy It! … Now we know why build a brand … what about just buy it?
Unlike the cattle ranchers, all we have to do is buy the domain name, our new brand!
Unlike the cattle ranchers of old, all we have to do is buy the best domain name we can afford. Remember, the domain name is the brand!
Notice the entertainers, politicians and others … they want their personal domain name in the .com if possible…and will work hard to get it! They want to have their personal name to be the domain name … their brand. Recently we heard of a politician who paid 6 figures to get his personal name in the .com.
Today, we have so many choices because there is most often more than one person with the same name … someone has to use a different extension. With hundreds of extensions, the choice is ours. For example, JamesSmith.pro or JamesSmith.Top or JamesSmith.win and so on. Keep in mind one will have to use the entire domain in promotions and branding. In some cases, www.JamesSmith.pro (the www. should be included to clearly identify this as a domain name).
Those who understand this branding are registering new born babies personal domain name before they tell the nurse or the family … why?
Personal Branding starts now … for a baby. For everyone else it starts now … right now if they have not already began brand building. You should start right now. Secure a domain name with your personal name or brand, then start the building process.
There are so many distractions and traps on the road to brand success. Follow the news everyday and notice the brand destruction taking place. Everyone must carefully navigate this maze of distractions so future life and happiness will be in the best interest of the brand … You!
People have not always understood this Personal Branding as evidenced by the reckless conduct of college students during spring break or beach parties, offensive public speech, explicit sexual acts and images in social media posts.
This lack of knowledge involving Personal Branding is reflected in conduct and actions. Granted some may be aware of the seriousness of certain actions as it may relate to Personal Branding.
Today’s conduct matters…
It’s been said that one should not do anything today they would not be proud of 10 years from now.
Once they out grow this behavior and start seeking gainful employment with the company of their dreams … then the surprise. All of the “good times” of the past comes back and they’re not good.
Many interviewers no longer want to see the resume’ they want access to their social media accounts. They want to see the images of the candidate. They want to see what they have been doing to build their brand. They want to see just who this is and what they’ve been doing. They want to see the brand building!
They also want your web address … oh, don’t have one? “We’ll call you!” may be their response.
Lesson: No matter what one’s behavior has been, Personal Branding can start right now!
Why try to cover the old brand … just buy a new one and start building on this new brand … over time personal brand building will work!
How can one do this? Where does one start? When can one start?
When we think of ourselves as brands, we began to do positive things to build or bring value to our brand.
Many began this by securing a domain name (there name or the company they want to start). Remember, the domain comes first, always!
Now you have the domain name … develop a marketing strategy to promote your brand. (T-shirts, cards, flyers, social media, events, etc)
Watch those pot holes called … brand killers … drunk driving, street drug use, reckless and violent behavior.
Remember the lady doctor who was fighting the Uber driver. Remember how reckless her behavior was at the scene. You would never have imagined she was a medical doctor.
This lady doctor was and probably still is a fully qualified medical professional … her conduct shipped-wrecked her brand … her!
Now this one incident has set her back for a long time … who knows. What is known is some where in those moments she forgot she was the brand!
This could happen to anyone at any time with consequences of astronomical proportions. What will always help is to remember we are the brand.
This will prevent one from having to repeatedly build a brand … just buy the brand and methodically build it over time.
We are going overtime in this class because we are receiving questions and we’ll answer a few more.
Question: What could the doctor have done since she just broke up with her friend and there was a death in the family?
She had several options: First, in times of deep sorrow and stress, one might seek the close company of caring friends or colleagues.
If that was not possible, she could have called her family and let them guide her through this time of deep emotional stress or sorrow.
Or simply stayed home and grieved privately … time will help heal wounds.
What professionals have learned from watching the brand killing actions of sports and entertainment stars comes in three areas. Sex, drugs and alcohol are the main brand killers.
Achievers and Doers who have spent years building there brand, realize this and are on guard against these brand killers …
Being alert preserves great brands and plenty of satisfied customers … and preserves careers.
Our hearts goes out to the doctor involved in that one incident … Over time she will recover and get back on track. We need more Achievers!
Personal Brands are hard to build…
Personal Brands are hard to build, so we say Just Buy It! Secure a domain to represent you, your product or service, then avoid the brand killers … take positive brand building actions, care for one’s customers and prosper.
This was an awesome program and we want to thank those of you from around the world who tuned in and shared your questions and comments.
Those who sent email questions from Sydney … we want to say thanks. From Hong Kong came an email question. Thanks.
This has been the Alphabet Domains Live Online Marketing Class for Wednesday, February 10, 2016 … Why Build a Brand, Just Buy It! … Part 1 Personal Branding!
Next week …February 17, 2016
Why Build a Brand, Just Buy It! … Part 2 Brand Protection! Don’t miss it!
