In terms of advertising and design, it’s no secret that the packaging matters. We’ve all fallen victim to purchasing something solely based on its presentation, with hope that the extra cost that usually comes with the pretty packaging will be worth it. Companies know that branding can entice consumers to purchase their product.
We all have our own unique brand that we present to the public. For instance, I belong to an organization called EO and about a year ago, I was part of the committee to put on a three-and-a-half-day conference in Portugal for about 600 entrepreneurs. The committee for the event was spread out all over the world, and my job as the Learning Chair was to bring in the speakers.
I’ve never been a fan of meetings and long conference calls, so the first thing I did was let my team know that I usually speak and write in bullet points; part of my brand is keeping it short and to the point. The next thing I knew, I was getting emails in bullet point format! Even though I had branded myself as someone who writes and speaks pointedly, I let them know that they did not need to conform to my way of doing things.
When it comes to communicating with people and building relationships, understanding a person’s brand is important, like how my team mirrored my writing style in our correspondence. In my circle there are people that hug, others that don’t want to be touched and yet others that will give you a kiss, whatever is on-brand for them.
My brand is keeping it short and to the point, asking questions to gain a different perspective or learn something new, telling slightly off kilter jokes and taking the time to enjoy a drink and a cigar with friends. What’s your brand?
“Determine who you are and what your brand is, and what you’re not. The rest of it is just a lot of noise.” – Geoffrey Zakarian
Have an on-brand weekend,
Vijay