| Effective Personal Branding implies creating an | | | | options and accessories. A purchaser of a Corolla |
| emotional and memorable experience recalling | | | | may see cruise control as a nice option while a Lexus |
| immediately about the things you are best at and for | | | | purchaser would consider it as mandatory. |
| what people compliment you the most. And Brand | | | | Okay that's cars; let's talk about a striking example of |
| Strategy generates a focused attention or impression | | | | a successful personal brand. One of the best brand |
| thus allowing others to see a consistent message and | | | | builders over the 200+ years of the speaker industry is |
| get a grasp for who the speaker is and what they | | | | that of the recently deceased Dottie Walters. Her |
| offer. It is one of corporate America's major | | | | Speak and Grow Rich brand is brilliant. The very name |
| clichés. One of my clients Neal Lemlein, a premier | | | | of it creates a crystal clear image. Walters brand |
| entertainment executive and consultant over the last | | | | promises to teach you to speak and grow rich. |
| 20 years even begged the question as a professor at | | | | Additionally, Walters has had the seminar series of the |
| USC is Branding B.S? Well Mr. Lemlein, when it's a | | | | same name traveling across the country and she |
| word symbolically thrown around as jargon and | | | | always carried herself with conviction and credibility. |
| doesn't come with a strategy the answer is indeed | | | | Walters approach was to have a stand alone name, |
| yes. However, at Ascendant Strategy Group we have | | | | "Speak and Grow Rich", which draws excitement by |
| created a branding firm that builds a comprehensive | | | | itself and has simultaneously been able to create an |
| strategy. Many of our most successful clients are | | | | experience memorable enough to create lifetime |
| public speakers, CEO's and corporations. | | | | consumers that not only attend seminars and |
| So what is branding? We think of it through the lens of | | | | purchase books but also become invested in her |
| brand enhancement, defined as identifying and | | | | product funnel and became top targets for major |
| analyzing brands for undiscovered or underdeveloped | | | | symposiums and additional product offering. |
| opportunities that will translate to consistent messaging, | | | | So you have an approach and its not working. Or |
| increased image and profitability. Brand enhancement | | | | you're attempting to create your initial brand. Think |
| assumes all individuals have a personal brand and | | | | about some of the most powerful brands in the |
| corporations have a corporate brand, whether they | | | | marketplace over the past 20 years. Nike "Just Do it" |
| have identified it or it is undiscovered. Another way to | | | | when you hear this it makes you just want to do it, it |
| think about branding is what you are best known for. | | | | speaks especially well to the athletic demographic. |
| Speakers for instance need to spend serious time | | | | Snickers promises to "satisfy your hunger" and when |
| thinking about developing their brand before they begin | | | | you're in the candy section after a work out or in |
| marketing, developing their speaking topics, editing | | | | between meals or at the gas station on a long road |
| professional videos, developing a personal style and | | | | trip, those words come to your mind consciously and |
| their overall image in the industry. I often find too many | | | | subconsciously as you believe Snickers has an |
| speakers motivated purely to make a profit or | | | | answer for your hunger. |
| passionate about speaking but lacking focus. Creating | | | | So is that what branding is about, simply coming up |
| a brand strategy helps generate that focus and it | | | | with a hot phrase? Absolutely not, let's look at |
| allows others to see a consistent message and get a | | | | Starbucks; the coffee chain doesn't rely on a phrase |
| grasp for who the speaker is and what they offer. | | | | but rather an experience. When you think about |
| So how does an individual come up with a personal | | | | Starbucks it is about more then the coffee it is a place |
| brand? How does a corporation come up with a | | | | to meet friends, a place to study or a place to just |
| corporate brand? Our answer is by creating a brand | | | | relax. Starbucks has been the sight many a time for |
| portfolio that identifies different areas for branding with | | | | meetings, dates and breaks from the hectic pace of |
| corresponding imaging and marketing strategy, public | | | | the day. This is what effective brands do they create |
| relations implementation packaging, product funnel and | | | | experiences. |
| revenue portfolio. For example, let's take Toyota. | | | | For one of our clients at Ascendant Strategy Group, |
| Toyota has an overarching brand then additionally they | | | | Jeff Johnson we created two brands, Social Architect |
| have Corolla, Camry and Rav-4 amongst others, all | | | | and Bridge Builder. The Social Architect brand speaks |
| with separate brands and related strategies. | | | | to Johnson's ambition to create stable institutions that |
| Additionally, Toyota is the owner of Lexus, though you | | | | help people, additionally it captures the spirit of his |
| would almost never know it. Toyota wanting to reach | | | | keynote addresses, Johnson doesn't simply speak on |
| into a higher-end clientele realized that their brand was | | | | issues he provides tangible solutions and creates an |
| associated with affordable cars, entering a vertical | | | | environment where creative energies flow and the |
| market where retail prices go $40,000 and up required | | | | crowd is challenged to make their own solutions. The |
| generating a prestigious brand. Think about the market | | | | bridge builder brand encompasses his ability to work |
| relevance here of what Toyota has done over the | | | | with people of very different backgrounds and in his |
| year. Whether you are a college student looking to | | | | speeches he talks about the importance of people |
| purchase a cost-effective high gas mileage first car or | | | | with different views working together. So his brand |
| a multimillionaire looking to purchase a 3rd car that | | | | speaks to his background and the experience that is |
| screams prestige; purchasing a member of the Toyota | | | | created by his speeches, when you have this sort of |
| family is a practical option. Toyota utilizes very | | | | synergy it begins to make you a highly desirable and |
| different strategies to brand their vehicles and | | | | memorable speaker. |
| additionally the cars often feature very different | | | | |