"Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me, Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called 'You.'"
"Ah, now if only I could cash a fraction of this blog's net worth to fund the tsunami anniversary artisan journalism trek to Asia!!"
Most people get this "personal brand" thing all wrong. They think that awareness equals a strong brand.
"I got it! I'll start a blog, befriend A-list people like Godin, post comments, link to big shots, blah, blah, blah and the traffic will come rollin' in. Game over."
Far from it. Being the head marketer of brand you is NOT about being interesting (Seth's bald head and Hugh's cool cartoons notwithstanding). It's NOT about cosmetics and "promoting a persona." It's about being interested in the dreams and desires of others. It's about creating an expectation and delivering on that expectation, such that people will trade their attention or money for it.
Some bloggers - like Seth and Hugh - feed your dreams with inspirational blog posts. "You too can become a global microbrand phenomenon. And here's how." And because you keep coming back for more, they can eventually monetize your attention. Either with a new business model (squidoo.com), with Google ads, or by selling their blog attention grabbing expertise (e.g. Stormhoek and English Cut). And as they say on Seinfeld, "There's nothing wrong with that."
Others resell the gained attention to larger advertisers interested in a particular audience. Still others sell (or gain commissions from the sale of) products and services as part of their business model. And that's cool, too. I'm simply saying that your blog's economic worth is directly related to the value others get out of it.
So if you want to refer to yourself as a "brand" - if you want to play that "game" - then you must understand and accept the realities of the marketplace. Most importantly, the cold, harsh reality that the marketplace doesn't care about you. We care about how our association with you is going to benefit us. Will it make me feel smart? Will it make me feel right? Will it make me feel more connected? Will it help me do my "job?" Will it give me something to talk about? Will it bring me more blog traffic? Will it make me feel less alone?
Am I suggesting that you play the personal brand game? That you try to figure out how to "monetize" your blog writing? Hell, no. Write because it turns you on. Write because it helps you understand. Write . . . just because. Or better yet, go for a walk. Play catch with your kids. Relax under a tree. Make a whistle from a blade of grass.
Posted November 1, 2005
Email this post
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341c684b53ef00d8342c970a53ef
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Tom Peters on "The Brand Called You":
» Tom Asacker on Personal Branding from Small Business Branding - Marketing Strategies and Ideas for Savvy Solopreneurs
Tom Asacker has A Clear Eye for Branding: So if you want to refer to yourself as a brand - if you want to play that game - than you must understand and accept the realities of the marketplace. Most importantly, the cold, harsh reality that the marketpl... [Read More]
The comments to this entry are closed.
(Rest assured, we will never provide your email address to anyone. Period.)
RSS feed
Tom on Twitter
@tomasacker
Tom is timely, thought provoking and all about the new brand vision packaged as a Seinfeld stand up. I went to school on his ideas.
Jeff Taylor, Founder, Monster.com and CEO, Eons.
When Tom Asacker writes, I read. Opportunity Screams is the right message for the right time.
Tom Peters
Great post, Tom. I think most folks know that that "My blog is worth..." box is simply for fun. There's NO actual business evaluation metrics in there!!!
Even so, based on Hugh's popular Global Microbrand theme, I believe many people are gung-ho on developing a personal brand and THAT will be their ticket. (Ticket to what I'm not sure they know; and therein lies the kicker. I think clarity of purpose is key.) That's the impression I'm getting from email requests to "know HOW I did it."
Why? is better question that How? And no one has asked that.
Weblogsinc notwithstanding most folk's blogs are NOT for sale - it'd be like selling a member of your family.
Thanks Tom, as always food for thought for me personally.
Posted by: Evelyn Rodriguez | November 01, 2005 at 02:42 PM
Tom,
This is a beautiful post. Seriously, I think you can retire after this one.
The only other lines that summarize my belief in persona and, ala your definition of personal brand, are from one of my favorite adapted screen plays, The Big Kahuna:
"Phil: The question is, do you have any character at all? And if you want my honest opinion, Bob, you do not. For the simple reason that you don't regret anything yet.
Bob: Are you saying I won't have any character unless I do something I regret?
Phil: No, Bob. I'm saying you've already done plenty of things to regret. You just don't know what they are. It's when you discover them. When you see the folly in something you've done. And you wish you had to do over. But you know you can't because it's too late. So you pick that thing up and you carry it with you. To remind you that life goes on. The world will spin without you. You really don't matter in the end. Then will you attain character. Because honesty will reach out from inside and tattoo itself all across your face."
Thanks for your honesty.
Posted by: Aleah | November 01, 2005 at 04:59 PM
Excellent post, Tom. Personally, I find it difficult to make my name valuable in my environment. I don´t know what will be the correct way to brand you -though I have read Tom´s Brand You50- if there is one. But I try to make things my way and be open to the future. I think blogging is a complementary means of building your own brand.
Posted by: Felix Gerena | November 01, 2005 at 05:09 PM
Tom - this concept is front and center in my life...although my own blog just reflects fragments. But man! I am all about what you are rapping about here!! And laughing my butt off over the Godin, a-list comment :-)
Last week I read the chapter from Keith Ferrazzi's book, Never Eat Alone, titled Be Interesting. It lasers on what you are talking about. Of course, Dale Carnegie lasered on it years ago as well.
If you guys have not read the book and would like me to encapsulate this chapter at Rothacker Reviews, I will.
I think a blog is just part of an overall business concept. Right now, I like what Skip Reardon is doing at Be Excellent. By providing value to small biz owners he provides a chunk of foundation to the overall company brand.
Posted by: Dave | November 02, 2005 at 09:34 AM
Wow. Well-said Tom.
Thanks - Michael
Posted by: michael d. pollock | November 02, 2005 at 02:27 PM
Thank you all. And I love that piece Aleah. Thanks.
Posted by: Tom Asacker | November 02, 2005 at 05:29 PM
Yeeeha! Nailed another one.
:)
Posted by: olivier blanchard | November 03, 2005 at 12:41 PM
Step 1. Create a Blog.
Step 2. ????
Step 3. Profit
Oh if life was only that easy.... Now where did I put those tech stocks circa 1999.....
Posted by: Robert | November 03, 2005 at 05:35 PM
An interesting case study can be found on Dooce.com. Heather had no ads at all on her blog, despite being a top 100 media property. Then her hubby quit his lame job and now she's supporting her family with ads. Although, many of her "users" don't like the changes.
Posted by: David Burn | November 07, 2005 at 05:24 PM
Interesting article!
Where can I find more on this theme?
Posted by: MalkEvange | August 06, 2007 at 04:03 PM
All of these sites that supposedly tell you how much your blog are worth are just flat out wrong. I have a few sites that are according to them worth a few hundred thousand, yet when I try to sell them, I am only getting offers worth a very minute fraction of that. They are only worth what people will pay for them.
Posted by: The King | September 28, 2008 at 02:36 PM
Great Post Tom.
I do think that 'Personal Branding' is one of the most misunderstood and banalized concepts of Branding. Many 'gurus' talk loudly and quite irresponsibly about the subject...
I completely agree with you. Rather than generating awareness, a personal brand is someone's gut feelings about your personality and what you can deliver to fulfill his/her wants and needs. It's not about you, it's about THEM.
Cheers from Brazil
Gabriel Rossi
Posted by: Gabriel Rossi- Branding | February 09, 2009 at 05:41 PM