Think As Inc

CULTIVATING A LASTING BRAND

October 28, 2009 on 7:04 pm | In life coaching | No Comments

Branding is not about putting on a costume and playing a role; that is pretending.  Pretending might work for a short period of time, but can rarely be sustained.  If you dress and talk like management but don’t develop the skills and knowledge to actually manage, you may get one promotion but your shortcomings will reveal themselves in due time.  This does not minimize the importance of the dressing and talking part; that is part of branding.  However, you need to back up the style with the substance.  Only with style AND substance can you cultivate a lasting brand.

McDonalds has a vivid logo with its golden arches, but we go because the product is reliable.  Walmart has a catchy mascot with its smiley face, but we go because its prices are reliable.  Good branding works when its memorable and consistent and all that style-related good stuff.  However, the payoff occurs when it is matched with the substance.

It is important to note that the style can contribute to the substance.  If your style of dress or demeanor suggests management potential, you may get the promotion and thus the chance to actually prove yourself.  Somebody with similar skills but a less noticeable brand may get overlooked.  Your newfound opportunity contributes to your learning curve, and after a while, you have both the style and the substance.  After all, there may have been other hamburger places just as good, but if McDonalds attracts them first and builds loyalty, the others go out of business.

So, don’t dismiss the style factor of branding, but don’t rely on it to the exclusion of building depth and breadth of skills.  Your style can get you in the door; your substance will keep you there.