“If you
have anything really valuable to contribute to the world, it
will come through the expression of your own personality, that
single spark of divinity that sets you off and makes you different
from every other living creature.”
—Bruce
Barton, United States Congressman and Advertising Executive |
Branding: It’s
Not Just For Cows
Personal branding is an essential element of establishing your reputation
in the business world and distinguishing yourself from the herd.
It’s how we convey our core values, highlight our talents,
and present our agenda to others.
Whether you are an entrepreneur or a corporate warrior, nurturing
an established career or hunting for that first job, you need to
take charge of how others perceive you by cultivating your own distinctive
brand. Bosses, colleagues, and clients are constantly forming opinions
about you. What do you want them to be thinking and feeling?
As a workplace communication trainer and executive coach, my clients
often tell me that they conceal their individuality on the job in
order to be taken more seriously. They are convinced that their real self
is too lighthearted (or too quirky, or too artistic, or too comical,
or too passionate, or too fill-in-the-blank) to reveal at work. They
believe that by leaving their personality outside the office door,
they will come across as more “professional.” But the
way to capture the minds and hearts of those around you is by sharing—not
hiding—your unique characteristics and life experiences.
When I first started my training company, I feared my days in the
corporate world would be numbered if clients knew that I came from
Hollywood instead of Wall Street! But I soon discovered they were
fascinated by my experiences in the entertainment world and appreciated
the same personal
qualities in me that had brought success in my previous career.
The Evolution of the KLAUS & ASSOCIATES
Cow Logo
If you have ever looked at our website, visited my office in Berkeley,
attended one of my workshops, or received one of our Moosletters,
you’ve no doubt been exposed to the Klaus & Associates
herd. We have cows on our letterhead, cow art in the office, and
hand out small cow paraphernalia at workshops. Of course I am constantly
asked, “Why all the cows?” The “why cows?” story
is a perfect example of personal branding (no pun intended!), and
so I am going to share it with you now.
Those of you who personally know me are aware of my habit of assigning
nicknames to nearly everyone who crosses my path. When my company
was starting out, I gave my trusted business consultant and now dear
friend, Molly Hamaker, the nickname Moolie which was soon shortened
to Moo. When Moo and I were first developing the Klaus and Associates
corporate identity for letterhead, brochures, and other marketing
materials, we interviewed a graphic designer, Jill Davey. When Jill
heard Moo’s
name, she told us that she hailed from Wisconsin where, of course,
there are lots of cows. I told her that I had gone to college in
Wisconsin and that if she could give us a great moo, we would give
her the job. Jill proceeded to belt out the most fabulous and authentic
cow sound I had ever heard. Her design portfolio was equally impressive,
so we hired Jill on the spot.
We
wanted something unique and fun for the letterhead. With the bovine
theme already brewing, we brainstormed the idea of a logo featuring
a cartoon-like cow who walked upright and wore a pinstriped suit.
But as much as I loved the idea, I worried it was a little too outrageous
for my emerging corporate identity. After all, I was already bringing
a new approach into their arena. So I chickened out and settled on
a seemingly safer design for round one of letterhead and business
cards. But the cows simply wouldn’t go away—they
started sneaking in everywhere! We developed a series of marketing
postcards, each one featuring a humorous quote about communication
taken from a famous person. The cards were illustrated with a caricature
of the person as a cow. I started giving away little foam “squeezie
cows” at presentations and to my coaching clients. Cows began
to decorate the dividers in our workbooks. And before long, cartoon
cows in pinstriped suits popped up on the elegant, embossed presentation
folders we designed to hold our marketing materials.
Soon I started to hear positive and enthusiastic feedback from our
clients who found the cow theme refreshing and yes, probably even
a little nutty. The cows were clearly contributing to making my business
unforgettable. When it came time to reprint our materials, I was
ready to let the cows out of the barn. I officially embraced the
playful bovines as the company’s corporate brand and redesigned
my business cards to prominently feature them.
I had been so busy agonizing over how to represent my developing
business that I initially failed to listen to my own advice: “Don’t
be afraid to show your authentic self.” Eventually I learned
what I had been successfully teaching my clients and realized that
I didn’t need to shut down my personality in order to run a
successful ”cow-moo-nication” business. In fact, it’s
my quirkiness that makes me memorable. Clients on Wall Street, just
like my previous colleagues in Hollywood, like to have a good time
and appreciate a sense of humor. It wasn’t until I allowed
myself to be a little silly and started to trust my instincts that
I was able to find the brand that really works for me.
It’s not easy to stand out in a world saturated with brands,
but letting yourself be who you truly are will make the struggle
to find a unique identity easier—and definitely a lot more
fun!
Here are ten tips for developing your own successful brand:
- Brand identity should reflect your personality along with your
business acumen, goals, and vision. Write down the specific characteristics,
traits, and talents that you want to project. Since your brand
follows you wherever you go—be sure it’s the YOU
that you want everyone to know.
- A strong brand has an emotional impact on an audience. What kind
of impact do you want your brand to have?
- Ask your colleagues and
loved ones how they would describe you to a stranger. Do certain
words repeatedly come up? Think about how to incorporate these
characteristics into your brand.
- Think about what distinguishes
you or your business from the crowd. Why should people do business
with you and not someone else? What are the benefits you offer
and how can your brand reinforce this?
- Image your brand as an actual
person and describe his or her appearance and characteristics.
Is he or she polite, aggressive,
sexy, funny, etc.?
- Using ten words or less, come up with a powerful
and concise branding statement. Does your brand reflect the sentiments
described in this statement?
- Is anything preventing you from fully
branding yourself such as inhibition, fear of being perceived as
calculating, etc.?
- Track the results. Are you receiving positive
feedback, landing that next big project, nabbing the coveted
promotion?
- Create opportunities to expose your brand at company
gatherings, industry
conferences and association meetings, media events, and social
occasions. Remember that wherever you go, there you are—and
your brand should be right there with you!
- Keep it fresh. As time
goes on, review and revise as needed.
Learn about our program Branding Your Best Asset: You!
