Every product brand has goals with timelines set with it. In every organization, there are set goals for every brand and certain expectations and objectives are drawn with it. These goals are monitored and evaluated from time to time based on the timelines set for them. In the same instance, every individual who desires to be a personal brand must set goals with timelines. Goals without timelines are like dreams. These goals must be documented because the faintest pen is sharper than the brightest brain hence the goals must not be assumed rather they must be written down and reviewed periodically. All the written goals must be treated like a project.
The importance of a brand can never be over emphasized. Last week, it was a discussion on ways that a personal brand can be boosted. However, the discussion is to be taken further this week by evaluating the similarities between a product brand and a personal brand. A product brand is easier to associate with hence it will be a leverage to understand the personal brand and how to take the most benefit from a personal brand.
However, these goals must be within the limits of economic realities. These goals can be academic, career, political, health or social. Academic goals can be the addition of more degrees, professional qualifications, attending of seminars with time bound deadlines. Career goals can be setting deadlines regards when you want to be a manager, senior executive, head of department or even a general manager. Political goals are goals regarding the position you will like to contest for and the time you will want to achieve this. Health goals relate to the exercises that need to be done in order to be fit and healthy while social goals concern the building of relationships and social networks that will help nurture your dreams. After these goals have been set, it must be tracked and reviewed regularly. There must be daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, quarterly goals, yearly goals, 5-year goals, 10-year goals and perhaps 20-year goals. These will be the target that your eyes will be focused on achieving.
Marketing Plan
Every brand has a marketing plan. This plan details the various activities and actions that must be taken to achieve all the goals of the brand. Like the goals setting above, these activities must be written down and executed to the detail. Every individual who desires to be a personal brand must have a plan that shows the various activities that are required to achieve the highlighted goals. These activities include registering for a particular course and attending classes in order to achieve academic goals. It could be joining a political party in order to achieve a political goal. It could be registering in a gymnasium for the exercises that are necessary for your health and for keeping fit or losing weight. This could also be joining a social club or a sports club in order to achieve your social goals. It is important to stress here the importance of relationships in achieving social goals. As you progress in life, you discover that you attain higher heights based on recommendations of individuals who know you and can vouch for you. The relationships you build are necessary as a bridge to get to your next level. Relationships can be a form of leverage for you to achieve more. In summary, highlight the activities necessary to achieve the goals you have listed.
A brand is a set of expectations, memories, stories and relationship that, taken together, account for a customer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.
Seth Godin
Research and Development
Every brand has a research and development unit that seeks to improve on the value of the brand. Any brand that is not researching to improve and develop the status quo is on its way to the grave. Likewise, every personal brand must seek to improve and develop himself. There must not be an end to learning. The brain is a living entity that must be fed with intellectual resources for its growth. Everyone who wants to live as a personal brand must read, read and read. There is no substitute to reading for the development of the brain. Always endeavour to read books, magazines, journals and various intellectual materials. Make moves to attend professional conferences and seminars in order to be abreast of developments in your field. We live in an age now that everything changes within 2-3 years. Whatever is known and not improved upon becomes outdated within 3 years. That makes it imperative to be acquainted with relevant materials in ones field in order to remain relevant. Take time to investigate what is the latest development in your field. It helps you to stay relevant. Reading is to the mind what food is to the body. A body that is not fed with food will soon be emaciated. That same way, a mind that is not fed with intellectual resources will become mentally emaciated.
The above three points have shown the similarities between a product brand and a personal brand and how to explore the maximum benefits of a personal brand. If these are put to work dedicatedly, you will become the toast of the people around you.
“Your brand is what other people say about you when you are not in the room”
– Jeff Bezos (Founder and CEO of Amazon)