Why should you position yourself as a go-to brand and why does it matter?
About five or so years ago, a young urbane gentleman approached me with a proposition, to “make you a brand.” I was taken aback and wondered why I needed to attract attention to myself.
This was his proposition. You pay me N5,000,000 and I’m going to put you on every red carpet in Lagos.
Whenever there is an event at Radisson Blu, Eko Hotel, Sheraton, etc. (no Marriott then), I will make sure you’re one of those on the red carpet. You will be rubbing shoulders with celebrities like Ini Edo (your sister – he emphasized), Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD), and Obi Cubana, he carefully laid out..
His eyes was glittering with anticipation. My mind was racing with trepidation. Where do I get N5m? Why must I stand on a carpet – red or blue?
I had to turn him down because he could not explain how personal branding would help my cause of creating 10 million authors all over Africa. It didn’t say how rubbing shoulders with “celebrities” would help my cause of creation ten million digital marketers all over Africa.
Throughout my banking career, the only thing the taught me was “balance sheets”, “cash flow” and “risk management.” In my MBA the most popular course was “International Business.” We dreamt of working in MNCs (Multinational Corporations). No one talked about branding, except in passing as part of marketing management.
Fast forward 20 – 30 years, the world has morphed into a global village. Brands like Oprah, Rihana, Beyonce, Chimamanda, Serena, Michael Jordan, Mbappe, and recently Coco, are global brands. Never heard about Coco?
With almost 8 billion people on the planet and about 3.3 billion snooping on Facebook monthly, you’re either a Brand or you’re dead – an unknown; commanding little or no value.
Tom Peters, the management guru, had in 1999 alerted ’employees’ to transform into “Brands” with his seminal book, “The BRAND YOU 50”.
“The Brand You 50 : Or : Fifty Ways to Transform Yourself from an ‘Employee’ into a Brand That Shouts Distinction, Commitment, and Passion!” was hardly on the radar.
Almost 25 years on, not only employees, everyone must transform him or herself into a Brand that shouts distinction, commitment, and passion.
The reason is simple. You’re competing with or against the best of the best all over the world. And when you’re in Africa’s “biggest country” and “biggest economy” where nothing works and hope reigns supreme, you better heed the call. Transform into a Brand or perish.
As one expert wrote, “If there is nothing very special about your work, no matter how hard you apply yourself you won’t get noticed. And you won’t get paid much either. In times past you could be obscure yet secure — now that’s much harder. So what’s the trick? There’s only one: distinction. Or as we call it, turning yourself into a Brand . . . Brand You.”
Dying in obscurity is no option because as Tom Peters quipped, “You Can’t Shrink to Greatness.”
So, come Saturday, 30th September, I will be conducting a free webinar on Personal Branding, Thinking BIG and Finishing Strong. The time is 8.30am and and you can login from the comfort of your home or couch from anywhere in the world.
Click this link to join the free webinar.
If that link does not work hit the link below and it will surely work:
At the webinar you’ll amongst others:
•Learn the principles of Personal Branding
•Discuss the Personal Branding Process and how to position as a Brand
•Describe the 7 pillars of a Brand
•List strategies to build your Personal Brand
•Build your Personal Brand – starting NOW
We will not stop there. I will show you how to break limiting beliefs that are keeping you stuck so you start Thinking Big not minding your neighbourhood has had no light for 5 days in a row. And we’ll talk about what you should do to position well so you can Finish Strong no matter your age, education, religion or tribe.
Don’t forget to login 10 – 15 minutes before the time: 8.30am Nigeria/WAT (7.30am GMT, 13pm IST, 3.30pm EST and 0.30am PST).
Again, here is the link to the free webinar. That link didn’t work? Click the link below:
See you at the webinar.
Cheers.
Paul Uduk
Creator Book Writing Clinic (200+ Authors and Aspiring Authors)
Creator Internet Business Mastery Course (250+ Practicing Digital Marketers)
Creator, OCCCNA (9,000+ Course Creators And Allied Digital Marketers From All Over The World)
