Your Personal Brand is a Self-Portrait

In a way, personal brands are similar to corporate brands. Both require the right tools and appropriate effort to be built the right way in order to have a story told without really telling it.

My post on Jose Canseco's irremediable personal brand is one of my most-read entries. In this post, I want to share my thoughts on a few examples of personal brands I admire plus share details about my go-to tool used for developing my own personal brand.

PERSONAL BRANDS I ADMIRE 

Over the past year, I've come across the work of two unique individuals that has made me want to learn all I could about these people. I think that's the level of interest all personal brands should strive to reach. It's certainly what I want my personal brand to accomplish.

Casey Neistat is a filmmaker that does a masterful job of incorporating his flair and fearlessness into his work. You may know Casey from his viral video that captured the reaction (or lack thereof) of New Yorkers when he tried to steal his own bike. Another showed what happens to cyclists when they obey the law and stay in the bike lane.

Casey has a very active YouTube channel, which features his daily vlog. In addition to being cutting-edge, perfectly edited and so sharing, Casey's vlogs are inspiring. It's difficult for me to admit that a person younger than me is inspiring but...he totally is. We're in a lot of the same spots in life and the following clip shows the same urge that I've been feeling lately.



I'd summarize Casey's personal brand by saying he's all about daring athleticism, passionate creativity and pushing limits while being conscious of his relationships. He's a relentless worker whose many talents contribute to the success of his amazing projects.

#tbt that time @jcrew asked me to make a movie about their Traveler Suit and I wore it surfing. lost a good pair of sunglasses that day

A photo posted by Casey Neistat (@caseyneistat) on Apr 2, 2015 at 10:23am PDT

Anthony Bourdain has become better-known for his television shows than his accomplishments as a chef. Netflix introduced me to Anthony by way of his show, Parts Unknown, and I've read his book, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, that kick-started his media career.

In all of his shows, Bourdain comes across as achy and rarely wrong but also lovable. It's not really "my way or the highway" with him but his critiques of odd cuisine do have a hint of "I enjoy this and if you don't, there is no hope for you." Above all else, Bourdain is very knowledgeable about many topics (he's even an accomplished fictional crime novelist).

I am a foodie by no means but Parts Unknown has really enlightened me. The show's visuals and each episode's adventure is clearly influenced by Bourdain.


Bourdain's personal brand features heavy doses of knowledge, culture, experience and attitude. It's perfectly understood why corporate brands (like a Scotch distillery) are now lining up to get his endorsement. Of course, any blessing Bourdain gives to a product will have to be done his way.

Via @BalvenieUS . A taste of what's coming from #RawCraft series .

A video posted by anthonybourdain (@anthonybourdain) on Feb 5, 2015 at 4:55pm PST

MY #1 TOOL

The best personal brands seem to appear as if they fell into place without much direction. But, some effort is required - especially for those of us that don't have a team of publicists at our command.

You already know to establish your presence with various social media profiles and perhaps a website. But it's important to be efficient and make the many branches of your personal brand accessible from a central location. For me, no other tool has helped with this task than my about.me page.

Think of an about.me page as a compact, less-corporate version of a LinkedIn page. Capable of being fully customized, about.me pages can feature beautiful background photos, fonts, colors and other design qualities that make your story stand out. Add "apps" to your page that will link visitors to your social media accounts and then use those apps in an about.me HTML widget on your website or blog (as I've done in the sidebar). If you act fast, you can customize the URL of your about.me page and feature it on your email signature, resume, business cards and other locations that will be sure to attract visitors.

WHAT YOU MAKE IS WHAT YOU SEE

I see personal brands as self-portraits. The work you put into developing your personal brand gives insight into to way you see yourself. I'm not as outspoken as I should be so I've really benefited from digital tools like my about.me page to share my talents, interests and credibility. I felt very vain when originally building my brand but a little vanity is required when telling your story, I guess. Along the way, I've learned new skills that I use in my job as well as improved my ability to tell my story.

Thank you for reading. Feel free to reach out to me - I'd love to answer your questions or learn who's personal brand inspires you


{Top Photo: Courtesy}

What Super Bowl Ads Taught Me

When I was growing up in the 80's, there was always a lot of anticipation building up to the annual batch of Super Bowl commercials. The "Big Game" served as a premiere for these creative and memorable ads with each commercial break drawing as much (or more) attention than the action on the gridiron. Even though social media spoilers have stolen that excitement from this era's Super Bowl viewing parties, I'll never forget a valuable lesson I learned from watching my favorite Super Bowl ads of all time: the Bud Bowl series. 

We all know the concept of the Bud Bowl ads, which appeared during eight Super Bowls (1989-1995, 1997). If you need a refresher, Mental Floss did a nice review of the entire series. The outlandish prices paid by corporations for air time during the Super Bowl were discussed just as much back then as they are today. I was 10 years old when the first Bud Bowl ads appeared but even at that age, those commercials were a huge lesson in the concept of branding.

Breweries do not (cannot?) tout the true features of their product that appeal to buyers in their commercials (I'm not talking about how it tastes). As entertaining as they were, those Bud Bowl ads made me question their purpose. It baffled me to know that Anheuser-Busch spent all that money on multiple ads per game without really ever describing their beer. But then I noticed other advertisers taking the same approach with their commercial. NIKE didn't explain the comfort the new Air Jordans and I didn't hear about the smooth ride of the latest GM vehicle.

That's when it clicked. The Super Bowl isn't a stage on which you describe your product - it's an opportunity to connect with the audience. That euphoric branding moment of mine may seem about as impressive as when a person discovers their rhythmic abilities for the first time. But it's a moment I'll never forget...when I became one of those people that watches the Super Bowl "just for the commercials".  

{Top Photo: Courtesy}

Santa in Advertising

Writing my previous post about the gambles associated with spokespersons made me think about Santa Claus and his appearances in advertisements. He’s a staple of Coca-Cola commercials each year around Christmas. Other than that though, that’s really the only product I see St. Nick pushing.

A little research revealed that folks at Coke made Santa a company man a long, long time ago.

You just can’t beat the iconic Coca-Cola Santa and it seems that other advertisers haven’t even tried! However, I came across one website that claims another carbonated beverage, White Rock, featured Santa in their ads well before he was seen in Coca-Cola marketing pieces.

I also learned that Santa’s likeness has been utilized in print advertisements for products that would be considered taboo by today’s standards. Yes, it’s no secret that Santa smokes but I never knew that he preferred cigarettes that were easy on his throat until I came across this collection from the Stanford School of Medicine.

Stanford School of Medicine

Santa probably no longer promotes cigarettes for the same reason smiling cartoon camels are no longer permitted to do so. It should be noted that these images of a smoking Santa debuted around the same time as Coke’s Sundblom Santa. Since that time, Santa has remained a loyal Coca-Cola spokesman...except when he’s on vacation, of course.

I really want to learn how or why The Coca-Cola Company gained such a tight hold on Santa’s image over the years. If you know of of these details, please leave them in the comment section or feel free to contact me on Twitter. Thanks for your help!

A Personal Brand that Can't Be Saved

I write a lot about corporate brands but I also have an interest in personal brands. More often than not, professional athletes provide great examples of personal brands gone wrong.

Growing up, baseball was my favorite sport because of all of the stats associated with the game. I spent countless hours looking at the back of baseball cards. So when a guy named Jose Canseco became the first player in the long history of baseball to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season, he simultaneously became my favorite player.

Jose played on the west coast well before the age of social media. Other than daily highlights on ESPN and what was covered in newspapers, I only got brief glimpses of him. He was taller, stronger and faster than other players of the day and his off-the-field issues only added to his "bad boy" image. More success on the field lead to more money...and more trouble away from the diamond. But all the negatives didn't matter - he was awesome and I was one of many who waited for hours for a very-late Jose to appear at a baseball card show in Montgomery more than 25 years ago.

At the height of his prowess, Jose and the A’s played in three consecutive World Series. Only Kirk Gibson’s game-winning homer from 1988 overshadows Jose’s grand slam from the same series.


On August 31st, 1992, Jose was traded from the Oakland A's. Jose learned the news while in the on-deck circle during a game. When I found out about the trade, I was baffled. The A's trading away the best player in the game completely blew my mind. Looking back, however, it's clear to see that Jose's contract and salary had become a burden. It was strictly business and a factor that would cause Jose to be shipped to and from many other teams during his remaining time in Major League Baseball.

Even though he continued to produce, Jose never stayed with teams very long after that initial trade in 1992. Eventually, it seemed no team wanted anything to do with him. Where he was once a rising star, it was as if he was being blackballed from the game after many linked Jose to the growing issue of steroids in professional baseball.

After such accusations, there was no way Jose could parlay his playing career into a television job like so many athletes are able to do. When a person's reputation (or brand) suffers this level of damage, that person must select the appropriate way to respond. Jose opted to write a tell-all book in 2005 in which he not only took credit for introducing steroids to baseball but also identified a lot of players and former teammates that used steroids. This decision made Jose an even bigger villain in the eyes of baseball fans.

Jose was no longer an athlete but he still had an athlete's desire for fame and money. The book release was timed nicely with an appearance on VH1's reality series, The Surreal Life. Unfortunately, Jose squandered this PR opportunity too. If the book caused people to see Jose as a cheater, I remember the show made him look like a womanizing jock.

As money grabbing opportunities dried up, Jose turned to stints with semi-pro baseball teams, celebrity boxing and appearing in (fake?) TV ads for Old Milwaukee. Each time a new story developed about a baseball player using steroids, Jose did all he could to squeeze his name into the headline. But by this time, everyone had stopped paying attention to him.

Surprisingly, Jose hit the ground running at the dawn of the social media era. Unsurprisingly, he failed to use these new tools and his large following to his brand's advantage. Jose really is his own worst enemy on Twitter. He smartly promoted his Home Run Tour in the summer of 2014 only to follow those tweets up by challenging Shaquille O'Neal to a fight, something he does frequently.

Jose made the headlines again recently for yet another boneheaded mistake. He accidentally shot off his finger while cleaning his gun. I’m really starting to think that Jose has always been a loudmouth weirdo - we just didn't know it because media wasn't as prevalent during his playing career.

Jose will never get elected into the baseball hall of fame because of his admitted steroid use and he has made no effort to make amends. He fully embraces his train wreck of a life but still claims to be a victim.

Sick of the media and how the edit my life To make me seem like the bad guy
— Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco) November 7, 2014

Jose's had plenty of opportunities to bounce back but there's no way he can ever save his personal brand. However, I’m still a Jose Canseco fan. I no longer collect baseball cards but I did buy his rookie card a few years ago, after its value had plummeted from hundreds of dollars to next to nothing. Nostalgia has certainly helped me overlook his crazy, post-baseball life.



Top photo {Courtesy}

My Ever-Changing Perception of NIKE's Brand

Judging by the apparel worn by today's 8-14 year old boys in my area, brand loyalty is spread much wider than it was when I was in that age range. While the core of the traditional typical outfit (t-shirt, shorts, sneakers) remains the same, it's very common to see different brands for each piece. For example, I see a lot of kids wearing Under Armor socks with their NIKE shoes. Seeing how mixing brands has become perfectly acceptable makes me wonder if my perception of brands has become extremely outdated.

Growing up in the late 80's and early 90's, I would only consider wearing NIKE shoes. I was a NIKE billboard then, head to toe. This was purely based on the fact that Michael Jordan and Bo Jackson wore NIKEs. Performance, durability, pricing and other factors wouldn't impact my purchases until I grew older, but NIKE continues to earn my loyalty. Back then, I viewed Reebok as an inferior competitor and Adidas was a non-factor. Under Armor didn't exist yet so my choice truly came down to NIKE. I don't pay as much attention to the athletic shoe industry now because I don't wear sneakers as often as I once did but I'm really impressed to see the emergence of Under Armor. Kids seem to really like these shoes.  

I think Under Armor is a long way from overtaking NIKE but they're definitely making a dent, which is something I thought would never be possible. The following video from Fast Company fittingly details the history of NIKE's brand.

Quick point I'd like to make about this video: Tiger Woods was not unknown when he signed with NIKE. Many people outside of the golfing world were aware of him and knew that he was destined for big things. Signing Tiger was huge though - it allowed NIKE to enter a sport much like Michael Jordan did for basketball.  When I try to define "branding", I always point to NIKE as an example. My attraction to their products has changed on many different levels over the years and my perception of NIKE's brand is what I use when I try to identify other brands today. {Top photo: Courtesy}

Blimp Advertising

As someone that watches a lot of sporting events, I'm very aware of the different perspective that blimps have brought to the televised coverage of big games. Everyone loves the view from above provided by blimps and just the presence of a blimp solidifies the magnitude of an event.

We all know the Goodyear blimp and golf nuts like me are very familiar with the fleet of “Snoopy” airships that belong to MetLife. There are countless blimps that feature the branding of other corporations too. I've always been intrigued by blimp advertising and have recently read up on this practice. The information found has helped me learn that blimp advertising is much more involved than just paying for logo placement. Here are some highlights:

NOT LIKE NASCAR

In NASCAR, a company like Lowes, for example, can sponsor a race car team and seemingly bring in this team as part of the Lowes brand. That's not the way it works with blimp advertising.

Goodyear and MetLife don't simply sponsor a blimp team. They've hired pilots, technicians and other crew members to operate their blimp division, which exists as an internal component of the corporation. As the following video shows, these divisions are taken very seriously and improvements in technology will only help to expand their duties.


BUT WHY BLIMP ADVERTISING? 

If you go back to the thought that marketing is all about getting your message to where it can be seen, blimp advertising makes sense. In addition to the thousands of impressions made on people at sporting events, those watching the events at home on TV are given several obligatory shots of the blimp that's providing the aerial coverage. The concept makes sense and doesn't require a lot of explanation. See MetLife's simple reasoning for yourself.

From personal experience, I know that a blimp sighting gives people some kind of special feeling. Blimps are cool and it's not a bad for a company to be associated with something that everyone enjoys. Even the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama utilized a blimp to promote the opening of a new casino in recent years.

LOTS OF SUPPORT

As mentioned, Goodyear and MetLife take their blimp divisions very seriously. They both put a lot of effort into gaining fans and connecting with them via social media. Through their impressive websites, it's possible to learn about the pilots, watch videos that detail the history of these programs, track the blimp’s current location and even schedule a flyover for your next event! The whole relationship between these companies and their blimp operations seems to have a noble feeling and everyone involved has a high sense of pride.

It’s difficult to find a negative aspect of blimp advertising. Cost comparisons between operating a blimp division and prime media buys are mostly in the favor of blimps, even back in 1994. Pricing, recognition and that “feel good” sensation make blimp advertising more effective than one would imagine. I hope that blimps are around for a long time!

{Top Photo: Courtesy}

New Brands in Sports

No matter if you're promoting butter, bourbon or basketball tickets, marketers know how brands play a key role in driving sales. Branding in sports is a funny thing - uniforms are instant brand identifiers but teams take varied approaches. Professional franchises like the New York Yankees have seemingly left their uniforms unchanged for decades. College football teams like the University of Oregon Ducks embrace an ever-changing cycle of uniforms as a main component of their brand. But a recent rebranding effort by one NBA franchise is something truly unique.

The Charlotte Hornets will be taking the court in the 2014-15 season for the first time since 2002. But the city of Charlotte has not been without an NBA during that span. You see, the Charlotte Bobcats, which have played in Charlotte since 2004, are becoming the Charlotte Hornets next season.

Perhaps a little background will help.

In 1988, the NBA welcomed the Charlotte Hornets as a new franchise. As most new franchises do, the Hornets struggled early and didn't see much success until the mid 1990s, clad in their totally '90s teal and purple uniforms. But, the owners in Charlotte grew unhappy and the franchise relocated to New Orleans after the 2001-02 season. The team took the the colors and the mascot. A few years later, another group of owners brought a completely new franchise to Charlotte and that franchise, the Bobcats, proceeded to play very uninspired basketball and has seen little success on the court. In what could be an attempt to inject new life into this struggling team, the group responsible for the Bobcats obtained the rights to the colors and name of the original Hornets franchise. The team in New Orleans adopted new colors and are now the "Pelicans".

So to recap, a basketball team in Charlotte took the name and colors of a team that still exists but plays in another city.


Teams frequently alter their uniforms these days and now "unveilings" help to make a routine exercise a little more memorable, as seen in this video on the (new) Hornet’s website. As confusing as this transition has been, I think the new unis in Charlotte will help the team develop a new identity and produce more wins. It will be interesting to see what, if any, tweaks are made to Charlotte’s new brand if winning doesn't commence soon.

{Top photo: Courtesy}

Aaron's: A Marketing Machine??

I’m not very knowledgeable about the company history of Aaron's. I don’t know I'll ever be a customer of Aaron's. But an odd observation led me down a trail that revealed this lease-to-own retailer to be a dynamic marketing machine.

This discovery began while I was watching the 2/20/2014 installment of college basketball's greatest rivalry. My beloved Blue Devils were not victorious in Chapel Hill that night but, while watching the game, I noticed a unique sponsor logo placement in the Dean Dome. Can you spot the Aaron's logo on the backboard support in the photo below?

Photo Courtesy ESPN

At first, I didn't think much about this logo placement. But then I noticed the lack of other corporate logos in that facility and on the court. This exclusivity made me wonder more about why a furniture leasor would go to so much trouble (and expense) for this exposure.

I had a basic understanding that Aaron's was involved with NASCAR and seeing this logo in the Dean Dome is perfectly acceptable knowing that the University of North Carolina is very near to the home of NASCAR. But I wanted to know more and a visit to the Aaron's website showed me much more than I expected to see.

The folks in charge of running Aaron's are apparently big believers in marketing. Aarons.com is an appealing website and partners well with their active social media pages. But I was really impressed when I clicked on a link that took me to Aaron's Sports. When it comes to sports sponsorships, there's a lot more to Aaron’s than just NASCAR (which they cover very, very well). Aaron's has partnered with professional and collegiate football, basketball and baseball throughout the southeast.

The more I uncovered, the more I realized that I had previously seen the Aaron's logo prominently displayed at all kinds of sporting events. Randomly spotting the Aaron's logo while watching the Duke/UNC game prompted me to take action - something all advertisements strive to accomplish. It also triggered my memory about Aaron's branding efforts, which is a slam dunk for marketers - no pun intended.

Yankees Cover All the Branding Bases

When it comes to brands in the world of sports, there's none bigger than the New York Yankees. Love 'em or hate 'em, the Yanks are associated with winning and their brand exudes class. Having the highest payroll in professional baseball contributes to this stature and requires the Yankee brand to stay highly visible to adoring fans. Their media relations team has done a masterful job of utilizing social media and other new communication tools to connect with fans. That's why I was pleasantly surprised to learn about Yankees Magazine.

In an age in which newspapers and other printed publications are losing ground to their digital counterparts, the New York Yankees continue to include a monthly magazine as part of their legendary brand. In an ironic twist, I learned about this magazine from the following Tweet:

The final issue of the year. Andy Pettitte graces the October cover. pic.twitter.com/9srG9sIUhj
— Yankees Magazine (@YanksMagazine) October 8, 2013

A little digging on my part revealed that a digital version of Yankees Magazine is available and, like the printed version, features photos and articles of the team.

It makes sense for the Yankees to continue with their printed magazine for the same reason that many businesses continue to advertise in phone books. There's still a very large group of consumers that need to physically hold a marketing piece, a brochure or a magazine. It will be interesting to see how brands continue to make efforts to  target this very specific group of people. In addition to being wise, I think it is very noble for the Yankees to continue their printed magazine and cover all the branding bases.

The Best Brands in College Football

Another season of college football is here and it’s nearly impossible to not notice the popularity of the fastest growing sport in the land. Apparel sales, TV ratings and everything else about college football seems to improve each year. Not that you would want to, but you can’t escape college football.

The increase of the popularity of college football has paralleled the increased significance of recruiting that programs must do to say ahead of competitors. I've noticed that college football programs have started establishing brands to attract better players just as businesses build brands that will attract more customers.

In this post, I’ll identify the top 3 college football brands in America. This list is based off my general observations and is in no way scientific. Enjoy!

#3 THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

The Texas Longhorns got back on the college football map in 2005 when they won the most entertaining BCS National Championship game that was ever played. The Horns have returned to the championship game only once since then but their brand is not suffering nearly as much as their fanbase. Here’s what the Texas brand has going for it.

The Longhorn Network – Started in 2011, the ESPN-operated Longhorn Network is dedicated to covering UT sports (emphasis on football). I’m not sure of the financials that were involved with this deal but you better believe that it was a nice injection to the athletic department’s revenue stream. Casting your branding image is made much easier with ESPN on your team.

Here’s a sampling of programming you’ll find on the Longhorn Network:

Big Program in a Big State – Texas is one of the largest states in the nation and is filled with football fans. Many of these fans cheer for the Longhorns. Many graduates of UT expand the Longhorn fandom by spanning across the country (and world) as their careers dictate. For branding purposes, UT has a built-in audience, right out of the gate.

Revenue – The University of Texas football program was recently identified as the most valuable team in all of college football, again. With annual revenue exceeding $100 million, the Longhorns have deep pockets – which is most helpful to any brand.

#2 THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

Counting Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as one of your former players should be enough to build a successful brand for your college football program, right?

True, but there’s so much more to the University of Miami football program’s legacy and lore. Here are the best elements of “The U’s” brand.

Embrace the Culture – The University of Miami football program was started in 1926 but saw no real success until Howard Schnellenberger was hired as head coach in 1979. Schnellenberger noticed all the untapped talent in South Florida and quickly began recruiting local players to The U. Rules were bent before and after the recruitment of these players, who helped Miami win on the gridiron while earning a “bad boy” image across the nation. Many people in Miami and throughout the country embraced this image – a level of acceptance and identification that every brand wants. No other game reflects The U’s brash attitude than the 1991 Cotton Bowl, in which the Hurricanes were penalized for more than 200 yards while winning by 43 points. Please watch “The U” from ESPN Films to learn more about the origins of Miami’s swagger.

Pro Factory – For a long stretch of time during the 1980′s, 90′s and 2000′s, it was not unusual for multiple Miami football players to be drafted in the early rounds of the professional draft. Each year from 1994 until 2008, at least one player from The U was drafted in the first round of the draft. A program’s ability to somewhat guarantee this type of professional success is a definite draw for recruits. Business brands routinely incorporate their success stories into their image.

Hand Signal and Smoke – Attend the introductions of players at any college football game these days and you’ll notice that many, many programs have their players emerge from behind a wall of smoke as they exit the locker room. This tactic was first developed at Miami and has become a widely-adopted motivator. “The U” hand signal is a very popular way to signify one’s allegiance to the Hurricanes. Small identifiers like these are great brand extensions.

#1 THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

There’s no other college football program in the country that has a better brand than the University of Oregon Ducks. While the walls of Oregon’s trophy room aren't lined with national championship trophies, Oregon usually fields a highly competitive team. “Style” is a big element of Oregon’s aura and they do a terrific job of making sure their success on the field goes hand-in-hand with their brand.

That Offense – The Ducks will never be included in any conversations pertaining to great defenses but their offense stands out above the rest. No team can fly like Oregon. Known for utilizing speedy players and an extremely fast tempo, the Oregon offense has contributed to the win column many times over the past decade. From their most recent game:

In a recruit’s mind, the Oregon offense equals touchdowns, celebrations and the spotlight. Take a page from the Oregon playbook (pun fully intended) and associate your business’s brand with the equivalent sensations.

That New Football Complex – Gone are the days when college football programs could sway recruits with an offer to be on a good team while attending a good school. Modern players need to be cared for and entertained. That need is met (and then some) by Oregon’s new football complex. This $68 million, 145,000 square foot building features staff offices, a barber shop, a weight room, a medical treatment area, a cafeteria and much more. This facility is the most impressive complex of its kind in the nation. In terms of their brand, the addition of this complex has helped the Ducks associate their program with quality and innovation.

Those Uniforms – We all know the story: NIKE’s founder is an Oregon grad and big-time donor, which makes it very convenient for NIKE to test the latest materials, colors and designs for their athletic gear. There are countless combinations to Oregon’s uniforms and the Ducks lead the way in creative helmet design. That this football program is known for unique uniforms is an important brand factor. Be unique but be successful too.

These aren't the most success college football teams on the field but their brands are highly ranked.