Do you think that you are a brand? I do. Almost everyone I know — who wants to know something about someone — Google’s the person’s name to find out something about that person. Sometimes it’s good – awards, achievements, social activism – and sometimes it is bad – traffic tickets, lawsuits, and smelly business or personal adventures. Yesterday I was speaking to a friend who used to run a very large entertainment company. His name had been synonymous with international distribution, and for those who know him well, he’s also an expert – world-class expert — in movie genres. He is in the process of trying to buy another media company and build it into a very large content brand utilizing characters. He had me read his business plan. Before I read it, I Googled him. I found many people with his same name, but nothing about him. I then read his business plan, which I thought was flawed. He had the right information, but it was not interesting to read. No sizzle and the business plan lacked a cogent strategy. I called him to give him my take. First I told him that he had to build up his Google/Search resume, and that he had done or accomplished many things, but was not Google/Search relevant. I then gave specific notes on his business plan and helped him frame his strategy, which he had nailed down in his mind, but had not communicated it well on paper. I then told him that I did not think he could raise any money – sell an investor — without raising his Google/Search profile. He was surprised by my comments, but agreed with me. The world is a different place today. By building melslife, I have learned the value of new media and social networking. While I am cynical about new media when it comes to building branded businesses, I am bullish on building one’s personal brand or polishing a media brand. It does not matter what age you are, if you are not Google/Search relevant, then it’s going to be hard to distinguish yourself amongst the millions of people who are…therefore you are a brand and need to start thinking like a brand.
Are You a Brand?
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