I’ve been observing the brand debate for a few months online and at marketing-related conferences. Writers, entrepreneurs and idea-slingers are continuing to ask the question: do I brand myself or my idea? In large part, the answer to this question depends on who is asking it and what their long terms plans are for their brand.
There are a few key questions to ask when considering how to position your brand. Your thoughtful answers to these questions will get you on the right track to presenting yourself and your ideas in the right manner.
4 Questions to Ask Yourself as You Consider Brand Strategy
1. Is my idea about a specific product or a service I will provide?
Products tend to brand better alone with logos, marketing and copy always pointing back to itself. Services, communities and written words often thrive with a personality attached to them. If your offering is personal, people will want to know the woman behind it. They will want to connect with you.
2. Is this my one big idea or are there others I’d like to position in the future?
Is your idea a stand alone or do you have companion products that could likely follow? If you could see yourself offering multiple, related products, it could benefit your brand overall to directly attach yourself to it.
3. Does my idea need a personality attached to it?
As I mentioned before, people (especially women) will want to know the heart behind a very personal, emotion-driven products or service. Consider whether or not your idea needs you at the forefront to thrive.
4. What are my long term goals?
Perhaps your current endeavor is specific but long term, you’d like to position yourself as an expert in that arena or an author/speaker on a related subject. If this is the case, positioning yourself as the face of the brand will be important in the long term. On the other hand, if you simply want to pursue ideas as they come as a way of creating great products to build income, you may not consider a personal branding strategy.
Remember, your path can change throughout your process, however, changing your brand course is not easy. Thinking through the long term as early in the process as possible will set you on the right track for branding success.
Before getting her dream job as a stay-at-home mom, Jessica Wolstenholm worked in the music and publishing industries for over 15 years serving major labels and publishers in marketing and brand management. Although her transition from the corporate world to the playground has been quite an adjustment, she’s learning to love the juggle of home life and various entrepreneurial projects that allow her to keep creative juices flowing. With an extensive background in product development in which she helped artists, authors and speakers take their dreams from concept to reality, Jessica could not help but apply her experience to her own ideas. Co-author of The Pregnancy Companion and The Baby Companion books, Jessica also writes to encourage moms at graceformoms.com. She lives just outside Nashville, TN with her husband and two children.
2 Replies to “4 Questions to Ask Yourself as You Consider Brand Strategy”
Peter Kanayo
Jess, what kind of products would you consider to be personal that you ll need to brand with your personality?
I understand that something like freelance writing which I consider to be a service is better being branded using the personality approach. Or what is your take on this?
Jess Wolstenholm
Hi Peter! I think any service (such as freelance writing) where you need to establish trust or need to establish your writing voice or personality is important to be branded as such. Other services that are less dependent on a personality (say, accounting or a cleaning service) would be fine branded commercially.
If you are talking about being an author or expert in a field, personal branding is a must. On the other hand, if you are branding a product, an invention, an online community…these would be fine branded without a personality.
It really should be considered on a case by case basis. If the recipient of the service or product would want to know the face behind it, then brand the person. If they’d be happy with a catchy title and strong logo, brand the company.
Hope this helps! Best of luck to you!