There is No ing in Brand

[David Sandusky]

Unless you are using a branding iron or needle for tattoos, there is no ing in brand.

I make the mistake of using the participle branding and certainly allow others, but I see a problem. As personal brand concepts are becoming more widely discussed on and offline and coaches are marketing personal brand services, I see a clear confusion between marketing and brand. Heck, plenty of marketing people and agencies poorly apply marketing of companies and products without understanding of brand!

Let’s start here in part one of a series on personal brand:

You have a market (maybe not always easily defined). Then you have marketing.

You have a brand (maybe not always easily defined). Then you have marketing.

Brand exists in the moment. Yes, you have a brand right now. You can re-brand to change an image or perception, but the experience remains along the way. You need marketing to communicate the brand.

Brand is soft. It is an experience defined by the market/customer. It can be you, your business, products and culture.

Marketing is more tangible. Name, logo, slogan, design, influence, scheme, campaign, etc.

Brand can be felt in a collection of the marketing collateral. Important: the brand can be perceived different than the message. That is where market research comes in for early feedback and referrals mark the brand doing what marketing says it will do. Or for the personal brand a brand check - similar to a confidential reference check the way I do it.

In other words you don't start personal branding, the action, but you may start awareness of your brand and a strategy to improve and communicate your value proposition.

Part two: Brand Manager for Your Career.

[Maria Elena Duron]

David,

Great post and I do see your point. It is a valid one. So, I looked up the definition of brand (and branding) and there's a whole host of definitions, too. So, I pulled random one off and placed it here for this comment:

brand Definition -
An identifying symbol, words, or mark that distinguishes a product or company from its competitors. Usually brands are registered (trademarked) with a regulatory authority and so cannot be used freely by other parties. For many products and companies, branding is an essential part of marketing.

Now, I'm a Texas girl (but don't let the West Texas drawl fool you as I was born and raised in Chicago and am a full fledged Air Force brat so I've lived loads of places). So, for me and my Lone Star connections, branding is a very valid definition of what happens with a person because they're evolving and they are constantly describing, distinguishing, extracting, expressing, engaging and excelling at their personal brand. While cattle may carry a "brand", we are "branding" the cattle when we place the mark of the ranch or owner.

Since, I would never refer to people as cattle (even though at times in the baggage claim area of McCarren airport in Las Vegas there are those who would argue that point with me) the process of branding oneself is a valid process.

Yes, you have a brand. Yet, you might be totally oblivious even to the point of negligence in knowing what that brand is. When you embark upon "personal branding" you then are taking an active part in either discovering what your current brand status (or reputation is) and are crafting an evolution or an emphasis on how you will express that brand. Thus, to me (and by no means am I more or less correct than you), branding is the "action of doing something with your personal brand". Marketing is a whole other ball game that is "not sales" yet is a host or product, price, place promotion and a brand is a part of the product piece. While with a person, that person IS the product, when they actively manage their personal product in a way that accentuates their strengths, values and authentic purpose - they are branding.

My 2-cents - Maria Elena Duron

[David Sandusky]

Love it! Thanks for your valuable 2-cents on the difference between brand and marketing-marketing communications. I respect your words.

I like definitions like these:
The personality of an organization. BRAND EQUITY The value of your brand’s relationship with the marketplace.

A brand is a product, service, or concept that is publicly distinguished from other products, services, or concepts so that it can be easily communicated and usually marketed. A brand name is the name of the distinctive product, service, or concept. ...

The personal brand link is obvious

[Private One]

Brilliant series! Perceived value is communicated through what people will pay you IMO. Perceived value is defined by those making decisions about you in the moment with evaluation to predict future value.

Question: can you predict the future value of a personal brand?

[David Sandusky]

Question: can you predict the future value of a personal brand?

Since brand is defined by your feeling and trust, yes. If you trust the person in front of you to maintain the character you trust, and confident in her desire to grow and remain relevant, you can predict future value.

Change is an amazing force so understand a person can experience things that create career and life change away from what you have in mind - goes for you too.

[Unregistered]

Great post. What does "brand new" mean to you?

[David Sandusky]

Great question! "Brand new" means without experience. A brand without experience. Marketing or your communication strategies will set an expectation and the brand will or will not deliver ultimately creating the actual brand.

[Sakoceava]

Thank you for the most clear discription of brand available (including the comment posts). I am actively sharing this thread with everyone who means marketing when they say branding. There is an important difference.

[altaee]

Great question! "Brand new" means without experience. A brand without experience. Marketing or your communication strategies will set an expectation and the brand will or will not deliver ultimately creating the actual brand.

So when I say a Brand New day, it means I will start a day without experience but we fill of new experience as soon as the day finished.

[altaee]

I don't see a big concern if we use marketing or branding as the term rise quickly. Also, I don't know why people are looking for replacement for personal branding term.

At the end, as Dan said: Personal Branding is how we market oursevles.

We can agree that branding is a subset of marketing. Is that OK?