Comments on: “A Brand” Not “THE Brand”

By: Alex Brown

Alex Brown — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 02:10:39 +0000

It was amazing to me what a huge relief it was to stop claiming to be “THE” anything. I have not read any branding, marketing, or sales people talk about this idea, and I have looked around on-line since I wrote the post. Tom Peter’s original article is the closest thing I have found. If anyone knows of someone with a similar marketing and branding approach, I would love to hear about them.

Thanks for your comment, and I look forward to talking more with you soon.

–Alex

By: Rose Johnston

Rose Johnston — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:18:58 +0000

Alex, I visited your web site to learn more about you and your business. Glancing through your topics list, I chose this article as the first one to read for it’s title (“Hmmm … what can he possibly mean?”)

I loved your “aha!” about the nuances of “a” vs. “the,” and admission that you’d rather be known for your qualities.

Who knew there could be such power in the simplest of words?

By: Beth Terry

Beth Terry — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:42:22 +0000

Alex – you make a lot of good points. Personally, I’ve always thought it a little precious when someone brands themselves as “America’s [pick a topic] expert” I would never presume to be America’s anything. Even Sandra Bullock, now being called “America’s sweetheart” makes one wonder. Does that mean EVERYONE in the entire North and South American continents consider her their sweetheart? (There’s more to America than the USA…)

Niching is good on some levels because it saves time and makes marketing easier. But it’s a double edged sword. I chose my brand to encompass all topics relating to Resilience. But Cactus Wrangler® makes more sense to people in the western US than in most other places. It’s fun, and I’m enjoying it. Does it always serve me? Maybe not.

Getting stuck in a brand is the same as an actor in Hollywood getting typed in a role. None of us can watch Alan Alda without thinking of M.A.S.H. We are uncomfortable if a person who played a part for a long time then tries something opposite. I still can’t wrap my head around Little Ricky Schroeder playing a grown up cop!

So – your contrarian view holds water. In a world where we must constantly reinvent ourselves, do we want to be stuck in a brand that’s so cemented in people’s minds that we can’t change?