Meeting Recap: July

Submitted by Betsy Rhame-Minor on Thu, 2010-07-08 18:25
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David Cohen, brand strategist for Equation Arts, a corporate and personal branding company, spoke to the Freelance Forum at the meeting on July 1, 2010. His presentation, titled “Be a Beacon: Bringing Clarity and Focus to Your Personal Brand,” addressed the group on marketing one’s authentic self. Here are some highlights:
 
Years ago it cost companies a lot of money to conduct market research on their products. Today, because expectations and information are changing, product reviews are more accessible and available at no cost. For example, consumers tend to trust the product reviews on Amazon, and these reviews influence buying decisions.
 
However, now a company’s reputation is less controlled. The consumer has the power to influence others by word of mouth and product reviews, and the company does not control what a consumer says, good or bad, about the company’s products.
 
 
Cohen says the three R’s of branding are:
  • Recognition – The brand should be recognized.
  • Reputation – When we remember something, we’ll remember something about it.
  • Reaction – Whether the reaction is good or bad depends upon the first two R’s. If there is a negative reaction, the brander has to work harder.
Cohen’s main two principles are:
  • Difference – Your difference is your brand. Make yourself memorable. Define your market, defeat competition, and figure out what your value is. Talk about your strengths and how you’re different from others in your industry. Wear your differences on your sleeve. How do you act over time? Be consistent. Build expectations around something authentic.
  • Context – Who do you serve? Where do you fit in? What is your context? Who will value that? What do you want people to focus on? Hang your hat on something specific. Find some people who want that, and the others who want that will find you.
And remember that everyone who interacts with your brand can communicate your brand.
 
 
 
For more information about Cohen and Equation Arts, visit http://www.equationarts.com/.

Photos by Jan Stittleburg.