Will Lance’s Personal Brand Continue to Live Strong?

August 26, 2012 by 2 Comments
Lance Armstrong

Athlete......Survivor.....Philanthropist......Cheat? Sadly, unless there is a definitive answer, that final attribute will now always be associated with Lance Armstrong's personal brand. But always with a question. We all know him through those first three attributes, the question is can we ever not think of him without the last one? Both sides were always too far apart for this to be concluded with anything other than the wrong result. Witnesses and experts on both sides claiming to be right. Strong personalities involved. A lot at stake. Now the truth may never be known. Part of the confusion for many of us might be the fact that what might be a lifetime ban for some sports (e.g. cycling), can be a couple of years in athletics or results in a 50 game ban or less in baseball. Even some multiple offenders come back to play in their sport again. For the USADA this has been a 10+ year endeavour. The rumour and insinuation has hung over Armstrong really ever since his … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sports, Strong Brands Attract and Repel, Strong Personal Brands Tagged With: , , , ,

Why having an Axl to grind damages your personal brand

April 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Axe sharpening

This weekend see's the induction of Guns & Roses in to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland - minus Axl Rose. In fact his long running dispute with some of the original band members seems to be continuing to the point where he has asked not to be included in to the induction. With very lawyer type language and a very impersonal letter to "the hall, band fans and Whom it May concern" he said; "I strongly request that I not be inducted in absentia and please know that no one is authorized nor may anyone be permitted to accept any induction for me or speak on my behalf." The Sex Pistols were the only previous refusals to induction and that strikes me as very on brand for them! Certainly Rose has had more than a share of controversy, difficult life situations and outbursts, so perhaps this is just another on brand action. But if you were faced with a similar situation in your profession alternative ways to handle this and not damage your personal brand as much … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Expressing Your Brand, Personal Branding Quick Tips, Strong Brands Attract and Repel Tagged With: , , , ,

And the new Premier of Ontario is….LIKEABLE??!!

October 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The provincial election in Ontario, Canada is a little over a week away and depending on which poll you believe anyone of the three main parties could end up winning. But if it came down to backyard barbecue invitations instead of votes, National Democratic Party leader Andrea Horwath would be the winner with 37% of respondents to an IPSOS Reid poll saying they would prefer to have her there. This compares with 32% for Progresive Conservative leader Tim Hudak and 31% for Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty. The reason...........? LIKEABILITY. With all three leaders so closely matched it's this emotional attribute of Horwath that makes her more appealing than the others. If you had asked in the same poll, what words people would use to describe each leader, the chances are a few would come up for all three words such as; Leader like Confident Ambitious Honest .... (well on second thoughts!) If all three posess the same words, then these are what we term rational attributes - … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Current Affairs, Executive Branding, Strong Brands Attract and Repel Tagged With: , , ,

Expat Careers & Businesses: How To Stand Out in the Global Marketplace – Part 2 of 5

April 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment
StandOutExpatsOrangeArmsUp

This post is the second in a series discussing how expat professionals and entrepreneurs can stand out in the global marketplace. Before reading this article, I invite you to read Expat Careers & Businesses: How to Stand Out in the Global Marketplace - Part 1. The second strategy for standing out in the global marketplace is through media or industry recognition. MEDIA OR INDUSTRY RECOGNITION Given the global war for talent and trends like telecommuting and working via VOIP and videochat, you are competing in the global marketplace even if you are looking for a job or business locally. With such a phenomenal increase in competition, how can one be found and stand out? Pursuing industry or media recognition is a very effective way to differentiate yourself from your competition. Consider the ratio of people in any given industry to those who have been recognized by industry leaders or the media and it would be hard to argue otherwise. Not only will it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Expressing Your Brand, Personal Branding for Careers, Personal Branding For Entrepreneurs, Strong Brands Attract and Repel, Strong Personal Brands, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tiger’s Tarnished Brand

December 14, 2009 by 3 Comments

Well, Accenture joined the list of other endorsed companies/products that is saying farewell to Tiger. “Go On. Be a Tiger” suddenly took on a new meaning – and not one Accenture wanted to be connected to.Tiger Woods’ brand is in free fall. Unlike Martha Stewart and her shady stock deal, Tiger’s branding issue is much greater. Martha didn’t violate the true essence of her brand (why we care about her). If we had learned that she stole her recipes or couldn’t make papier machee snowflakes, her brand would be just as tarnished as Tiger’s.  Of course, Martha emerged from prison in an even stronger position and her brand has continued to grow. For Tiger, it is going to be much more difficult. That’s because Tiger violated exactly what he stands for. The companies that he endorses are hoping to bolster their brand image with his integrity, commitment, boundless success. For the time being, those brand attributes are in question.Of course, even Michael Vick’s brand … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Expressing Your Brand, Personal Branding For Entrepreneurs, Strong Brands Attract and Repel, Strong Personal Brands Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Strong Brands Attract and Repel

October 26, 2009 by 4 Comments

I saw this brandchannel.com article about upcoming episode where Oprah will interview Sarah Palin. It reminds me of something I say in almost every keynote I deliver: Strong brands often repel as many people as they attract. Brands are frequently polarizing – think Donald Trump, Madonna and Michael Bloomberg. Personal branding is not about being all things to all people or trying to please all of the people all of time, it’s about taking a stand and being comfortable knowing that some will not agree with your point-of-view. Of course, this does not mean being contrary for the sake of it, either. You must be clear about what you believe and willing to express those beliefs.As for Sarah Palin and Oprah, I am looking forward to this battle of the brands – but knowing Oprah, I think it will not be a confrontational interview. I think both their brands will benefit. What do you think? William Arruda is the founder of Reach Personal Branding, the global leader in personal branding and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Books, Current Affairs, Discovering Your Brand, Everything is a Brand, Strong Brands Attract and Repel, Strong Personal Brands, Television, Weblogs Tagged With: , , , , ,