Branding Your Life

Every marketing students know that identifying your brand's core values is critical in the competition. Before you even start with the marketing strategy planning, you need to evaluate whether those strategies are nicely aligned with your brand identity or values. Fail to do that, your message would easily miss the bullseye and the customers would not be able to identify themselves with the brand.

Can you imagine McDonalds uses Tyra Banks as endorser? Tyra Banks, eating those 400 calories burgers and standing side-by-side with Ronald McDonalds?? Hei, what are you trying to communicate to all the children out there? Are you now a modelling agency which, uhm, serves burger? This 'go-off-on-a-tangent' symptom is what marketers called "off-brand"

The same concept holds true for human. It is important for us to be "on-brand"; to persistently dig in to our core values and identity, and aligned our day-to-day activities and interests around those values. To use a simpler term: don't try to be someone you're not. Why? because you're better.  

Too often what happen is, we cherry-pick activities that we consider "in". We blindly imitate and follow the vogue, without evaluating whether these fit with our values and goals. We look up to this funky buff up guy and think if we're as outgoing or as lean as him, we would be better. We naively think that if we could afford eating a sumptuous meal, we would be better. When in fact, we are not - we are conforming to others - and sometimes inauthentic - identity. 

Consequences are, first, our friends fail to relate to us. We are, suddenly, sending this inconsistent message about ourselves and they will wonder "Who is this guy, it is as if I don't know him?" Second, in a fight between temporary hype and true nature, the latter will prevail eventually. How long can we stand being someone we're not? The faking will eat us slowly and one day, we're going down with all our guards and pretense. 

So, just like McDonalds who knows their values and personality, you may also want to cherish them and make them your treasured assets. It is in you, your hallmark, and we love you for that. Just like we don't want to see Tyra's smile the next time we order Happy Meal #1

My friend, this entry is for you. I understand what you're going through, but please, hang on there. I pray that God will show His way and that you will involve God in every decision that you are trying to make. Again, we love you and we'll always ready to extent our hands everytime you need one.