Cambridge Business Association
Making Your Marque
Book

Making Your Marque

100 Tips to Build Your Personal Brand and Succeed in Business

James Espey
Whitefox, 2014
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6

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Recommendation

Branding expert James Espey has seen and done it all over the course of half a century in the business world – including earning a Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contributions to the whisky industry. He provides an all-encompassing report on the basics of a business career, from deciding which industry to enter and what occupation to pursue up to accepting your first board membership and eventually planning your retirement. Espey includes a variety of useful information and many colorful marketing anecdotes. These stand in contrast to the points when he bogs down in old jokes as he relates his life story. Experienced businesspeople may not learn much from this primer, but getAbstract recommends Espey’s comprehensive list of 100 tips to ambitious young people who may need a friendly mentor.

Summary

Branding Matters

In business, branding is everything. In all aspects of life, men, women, leaders, nations and, of course, products are brands. So are you. When you enter the world of business, you need to develop your “marque” – that is, establish your own personal brand.

You will spend the first two decades of your career shaping and enhancing your personal brand. Develop an identity that accurately reflects your ambition, morals, values, interests and integrity, and that makes you proud of yourself. You’ll spend your next 20 years capitalizing on your brand, not only in a commercial sense, but also financially. The latter two decades of your career will be your “niche brand” stage. You may spend this time as an elder statesman in your field.

Plan Your Career

As you consider your future, decide specifically what kind of job you’d like. Think ahead in at least three-year increments. Set firm job goals. Perform a SWOT analysis to determine your strengths and weaknesses and to weigh the job opportunities and threats that confront you. Such challenges can include: 1) financial pressures, 2) advancement, 3) the level of competition in your chosen field, ...

About the Author

James Espey is a marketing expert with experience in the grocery and liquor industries. He helped build several liquor brands, including Chivas Regal 18, Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Malibu. He is a recipient of an OBE – Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

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