Book

U R a Brand!

How Smart People Brand Themselves for Business Success

Catherine Kaputa

Davies-Black Publishing, 2006

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Marketing professionals use the "soft" science of branding to forge an emotional bond between a product or service, and its target market. Branding expert Catherine Kaputa advocates applying the same principles to creating your personal brand. Abundant evidence says that this strategy works. Celebrities, such as Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan, have been doing it for years. Now, branding has become important for business professionals. Look no further than Donald Trump or Martha Stewart. You, too, can use branding techniques and principles to evolve from a successful businessperson to a brand. Become just "a little bit famous" to create a circle of influence within your target market. Once Kaputa explains her original concept, the rest of her information easily falls into place – so easily, in fact, that some of her explanations seem self-evident. Even so, if you're seeking new ways to get ahead in a very competitive business world, getAbstract says that this book can tell you how to get yourself branded.

Summary

Self-Branding

For years, celebrities, politicians and athletes have understood the value of marketing themselves like products – that is, they become brands. Now businesspeople have entered this arena. You, too, can apply the strategic practice of self-branding, and contribute to your future and your company's success.

People decide to purchase a product or service based on "soft" input, such as how the brand makes them feel, rather than on "hard" criteria, such as product features and benefits. The same process applies to people. Although you might have the right credentials – a degree from a name school, a solid work history and top-notch references – people respond first to your image, reputation and identity. Their "perception" of you will ultimately prevail, but you can influence the image they perceive by building a self-brand.

The most crucial element in your success is maximizing your value as "your most important asset." First, differentiate yourself from the competition. Identify your "big idea," that is, your "unique selling proposition" (USP) – a concept, a vision, an "X-factor" that makes you special. Then, apply tried-and-true marketing strategies...

About the Author

Catherine Kaputa is a self-branding coach and an adjunct professor at New York University Stern School of Business. She has more than 20 years of branding experience, and was senior vice president of branding and advertising for a national investment firm.

U R a Brand!

How Smart People Brand Themselves for Business Success

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Self-Branding

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