Table Of ContentR E D F I R E
BRANDING
CREATE A
HOT
PERSONAL BRAND
AND HAVE
CUSTOMERS
FOR LIFE
L i z G o o d g o l d
Published by
20660 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 210 Cupertino, CA 95014
Copyright © 2010 by Liz Goodgold
Cover design, layout and illustrations by Scott Douglas Ogilvie.
All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. No patent
liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein.
Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the
publisher and author(s) assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither
is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information
contained herein.
First Printing: March 2010
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-60005-173-9 (1-60005-173-1)
Place of Publication: Silicon Valley, California, USA
Hardcover Library of Congress Number: 2010923583
eBook ISBN: 978-1-60005-174-6 (1-60005-174-X)
Trademarks
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service
marks have been appropriately capitalized. Happy About® cannot attest to the
accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded
as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.
Warning and Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as
possible, but no warranty of fitness is implied. The information provided is on an
"as is" basis. The author(s) and the publisher shall have neither liability nor
responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising
from the information contained in this book.
To my son Adam,
Always
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vi
Preface
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiii
Personal Branding for Survival and Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiii
Learning by Example: Thousands of Real People and Companies xiv
Red Hot Examples Just Like You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiv
Battle-Tested and Bullet-Test Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiv
Quick, Easy-to-Read for Today’s A.D.D. Lifestyle . . . . . . . . . . . . .xv
Exercises to Put Learning Into Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xv
Chapter 1
Light Your Fire:
Understanding Your HOT Personal Brand
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
This Hot Book Is for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
The Time Is Now! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Welcome to Branding! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Branding Is about Perception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Your Brand Must Be Authentic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Adapting Corporate Branding Ideas to Personal Brands . . . . . . . .6
Brands Stand for One Thing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Create a Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Create a Niche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Essentials of a Strong Brand Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
If Your Services All Don’t Fit into One Brand: . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Invent a New One! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Know What You Are and What You Aren’t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Chapter 2
Star Power:
Why You Should Brand Like a Celebrity
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Become a Celebrity in Your Own Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
The Power of Consistency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Behavior Must Meet Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Pick a Celebrity Brand to Emulate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
v
Table of Contents
Chapter 3
Name Dropping
How to Build a Brand That Sizzles
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
The New School of Thought: Don’t Name the Company
after Yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Difficult Names Can Lead to Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Customers Only Want to Deal with You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Who Wants to Be CEO of You? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Self-Named Companies Limit Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Self-Named Companies Hinder the Opportunity
to Sell Your Company or Start a New One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Selling Your Business Means Someone Else Manages It . . . . . . . .32
First Names Are Difficult to Protect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Your Personal Actions Impact the Company Image . . . . . . . . . . .33
The Seven Criteria Necessary to Create a Good Name . . . . . . . . .35
Avoid a Name If a Huge Brand Also Uses the Name . . . . . . . . . .38
When Bad Names Happen to Good Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
ADW—Acronyms Don’t Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
When to Change Your Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Change Your Name If a Negative Connotation
Can Be Derived from Your Brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Change Your Name If It Is Connected to
Insurmountable Negative Publicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Avoiding Genericide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Become a One-Name Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Turn a Lemon Name into Lemonade Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
The Power of Nicknames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Welcome to Naming Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
The Five Deadly Sins of Naming: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Chapter 4
Fire Starters:
Understanding the Basics of Intellectual Property
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Trademark Infringement vs. Mindshare Infringement . . . . . . . . .60
Neology Meets Its Match . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Names of Whimsy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
How Names Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
vi
Table of Contents
Chapter 5
Master of Your Domain:
Heating Up Your Brand in Cyberspace
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Yes, All the Good Ones Have Been Taken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Dot Com Remains the Gold Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Forever Changing Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Capture All Variations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Be Weary and Wary of Homonyms and Heteronyms . . . . . . . . . .73
Your Name Must Work as a Domain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Invest in Auto Renew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Chapter 6
Color My World:
How to Ignite Your Brand with Color
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Branding by Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
The Psychology of Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
The Psychology of Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
The Crayola Box Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Integrating Your Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Chapter 7
It’s in the Cards:
How to Create a Smokin’ Business Card
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
The Business Card Is Paramount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Getting the Fundamentals Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Business Card Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
The Second Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Reflect Your Brand in Unusual Ways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Chapter 8
Smoke Signals:
How Phrases and Gestures Reinforce Your Brand
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Use a Signature Greeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
vii
Table of Contents
Farewell Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Reinforce Your Point of Difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Use in Business Interaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Use in Written Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Gestures Count Too! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
Chapter 9
Dress for Success
Turn Up the Heat with a Trademarked Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Uniformly Good Idea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
Dressing to Improve Your Brand Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Accessory after the Fact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Dress the Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
The Spectacle of Spectacles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Hats On and Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
The Shape of Things to Come . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Chapter 10
Spice Up the Silence:
Using Music and Voice as Mnemonic Devices
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Music Influences Our Mood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Make Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Using Distinctive Tones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
The Power of Your Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Chapter 11
Feel the Heat:
Using All Senses to Trigger Recall
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Smell Is the Closest Link to Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128
Creating Signature Scents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
Scent Influences Mood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
Using Sense of Smell in Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
Smell Increases Value, Perception, and Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
Tastefully Yours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Your Tactile Sense—The Forgotten Feeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
viii
