little steps toward branding in cubeopolis

a brand "... is a promise - which must be delivered upon consistently with every interaction." this was shared with me and several other women back in november 2009 at a very fun, intense, and fruitful workshop. the workshop has stuck with me, and i believe that branding (especially in cubeopolis) can help a person determine if a person's target audience is cubeopolis ... is WHO i'm for (my customer/audience) and WHAT i do (my service) really about cubeopolis? can i refine my message? am i focused about WHY i do what i do? what are three words to describe HOW i do what i do? what are three words to describe WHO i am? ... is cubeopolis really who i'm for?

workshop fun ... "turning ideas into brands - a workshop for inspired women" is the creation of christie harper of brand endeavors - a one-day workshop about brand fundamentals where she asks 5 questions for participants to answer and to present - answer's that serve as one's brand platform. she describes her workshop as ...

"This workshop is designed for women who are early-stage entrepreneurs, or who are considering how to bring their various business, creative and social ideas to fruition. In this full-day workshop, you’ll work with other women to explore your ideas, ultimately creating a brand promise that brings purpose and focus to your most compelling idea, whether it is a professional or personal pursuit."

when i took the workshop, i was flirting with the idea of creating a business or of becoming involved with an existing endeavor that would not conflict with cubeopolis and that would support my natural interest in helping people with their professional development and doing well by the environment. the other option - reviving and repositioning my previous consulting practice. as a result, i came out of that workshop with a business idea still needing a bit more clarity, a reminder to update my qualifications, a decision to develop my brand within cubeopolis - mostly as a transition to whatever the horizon brings, and a decision to stay put for the time being.

one year later, stuck on me ... christie's workshop continues to stick in my head. it was transforming, and the women at the workshop were inspiring. and although it has been a year since taking this workshop, i remembered this morning about her blog post a brand with a plan because a friend in cubeopolis will be interviewing for a couple of positions in cubeopolis. my response to her a couple of days ago was something like a bunch of words essentially conveying that there are a couple of questions one can ask one's self - to differentiate what one has to offer - branding and positioning are ways to approach it. not necessarily new concepts but something new to my friend.

personal branding ... several months ago, a colleague at work (aka cubester) expressed frustration about feedback of how she was perceived by some managers. i think she rocks; one manager was kinda meh. what came to mind at that point were christie's workshop and two books i had about branding. a book on personal branding by robin fisher roffer - her book titled make a name for yourself - 8 steps every womon needs to create a personal brand strategy for success (over here). my friend picked up robin's other book - fearless fish out of water (over here) - and loved it. (i haven't yet read this recent book.)

the brand gap ... several years ago, i picked up marty neumeier's the brand gap (over here), which i really like and revisit from time to time. essentially, brands are defined by individuals - it's what individuals say a brand is. below (or over here) is a basically a good chunk of his book (from slideshare). and although it's not directed specifically at a person in cubeopolis, it is relevant and related to personal branding.

The Brand Gap

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(dots: cyccyl, books, categories, coach, cubeopolis positions, l.a.g., branding)