Back in the mid-2000s, I read the book “Lovemarks”.
This book shaped how I considered brand positioning, and the phases customers go through as they develop a relationship with the brand.
The three levels I developed from the insights in the book were respect, trust, and love.
Respect is where the relationship is initiated. Customers must put your product or service on their consideration list – respecting you as a contender in the category.
Trust is what we nurture throughout the relationship. At any moment, we can make or break that trust. This is how the brand behaves in every situation.
Love is when our relationship with the brand deepens. We know what sets the company apart and we begin to advocate the value of the brand to others.
Personal Brands
I have been thinking about how the framework might apply to our personal brands.
At the base level, to gain respect for what we bring to the table is our credentials. These are the details that can put us in the running for a role – our education, experience, and performance metrics. The performance metrics could be success moving business metrics or awards won.
Next is trust. Trust is built over time and expressed outwardly through our reputation. We all have a reputation regardless of if we intentionally create it or it develops organically over time. Your reputation is created through first impressions, relationships you build, and your collective behaviors. Your reputation can be summarized for others through testimonials.
The final level is where you become a lovemark. Many focus on just their credentials (respect) and reputation (trust). The lovemark level is the intentional crafting of the attributes that set you apart. Your purpose, values, and strengths are defined and shine through.
In a world where there are hundreds of talented people in your field, it is often not enough to have strong credentials and reputation. We need to spend the time to dig in and articulate what makes us unique. We need to focus on how we do work that sets us apart instead of just leaning on our education, past job titles, and companies we worked for.
Your Turn
Do you spend time thinking about your personal brand?
What do you think your reputation looks like in the market?
Could you take one action today to build your personal brand?