Expert Celebrity Brand: The 3 Foundational Building Blocks
What is an “Expert Celebrity” brand and why is it important to build one?
Expert means your unique expertise, knowledge, experiences, & education – the “meat” of your business.
Celebrity means influence – your ability to lead and influence people, because they trust you & your input as an expert.
An “Expert Celebrity” brand drives sales, book deals, sponsorship opportunities, media, partnerships, & a lot more!
Today, I am going to address the 3 Foundational Building Blocks every Expert Celebrity Brand must have.
But first, I want to share a few brands I’m a huge fan of!
A few Expert Celebrity brands I love are…
1. Ben & Jerry’s
Even before I ever tasted Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, I was a fan. I had never even tasted it, and they had me as a fan!
Why? Their brand message aligns with how I see the world.
What was their brand message, and why did it resonate with me before I even tasted the ice cream?
a. Employee-Centric: What drew me into my first Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop (in Philadelphia, in the dead of winter, no less!)? Their Employee Mission Statement is prominently displayed in their shops – and that mission statement aligned with my sensibility and what I value.
b. Fun: Anyone who’s familiar with Ben & Jerry’s knows they have fun with their company – because ice cream is fun! It would be inconsistent and off-putting to have a corporatized, stuffy, serious ice cream brand, wouldn’t it?
The “fun” of their work (& everyone should have fun at work) is reflected in everything from their ice cream flavor names, to their colorful pints, to their vibrant scoop shops, to the smiles on their employees’ faces – they remain consistent with their brand messaging, and it works!
2. Starbucks
I love mom’n’pop coffee houses – to the degree that I rejected Starbucks instantly! I never wanted to go to a chain store for coffee.
But life had other plans! A few years ago when I was in Santa Barbara, the only coffee shop open was Starbucks. I was forced to go there because nothing else was open!
But when I walked in, I saw Howard Shultz’ first book, Pour Your Heart Into It, and fell in love with it instantly – and, ergo, with Starbucks, because I loved the CEO’s personal brand (reflected in his book title).
I didn’t even care that much for the taste of the coffee, but I was so enamored by his alignment with all of the foundational values that are important to me as a person and as an entrepreneur.
He’s also very employee-centric—it’s a core piece of his business, borne of his own personal experience.
When he was a young boy, his father got hurt on the job. As a high school dropout and Army veteran, his father had no worker’s compensation protection or health insurance. The shame and struggle his parents had to combat raising their family in the Brooklyn housing projects drove Howard to ensure that nobody who worked for him would ever be left uncared for.
3. Apple
Steve Jobs wanted streamlined, easy technology – he thought the world was too complicated in terms of schooling & getting ahead, & he knew it could be done better.
Apple reflects this principle in everything they make! Their operating systems are beautiful, clear, and as user-friendly and intuitive as technology can possibly be. By offering free education in Apple stores on how to get the most out of their products and services, they stay true to that initial personal brand of Steve Jobs: make the world easier for everyone, regardless of your education or technology background.
Now, Jobs had a reputation as a very demanding, tough person to work for, but he was also an incredible visionary. He was a possibility thinker: he saw the world in a different way and believed he could make it better.
This “possibility thinking” was the essence of his personal brand, which was then reflected in all of the innovation of the business brand of Apple. Steve Jobs never took no for an answer – which is what possibility thinking allows you to do.
As you can see, when the personal brand behind the business is in alignment with the business brand, there is no limit to what is possible.
I’m a huge fan of these brands because they all exemplify Generation Why Not®? People and businesses who are part of Generation Why Not®? are driven by purpose and authenticity, where attitude, not age, is valued. Generation Why Not®? will never compromise their true values for a quick solution or dollar.
3 Foundational Building Blocks
EXPERT CELEBRITY BRAND BUILDING BLOCK #1
Identifying Your Brand Personality
Your brand is the ultimate law of attraction. Once your brand is clear and in alignment with who you are, you’ll attract people just by introducing yourself! Whether at a networking event, a dinner party, or a coffee, when you know who you are, others do, too.
That’s how powerful knowing what your brand is, and what being in alignment with your personal essence is. Jeff Bezos, founder & CEO of Amazon, hits the nail on the head when he says, “Your brand is what people say about you after you leave the room.”
When your brand personality captures the spirit, personality, passion of you & what you do, it gives you permission to integrate your authentic personality into your marketing & communications.
EXPERT CELEBRITY BRAND BUILDING BLOCK #2
Marketing
Marketing is the ultimate communication vehicle. Your marketing must be able to competently synthesize:
1. Who you are
2. What you do
3. How you can solve your ideal client’s immediate problem
Your ideal client is out there looking for you! They have a problem they want to solve NOW! You have the solution…if you can find each other! Remember – they can’t find you unless you’re visible and have expertise and influence as a brand.
Branding attracts your ideal clients, marketing attracts sales, and sales equals money. The right brand communication attracts what you and your products and services are worth.
That means no more bartering, weak money boundaries, and chasing after invoices – that’s over!
EXPERT CELEBRITY BRAND BUILDING BLOCK #3
Money
Money is the ultimate millionaire’s mindset. It truly is a mirror – it reflects back to you your values, your limiting beliefs, and your leadership style.
Similarly, huge fluctuations in monthly income are often the result of not creating systems — especially an organized follow-up system.
If you find that you’re making the same amount of money annually (give or take five to ten thousand dollars), chances are you are under a veil of what I call the “money speedometer.”
There’s a limiting belief going on in your subconscious – you believe this is the most you can earn. Before you know it, it becomes your money comfort zone.
(I’ll write a blog on that soon – that’s a big one!)
What happens with the money speedometer?
1. You give away services that you shouldn’t be giving away
2. You undercharge
3. You feel guilty about charging more
None of this is a bad thing! However, you’ll find that you end up attracting the same income year after year…with a lot of frustration and self-doubt in between.
We’re going to dive into this deeper next weekend at Build Your Brand – Become an Influencer, October 19 – 21, 2018, in Century City, California!
This is your opportunity to get one-on-one laser coaching from me and meet other high heart-centered entrepreneurs like yourself!
We’re going to get in depth into how to identify your brand personality, your brand influencer type, the best social media platforms for your brand, and more.
I’m going to have so many amazing panelists and experts there to share with you their secrets – you don’t want to miss this weekend!
Go here for the whole awesome scoop: Build Your Brand Live!
Here’s to You & Your Brand!
Ruth
