How to Be That Guy and Other Brand Musings

02Mar09

By Beth J. Bates, New Media Special Correspondent

I recently participated in a call with Scott Ginsberg, author of “How to Be That Guy” and creator of NametagTV.com. Scott has created a memorable persona by making the conscious decision to wear a name tag… every day. Yes, that’s  24/7/365 — 3000 days and counting. He is also a successful business coach and teaches business people how to be approachable. Scott goes to these lengths because several years ago he recognized a huge branding opportunity. After an event, we throw away our name tags. If we forget to remove it, someone almost always reminds us. Scott realized that if he wore a name tag every day, he would have a way to spark conversations with people anywhere. And it worked.

So what can we learn from Scott? First of all, it’s important to have a quality, sustainable company brand. Second, it’s beneficial to have a strong, unique personal brand. So, how do you become “that guy” (or gal)?

Making yourself approachable in business and personal life can be a challenge. I know it is for me. But being approachable doesn’t necessarily mean being the most chatty person in the room. The key is doing something that the other guy won’t. Make people want to talk to you. For example, I know a guy that wears a tuxedo everywhere. He wears it to formal events, to the beach, to business meetings. We call him “tuxedo Joe.” And boy does he stand out — but in a good way. People approach him and ask him about the tuxedo all the time, and he is happy to explain. Curiosity is an effective marketing tool. You don’t have to wear a tuxedo or dye your hair purple, though. Find your own “hook” and use it to your advantage.

Remember that strong brands often repel as many people as they attract. Not everyone is going to like you or your company. This really rings true of brands I buy or see on TV. There are brands that I can’t stand… and I can’t stop talking about how much I dislike them. Sure, it never feels good to have people dislike you, but controversy generates curiosity, and that can be golden.

Think about what everyone else does and resolve to do something different. As an exercise, start thinking of your customers as fans. Customers buy your products and services. Fans love you and everything you do… and they want to talk about you to anyone who will listen. Scott suggests that we think about what we offer our fans and create a product or service that:

• they can stumble upon
• they will obsess over
• they will fall in love with
• they get addicted to
• they tell their friends and colleagues about

I’m finding that new ideas are becoming a very important part of business planning and marketing. For you skeptics, I’ll add that there is a fine line between being “unique” and being “unprofessional” and everyone’s perception is different. Find a hook that sets you apart from the rest, but make sure you can be comfortable with it.

What new ideas peak your curiosity? What brands turn you off? Why?

 

Beth J. Bates consults with Hinge on social media tool selection and strategy and helps its clients find effective ways to leverage these new mediums to meet business goals.

Filed under: Branding, Marketing   |  1 Comment
Tags: personal branding, Scott Ginsberg