Want to succeed? Brand yourself

If you were an ice cream, what would you be? A Häagen-Dazs -- sinful, extravagant and something to savour and aspire for? Ben & Jerry's -- quirky, fun-loving and full of goodness? Or Walls -- predictable, a little boring, but oh-so-dependable?

If you were able to identify -- after you stopped laughing, of course -- with this analogy, you clearly understand the power of brands.

After all, ultimately, what is ice cream? Just a frozen confection of milk and sugar, with some additional flavours thrown in. Do a blind taste test of these brands for, say, vanilla ice cream, and I bet seven out of 10 people won't be able to tell their Häagen-Dazs from Vadilal. But such is the lure of the images brands help create that just the name is evocative of a distinctive attribute: be it class, quality or cost.

But then, you'd have to be really naïve to still believe -- if ever you did -- that the brand is about the product. Branding is all about product perception. It's about creating an identity and image to help customers and stakeholders -- investors, distributors, retailers, marketers, financiers... the works -- reach a decision, preferably favourable. And when that product is you, it's even more critical the branding process be so perfect that the decision can't be anything but in your favour.

That, in a nutshell, is the premise of Peter Montoya's The Brand Called You (Peter Montoya with Tim Vandehey, Rs 495).

It's being touted as the definitive guide to personal branding, which, in turn, is 'the most powerful success and business-building tool ever devised'.

Fulsome praise, indeed, but it begs the question: what is a personal brand? Montoya's appended a helpful little glossary at the back of his book. According to it, a personal brand is 'a personal identity that stimulates precise, meaningful perceptions in its audience about the values and qualities that person stands for, personally and professionally.'

And, before you ask, no, it's not the same as advertising and PR. The purpose of creating a personal brand is not to make you famous, emphasises Montoya. It's about enhancing your sphere of influence, because that's what generates wealth.

Of course, you may become famous, but that's just a welcome extra, not the ultimate goal. A personal brand is about keeping you and your business top-of-mind, telling people you can create value and helping business come to you, rather than have you scout for work.

If it sounds like a sterile way of doing business, that's because it is. But it's a reflection of reality. People are commodities, just like soap and steel -- and the CEO is the company's most valuable asset. So, if it's a choice between building the corporate brand and the personal brand, go for the latter. Be prepared to invest plenty of time and effort in the exercise. The rewards will be worth it, Montoya promises.

Montoya certainly has the right credentials to write a book on personal branding. He is the founder-president of an agency devoted to developing and managing personal brands, and is a frequent speaker on the subject.

He's also the author of another book -- The Personal Branding Phenomenon  -- and  publishes a magazine called (what else) Personal Branding. Co-author Tim Vandehey is the editor-in-chief of that magazine.

The Brand Called You is essentially a handbook, training guide and do-it-yourself manual rolled into one, targeted at entrepreneurs.

So, how do you go about creating a personal brand?

Citing case studies of orthodontists, realtors, commercial photographers and personal injury lawyers, Montoya lists several strategies, from the obvious (send targeted press releases, maintain a Web site and pay personal attention to customers) to the unusual (create a personal brochure and use it instead of business cards, send out personal postcards instead of the usual direct mailers).