Do You Have Brand Capital?

When you’re standing in the pain reliever aisle of your local drugstore looking for something to get rid of the pounding headache you’ve had since before lunch, do you reach for the name brand stuff or the generic, significantly cheaper version of the name brand stuff? 

Generic drugs are required by the FDA to have the same effectiveness (dosage, active ingredients, strength, etc.) as their brand-name counterpart.   In other words, whether you purchase Tylenol or the CVS brand of acetaminophen, you should feel the same type of relief of your symptoms from either medicine. 

Why would anyone make the conscious decision to spend more of their hard-earned money to buy something they could have for much less, when they don’t have to?  

It's because our experiences with the brand and what we believe to be true about it, is what we consider above all else.


The brands we know and love weren't built overnight, just as our belief in them didn't happen overnight.  Strong brands are created through strategic messaging, deliberate actions, dependability, and most of all, consistency.  

As individuals we must approach our personal brands in this same way; communicating with purpose, taking specific actions, ensuring that our strengths are displayed in every deliverable, and being consistent about what we deliver.

Establishing your personal brand doesn't require spending money like the Tylenols', Honda's, and Apple's of the world.  Your personal brand is about owning your individual strengths, and using them as a foundation to execute.  

When this is done right - your chances increase of being the brand that's chosen for a promotion, or to be the leader of a project that has the potential to take your career to the next level.

So, do you have brand capital?