I am a lover of biographies for in them you find the nuggets that made the people who have gone ahead of you and in them are lessons to learn when you are trying to either build a brand or an empire. Biographies open our eyes and give us insight to what we usually called ‘over night’ success. Biographies help us to see that no enduring success has ever been built on a one night stand. Lives of successful people are like sandwiches: great at the finishing, beautiful at the bottom but full of many details in between. Today, Dan schawbel’s book ME 2.0 is celebrated but when I read the detailed account of how the book was initially rejected by about seventy publishers, I understood perfectly that that book is a product of an author who will not give up despite rejections.

Recently I became fascinated by Arnold Albert Gore’s life. Remember Albert Gore? He is popularly known as Al Gore and he was two- term vice President of the powerful nation on the earth-United States of America. I was thrilled to see a brand that knew fame, honour, power, popularity but which disallowed temporary setback to signal the death/destroy his brand. In 2000, Al Gore lost the Presidential election everyone thought he would win to G.W Bush.

Everyone thought the power of incumbency would work to his advantage but at last the election went the other way. But for Al Gore, a temporary setback could not be allowed to stop a great brand that dumped temporary failure to pursue a bigger vision he found in global warming.

Al Gore repositioned as a leading voice in this regard. He used all his contacts, tools, friends, influence as well as online communication tools to start a crusade which he took to TED conference, used perfectly all his offline relationships to help project a voice(about global warming) in both secular and religious circles. Through his multi various activities, Al Gore pumped his energy into creating awareness and became a leading energy that sparks the light about the influence of global warming on human existence. The submit of Al Gore’ efforts was his ability to organize Live Earth, a seven-continent twenty four hour concert which eventually got him global recognition as Nobel prize winner.

Al Gore’s brand taught us a great lesson in persistence, repositioning, vibrancy and a great come back. Al Gore was a known brand back then in 2000 and many would have thought that was enough. But Al Gore demonstrated a strong lesson for those of us who are not global brands yet but are grappling with seemingly insignificant failure which is now allowed to deter us from moving ahead to achieve better deal.

 Al Gore’s brand taught us to be resilience, focused as well as sociable. He could not achieve that all alone without the support of others. He blended well with both Republicans and Democrats. If Al Gore’s brand had burnt bridges because he felt Americans did not vote him into office as their number one citizen in 2000(by allowing root of bitterness to spring up in him), he would have become a total failure with no great history we are reading today.

If Dan Schawbels of this world allowed seventy rejections to dump the vision of passionately pursing a publishing cause that made the book one of the bestselling books in Amazon today, can we have anything to refer to today? My appeal, let your brand rise from ashes of failure, insignificance to stardom and prominence by giving it all it takes. There are no guarantees that the road will easy but there is an assured hope that your brand has greater chances of success if you will gather the ruminants. Let me hear from you.

 Promo

For those who live in Nigeria, we are organizing a day networking and knowledge sharing session on August 10, 2010 with the theme: Corporate Branding 2.0. Because internet has reshaped how branding is done and the level at which rumour, myths travel online, brands need to engage Branding 2.0 now. It will be great if you can attend. For participation details, please send mail to info@michaelsageng.com or call 07029778785

I am a strong believer in the cliché which says  ‘if you think education Is expensive, try ignorance’. In many ways I have come to understand that a literate individual who is well informed can become a great advocate than someone who is misinformed or carry around wrong opinion. I am beginning to see why some brands seem to be doing well with informed advocate than those who care less about brand education.

Many brands that spend money and invested time on educating their publics will be perceived as leading, caring as well as best of its kind.  As an individual, I learn from every one, everyday teaches me a lesson. Through some acts, I become better informed and  learn a lesson in every act. I am beginning to understand why some brands are perceived as big, dependable, and formidable through certain minute steps they take towards a better understanding of their brands while other brands that waste huge funds on advertisement do not match them in terms of strength, perception, equity.

I recently attended an effective internet training organized by American Consulate in Lagos. The purpose is to enlighten professionals, business men, journalists as well as to make them better informed persons on their jobs. More importantly, the consulate through this act of benevolence uses the medium to educate the participants, who are mostly enlightened citizens of  host countries about their activities, what they stand for, the benefits they offer. They go ahead to provide other free services that they will need to be more informed. The  overall objective based on my perception  is to provide necessary tools that will make these enlightened audience appreciate the country better.

These constant interactions, trainings, small sponsorship of events are going on all around the year. I also noticed that they use the platforms to tell participants where the consulate’s corners are located around the country. The purpose of the consulate corners also is to provide relevant information, education as well as to place necessary tools that will enhance participants’ perception, understanding of this world leading national brand. Today I am well informed and will be in a better position to spread positive information than the bad one about Brand America (not just because I want to run for greener pasture or to sound patronizing)  because I am better educated now than before.

My question then is what, where are the programmes your brand is running to enhance brand’s understanding, credibility, words of mouth, and increase numbers of your brand’s advocates? Many brand custodians think along big budget advert. Interestingly, not many people are carried away by such. Have you organized meetings to help your distributors understand the product you are offering so they can help you transfer the knowledge to the end users? American consulate Lagos also organizes and co sponsor, as I was told, musical events/concerts.

I think these are off core benefits for the target audience but it goes a long way to enhance its perception. No wonder then many daily throng the embassy for visa applications. Despite the fact that many are refused , they want to go again and  again until one day ‘according to many of them’ not minding what the cost of visa application fees are.

The heavy traffic the embassy receives every day is a product of apositive  perception our people have about that country and not necessarily because the country owes the magic to their success as I want to believe. Meanwhile I must conclude with kudos to visionary leadership, brand management and excellent positioning of brand America.