Act Naturally

I have spoken before on the “persona” each of us possesses for our business.  As I’ve explained it isn’t an act and shouldn’t be something with which you are uncomfortable.  Your persona is an enhanced version of you.  It is an extension of all the many things you are as a human being and helps people more easily understand who you are as a professional and a person.  Your persona should come easily to you and not have the feel of something forced or contrived.  In other words, act naturally with an enhanced bit of expression.I’m also talking about brand here.

Each designer will have his or her own “story” for branding and that’s great.  Do some research and find one that is perfect for you.  Some designer’s feel strongly that your brand should distinguish you from the competition.  With that in mind, how can you go about making your brand a head above the rest? 

·       Try developing a mystique for your brand

·       Have a compelling story you sincerely want to tell

·       Be consistent in the presentation of your brand

     Once your image is in place, your marketing machine will enhance your story so that people will begin to notice you.  As for differentiating yourself from the pack, that might be hard in the beginning, especially in today’s arena where everything goes, but “standing out” is still a function of great marketing and positioning.  Sure, it would be nice to separate from the pack but not at the cost of appearing flakey or extreme. 

I know what some of you hotshots are thinking, after all I’ve learned, I want to brand myself as a “hot new designer.”  Good idea (sort of) but it’s a bit more complex than that.  Sure, hot designers come along from time to time and without question marketing plays a very major part of their meteoric rise, but it doesn’t happen overnight.  Never has.

     What most people don’t realize is all the time, effort and money that go into a campaign to “burst” on the scene.  There is absolutely no such thing as a “hot designer” popping on the scene without a lot of planning, resources and luck.

     So while you dream of attaining “rock star” status, work on your marketing plan, get out there and meet your destiny with a smile on your face and maybe (just maybe), if you have a clever mix of good advertising, innovative marketing ploys and a clear idea of how to position yourself in the marketplace, in time you may become that “hot new designer” that appears to the outside world to have magically “burst” on the scene. 

Comments

[Jesseca]

This article is so nice that it made want to enroll at an interior design school. Looks like you're really passionate about this line of job. ;)