We live in a branded world. Our world is full of swooshes, stripes, ovals, apples, and alligators (and even little tiny horses running wild on our shirts). And while many think that brands are for large corporations, like GE, Apple, Target and Starbucks, the ultimate brand that everyone’s after is YOU.

What these corporations realize is that YOU are their greatest advertisement. If you associate yourself with their brand, you further their reach and appeal through the power of word of mouth. They are all after Malcolm Gladwell’s famously coined “tipping point.”

However, let’s first answer, “What exactly is a brand?” A brand can be simply defined as the perception or gut feeling someone has about a product or service. It’s what ultimately determines purchasing behavior – why you will or will not do business with a company.

And whether you like it or not, you have a personal brand, and it isn’t just determined by what you wear on your shirtsleeve. People, right now at this very moment, have a perception of you. Right or wrong, good or bad, it's there. The way you speak, your email address (Hotmail is so 2003), the phone you have, your eye contact during a conversation, the car you drive, the posters you hang on your wall, your bumper stickers, if you’re a chronic during-meal texter (personal pet peeve) and your Twitter and Facebook updates that broadcast out to the world. Countless nuances combine to make the unique brand of YOU.

What Defines YOU?

It's not about money, material things or even your sense of style. Once you’re conscious you do have a brand, you can then align it with your beliefs. Notice that we’re not talking about creating a false self or a façade in order to please others, rather, it’s about celebrating and embracing your true self. Defining what you stand for, what you don't and what makes you truly unique- that is branding.

You Are What You Tweet.

What do you declare? Where do you find your Identity? Who do you represent?

We have a  saying around here- “You are what you tweet.” The understanding here is that all of us are constantly sending messages (even if we don’t literally “Tweet”), causing others to draw perceptions. So shouldn't we be intentional about what we’re broadcasting and what this says about our brand?

Let’s say you Twitter constantly about riding roller coasters, you will be perceived as a theme park addict. Likewise, If you use Twitter as your offical complaint box, you’re probably  perceived as a ‘Negative Nancy’. So many of us don’t realize the power of broadcasting mini-messages to our family, friends and acquaintances. Each tiny character is forming your personal brand.

Following this “Tweet” rule, you begin to realize that the basis of building a brand is consistency. But it goes deeper than that.

The same is true with the brands with which we align ourselves. Do you know the nitty gritty about the brands you represent? What if your favorite t-shirt company takes advantage of shady third-world country labor laws as a means for profit? What if your car manufacturer contributes to the growing climate control issue? Again, it’s not about right or wrong, it’s about knowing what you believe in and demonstrating that.

For me, I still associate myself with brands I love (from Apples to Alligators), But I realize that my personal brand is about being who I was created to BE, embracing it, and learning how to shape it. I hope you’ll do the same.

Afterall, we do live in a branded world.

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