"The Brand Called You"

Throughout the “Brand Called You” essay the author, Tom Peters, asks a few questions to the reader in order for them to understand the importance of our own companies which market ourselves. Everyone has the potential and power invested in themselves to create a brand that is deserving of recognition. In order to achieve this, it important to determine the loyalty held to yourself, the real power that you possess, and the goals you wish to accomplish in the future.
The idea that everyone has a chance to stand out and become “brand worthy” as Peters calls it is emphasized throughout the entire essay. It is important for everyone to realize that the real power of each individual can be utilized through ones brand and draw attention to millions. In order to use your power in the most successful way possibly it is important to understand our technological savvy society that we live in today to advertise your brand to the fullest extent. By learning how to market your brand you will be able to spread the word, increasing your consumers rapidly. By living in this “power world” it is necessary to take advantage of the tools around you to network yourself as much as possible (5). The more press and attention your brand receives earns you more power. The one downside to the idea of receiving constant attention is that it is important that whether working at that moment or not, is that you represent everything that your brand stands for and it is important to always act appropriately. Peters writes, “Everything from the way you handle phone conversations to the email messages you send to the way you conduct business in a meeting is part of the large message you’re sending about your brand” (4). The brand that you create will not be taken seriously unless people portray you to be a trustworthy leader, who customers can relate to.
By creating “Brand You” it is important to keep in mind the loyalty that you hold not only to yourself, but also to your fellow customers and team members. Asking yourself along the way if your ambition has been reached is crucial for the reason that you owe it to yourself to accomplish everything you want to. It is important that since this brand revolves around you as an individual, that you are being presented in a way that makes your feel comfortable. The advertising and promotion should reflect your style, beliefs, and attitude. The loyalty that you have to yourself is very important and you want to make sure you are being portrayed correctly. Your loyalty to your customers is just as important as the loyalty you hold to yourself and by asking for direct feedback from them will help you satisfy your consumers needs. Peters discusses the idea that being head of the company may require you to act selfish at times in order “to grow yourself, to promote yourself” (6). By creating this brand you have devoted yourself to a full time commitment of marketing this company, therefore it is up to you and your fellow employees to work hard and receive the success you deserve.
When creating “Brand You” it is important to have a clear set of goals and a plan for the future. While some may believe the idea of working their way up the company ladder will ultimately allow them to be the most successful, Peters disagrees with this idea. Peters writes, “When you look at the progression of a career constructed out of projects, directionality is not only hard to track – Which way is up? – but it’s also totally irrelevant” (7). Your plans for the future should not revolve around the rise of your job title, but on the idea of reinvention. Peters suggests this concept and points out “there is no single path to success” (7). By creating a successful brand that consumers enjoy is a tremendous success itself, and your future should involve working with that brand to expand even more than you have already.
Throughout “The Brand Called You” essay Tom Peters identifies the key components to designing a successful brand company. Understanding the idea that anyone has the potential to create a successful brand based off of themselves allows you to believe that you may obtain real power.