PERSONAL BRAND PRISM KIT · the first person to coin the idea of brand identity - which seems crazy...

P E R S O N A L B R A N D P R I S M K I T

Personal Brand Prism

We are leading increasingly public (yet virtual) lives. On the one hand, we reap serious benefits; geographic barriers are removed, accessibility and opportunities for connection are increased. On the other, we experience one another as usernames, icons and often, static text and images.

As communicators, we are not only tasked with understanding and riding the wave

of digital communication for our clients, but we must take advantage of these tools

to boost our own presence. And, we must not ignore what we know about the

power of in-person, face-to-face communication.

Your brand is a gateway to your true work. You know you are here to do

something - to create something or help others in some way. The question is -

how can you set up your life and work so that you can do it? The answer lies in

your brand. When you create a compelling brand you attract people who want

the promise of your brand - which you deliver.

Dave Buck

All that said, we are so much more than a username and Instagram color palette. It

can be challenging to feel authentic and”on-brand,” all the time. But when done well

and consistently, personal branding is incredibly effective. It helps bring the right

people to our door, and it helps us get a warm invitation to step inside when we go

a-knocking.

PRISM | BRAND PRISM KIT

Included in this kit you’ll find:

✔ An introduction to the Brand Prism model

✔ Assignment: Personal brand prism prep work

✔ Assignment: My personal brand prism


✔


The Beauty of the Brand Prism

Brand Prism Model

A few years ago, I discovered a tool called a Brand Prism, created by a guy named J. Kapferer back in 1986. Kapferer is credited with being the first person to coin the idea of brand identity - which seems crazy to me, because 1986 was really not that long ago. I was in elementary school, obsessed with my record player because I had won three albums (The Bangles, Madonna and the Footloose Soundtrack) as a result of selling a ton of Girl Scout Cookies.

But I digress.

The Brand Prism has become my favorite tool for helping the individuals and brands

I work with to define their message. I’ve developed two versions of the brand prism

for my own use - and during PRISM we will be using the personal brand prism

structure (PBP for short!).

I like the Brand Prism for company branding for two main reasons. First, it splits up

brand identity into internal and external components. As a result, there are visual

markers that explain what foundational elements are driving various brand

communication strategies. This division also requires companies to think about the

why of it all.

One of my favorite questions to ask a fashion designer is, “Putting the actual

clothing aside for a moment, what do you offer to the conversation? Who are you

speaking to? What do you want them to know?” After a few minutes of utter silence

when I begin to wonder if I have lost them completely, they will start expressing

their beliefs, their passion, their Rallying Cry. From there, it’s simply a matter of

PRISM | BRAND PRISM KIT | BRAND PRISM MODEL

building out the story. After all, there is the product, and then there is the story we

tell ourselves about who we are, as a result of purchasing the product.

Along that line, the more clear a brand is about their target audience, the better. I

am so intrigued by what we tell ourselves, about ourselves, based on the brands we

identify with. The power of branding leads to consumers making statements like

"I'm a Mac person," or "I would never carry a Coach bag. That's so not me." The

Brand Prism lays out this relationship very nicely.

How the Brand Prism Model Works

The model is represented by a hexagonal prism which defines 6 characteristics of a

brand. The model identifies external and internal factors, as well as perspective of

the sender (the brand) as well as the receiver (consumer audience).


External

➔ Physical/Capabilities (product features, symbols and attributes)

➔ Personality (attributes of the brand as though it were a person)

➔ Culture (values, principles, energy)

Internal

➔ Relationships (customers, partners, sponsors, events, celebrities)

➔ Reflection (who uses/loves the brand and what is their mindset?)

➔ Self-Image (self-perception of customer based on brand use or engagement)

Over time, marketers have modified the basic concept.

In 2012, Carol Phillips and Judy Hopelain of Brand Amplitude introduced a few more

components, including a Rallying Cry and Noble Purpose at the center of the prism.

From their perspective, the Rallying Cry is “summarizes the identity in 3-4 words. It

should be internally motivating. For example, the Payless ShoeSource rallying cry is

“Democratizing fashion footwear.” The Noble Purpose, on the other hand, can be

divined through the question, “What would customers be missing if the brand didn’t

exist?” For companies, the Noble Purpose statements are “more than phrases, they

are compelling forces that resonate with customers, inspire loyalty and motivate

internal audiences.” (Source)

Brand Prism Examples

Explore the following examples of the original model using L’Oreal and Levi’s, and

then compare it to the slightly altered example from Phillips and Hopelain using

Zappos. Take some time to sit with each of these and notice how the models are

similar and different to one another. Which one do you prefer?


http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2012/08/brand-identity-defined.html#.Vwqg7RMrKRs


Assignment: Personal Brand Prism

Use the brand prism model to create the markers of your own personal brand

Personal Brand Prism Model

In order to use the brand prism for personal branding, I’ve made a few additional

tweaks so that the model has 8 facets and now looks like this:

PRISM | BRAND PRISM KIT | ASSIGNMENT: PERSONAL BRAND PRISM

External

➔ Capabilities (what am I really good at, what have I achieved, what is my area

of expertise)

➔ Personality (what are the defining features of my personality)

➔ Culture (what do I value, what cultural groups/subcultures do I identity

with? Who are my right people)

➔ Aesthetic (what are the visual and language markers of my personal brand)

Internal

➔ Affiliation (what organizations, companies, universities, or groups am I a part

of)

➔ Icon (what celebrities, icons, archetypes, people have made the biggest

impact on my identity)

➔ Reflection (who do I work with/connect with and what is their mindset?

➔ Impact (how do others feel after coming into contact with me or working

with me?)

Rallying Cry/Aspiration

➔ What motivates me to do the work I do?

➔ What am I seeking to accomplish for myself and for others?

Noble Purpose

➔ What is my contribution? What is at my core?


Personal Brand Prism Prep

Are you feeling excited about putting this model to your own personal brand? I sure hope so! Up next is a worksheet to fill out first, followed by your very own PBP!

Before you start however, here are a few pointers to help you through the exercise.

I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be until finally I became that person. Or

he became me.

Cary Grant

Give yourself a break

As you begin to explore your personal brand identity in detail, write down anything

that comes to mind, without analyzing it too much. You can always go back and

refine later. A great way to approach this process is to give yourself a few scheduled

breaks. Come back to what you've written in a few hours, or the next day. For each

point, ask yourself:

➔ "is this true?" and then

➔ "is something more true?"

Update your answers based on your own feedback.

Don’t force it

I've done this exercise a handful of times before, and each time my experience

changes. This time it was so interesting to see the places where I am super clear (in


this case, the internal culture/values section feels rock solid lately), and where I'm

still working it out (personality - what can I say - I'm a gemini!).

If there’s a spot where you’re a bit stuck - don’t worry. You simply might not be

clear enough in that area right now, and that’s totally ok. Especially because you are

just starting out, it’s okay to simply have a big fat question mark in a few places.

The clarity will come, and there is value in simply asking the question.

Investigate your options

Is one side easier to fill out than the other? If the internal clarity is there but you’re

struggling with your external presence, spend a bit more time exploring your own

aesthetic and strengths. On the other-hand, if you know exactly how you show up

in the world, but the internal aspects result in crickets, it might be time to do a bit

more self-reflection and discovery.

Time to get started!


Personal Brand Prism Worksheet Fill out the worksheet below. Circle the responses that feel most true for you and use these to fill out the PBP model.

C A PA B I L I T I E S

What am I good at?

What comes easily to me?

What are my technical skills?

People come to me for help with:

What are the biggest success stories in my life thus far?

.


P E R S O N A L I T Y

How do I describe myself? (For inspiration, click here)

How do friends describe me?

What is it like to meet me for the first time?

C U LT U R E

What are my core values? (For inspiration, click here)

What will I never compromise on?

What issues or injustices make me really upset?

What ideas, values, interests/hobbies would I like to share with the people I work with?


http://training.simplicable.com/training/new/200-business-adjectives-with-punch

http://corevalueslist.com/

I want to live in a world where:

A E S T H E T I C

What colors am I drawn to?

What are my favorite patterns?

What eras in history or art call to me?

How would I describe my fashion style?

What are my signature looks, phrases?

How would someone else describe my overall vibe?


A F F I L I AT I O N S

What groups or organizations have played an important role in my life?

How else do I identify myself (what am I, what am I not?)

I C O N

Who would play me in the movie of my life and why?

What celebrities or persons of note inspire me?

If I could have dinner with 3 people in the world that I have never met, who would they be? What would I want us to talk about?

What impresses/inspires me about other people?


R E F L E C T I O N

Who are my right people?

Who are the 5 people I spend the most time with?

What do I love about my current relationships? What is frustrating?

How do I want to be perceived?

I M PAC T

What does success look like for me

➔ In the next 3 months?

➔ In the next year?

➔ In the next 3 years?

What do I seek to change or affect in people’s lives?


What is the larger goal, cause, or community I aspire to serve?

R A L LY I N G C R Y

What is currently what driving my career goals?

N O B L E P U R P O S E

How do I want to feel in my life? (For inspiration, click here)

What is the heart & soul of my personal brand?

Great Work Prismadonna!


http://www.daniellelaporte.com/desire-more/mappers-and-feelings/

My Personal Brand Prism

RALLYING CRY

NOBLE PURPOSE


Final Thoughts

From a company standpoint, when everyone is on board with branding, everything

from campaign strategy to messaging follows a mutually-agreed-upon brand

identity. A brand with a strong brand identity is a dream come true for a publicist

because once they have solid understanding of who the brand is, who they serve

and how they want to be seen, we can quickly figure out the best way to

communicate that identity out into the world.

The same is true for our personal brands - at a certain point we simply execute the

strategy, as storytellers of our own unfolding success story. We'll be talking more

about persuasive writing and storytelling in Module 2, but for now, think of your

Personal Brand Prism as the outline for the career masterpiece you're about to

create!


PERSONAL BRAND PRISM KIT · the first person to coin the idea of brand identity - which seems crazy...

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