Krywosa, IMC

By now we’ve all been wowed by the well greased machine that was Obama’s campaign. But what can we learn to do, or do better, in our own endeavours? These five philosophical items can help you build your brand, be it personal or work related:

1. Embrace Your Truths -know what matters to you and wear it on your sleeve. Promote these things beyond anything else. By doing so, you’ll solidify if not elevate what you mean to others. Above all else, dont succumb to pressure to morph into what you think people want you to be: you’ll only fail.

2. Understand Conversations, Even if You are Not a Part of Them -No one can be everywhere all the time, or want to hear everything that is said, but, you can listen and learn from it. Dont try to interrupt what people are saying or change their minds. You risk appearing guilty or one sided. Hear what they say and find ways to apply it to the way you do business and communicate better. People’s unabridged ideas about you are your strongest measurement of their overall opinions. Use this to make better decisions, not arguments.

3. Harness Newness - whether social media or community organization, find ways to communicate well with people. Find where they are, and be there. Know how they best consume information, and provide it in this way. Translate it in other languages or new and different patterns of discussion. Seek out ways to do things better, even – especially – if no one else is doing it this way.

4. Ride The Wave -dont assume that things will be seamless or smooth. Expect and anticipate bumps in the road. Dont waiver, even when things seem to be going against you. By standing by decisions and embodying ideals you’ll solidify not only your concept, but maintain it in the minds of the public.  Dont fear change. Without risking failure, you learn nothing.

5. Be What You Are - nothing tarnishes a brand like pretending to be something its not. Everyone has their own thing that they do well, stay with that thing and get better at it. Provide something that others do not.

I’ve never been political. I just never had the time to read about someone’s voting record, their background, and anything negative Google could find for me. But, due to all the hype surrounding Barack’s speech at the DNC the other night, and because nothing else was on, I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

Wow.

Let’s just say this hard candy coated girl broke down crying like a kid in a candy store who’s just been refused some Fun Dip. The video preceding the speech was perfect: it broke down the stereotypes and anti-speak that make most mope towards McCain. The family history piece was priceless. The Kennedy/King additions were monumental.

Moving into the speech, I was spellbound. I kept thinking ‘maybe I’m just pretending to care’, but I kept getting sucked back in. After thinking about it last night and today I’ve finally found out what it is: transparency and ease of conversation. I understood the issues. I wasn’t made promises. I felt like I was hearing what it must have sounded like pre 1964 in American politics.

You see – if you don’t know me – I have a JFK obsession. I never explain this, but what it is happens to be a combination of my love of television (and JFK using pictures and TV to his benefit better than any other president in our history) and my old school WW2 era patriotism (read: non egotistical, hard working, American idealism). I believe that this country hasn’t been on the same track it jumped since Kennedy was shot. And how could it be? Who would believe in a government that allowed that to happen. On US soil? In front of people? Live? Since then, everythings been a sham.

I see this as pulling the wool off of American eyes, this Obama idealism. People may call him a messiah. They may call him the anti-Christ. Hell, they may call me a fool, a follower. But, I can tell you what, from someone who’s only voted one time in her 30 years, he’s engaged me. I’ve sat up and taken notice. I research candidates. I wonder if my America could be what it was for my immigrant and non-immigrant grand parents. Shouldn’t that be what matters?

All this, primarily, because he communicates well. Jargonless. Transparant. Believable. Truthful. This is what government truely needs – no matter which party it comes from.

That’s also effective marketing. Who knew?