Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Are you Summa Cum Laude at Brand U?

Personal branding done right... but what's the tuition? What are the pre-requisite courses? And, how do you get a diploma from Brand U?

What we're really talking about is taking ownership of a brand that suits you. Everyone of us is a "brand" - a collection of traits, benefits and skills that can be translated into positive or negative feelings about who we are, what we do and how people interact with us and the things that we do. By borrowing from time-tested marketing principles that the dominant products of our generation use (i.e. McDonalds, Coca-cola & Nike), we, too, can move up the charts, gain marketshare, increase our chances of making the sale or even getting a date for Saturday night.

All of that in one blog post? Well... no. (You'll need to stick around longer for that, but this ought to get you started) Here's your Brand U course curriculum:

Self-awareness 101: In this course, you'll discover who you really are, what your likes and dislikes are and how to properly assess where your first step on the road to happiness lies — as well as a dynamic path to your own success.

World-awareness 201: This is the advanced course that gets you to understand how others perceive you. It's blatantly honest and can be pretty rough on our students to pass the class. But once done, you'll stay more focused on what's really important.

Branding 105: Understanding how icons, symbols and text can be cultivated to create "trigger" opportunities between you and your universe.

Iconic History 210: Looking back at the brands and personalities who have succeeded in capturing a space in our brain. Our instructors ask, "If it can work for them, what is it that you can adapt to your own personality?"

Brand Theory 300: This upper level course challenges you to find a unique aspect of your psyche and make it tangible. Not for the timid, but incredibly powerful once you've mastered the art of the "Powerline".

Social Media 100: This basic course introduces students to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and a cadre of other websites that can advance your brand opportunities. You may test out to begin with the 200 course.

Social Media 200: Students have not only a grasp, but are actively using at least 3 SM tools and have already figured out how to create custom URLs within their social media pages. This class will begin to carve out a strategy that helps make the individual a thought-leader within their field.

Web Presence 995: Getting established with your own personal website will be part of the coursework, along with a nominal charge for a domain and hosting.

You'll also need to choose from a slew of electives, including, but not limited to: Salesmanship 221, Evolving Resume 145, Public Speaking 330 and Entrepreneurship 401.

When you've completed your coursework, you'll emerge an expert; a guru; a leader of your own tribe; capable of attracting and galvanizing people to your leadership. So let the hard work begin... become your own best ally in shaping the opinion that others hold for you, as well as promoting yourself to the point that your good reputation precedes you. Isn't that what's at stake? Ultimately, building a personal brand that is Summa Cum Laude is what our entire lives are all about. Why not take careful stock of your own brand now?

Enroll at Brand U!

Sign up today!

2 comments:

  1. Wow!!! This is so interesting!! Exactly what I need right now, too, as I transition into a new field. Keep up the great work! You are inspiring! :D

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  2. Glad you enjoy the content. Hope you can and are putting some of it to good use!

    ReplyDelete