quoted admitting that he had falsified

Sir Richard Branson is known for his disheveled locks, daring stunts, collection of Virgin companies and his private Caribbean island.Big corporations can't build personal relationships. She is considered the richest African American ever read billionaire. Branding depicts the corporation as the hero. It does take time, interest, and compassion. Whether they acknowledge it or not most "personal branding experts" trace their crusade to this article.Building relationships is the better tool for small business. It's your weapon of choice.The valid point that Tom Peters does make is that you must be distinct from your competition.Oprah started her TV show in 1984 and it has been rated as the number one TV show. And they try to sell you snake oil remedies. Corporate brands are like Goliath. Oh yeah and decades of promotion.I tell this not to depress you  but to save you from the branding trance and offer you hope. It will pale by comparison. 

The first McDonalds restaurant opened in 1940. That's suicide. They are too big, bureaucratic, and impersonal. Who comes to mind? There's Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson and Arnold Schwarzenegger. What is the common formula? Decades of promotion, multi-media exposure to millions of consumers and frequent hits. Instead emphasize your difference and your strength - personal relationships.Understand the formula? Are you ready to repeat it? Probably not.All have powerful personal brands. But it might save your business. Developing a brand was not the goal.How did they establish their brand? A combination of millions of dollars spent on advertising, mass marketing to millions of consumers and high profile celebrity endorsements. What's in his brand basket? Six time Mr. I'm ripping back the curtain. Relationships go further and deeper. It was the byproduct of everything else they did. Treat every person as an individual. Olympia, decade spanning movie career starting in 1970 growing to a $20 million movie fee, author and (once) married to the niece of John F Kennedy. Remember, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain" in the movie The Wizard of OZ. Branding says our way is the right way - like it or you are a loser. Make exceptions to the rules. You can build relationships with your clients and prospects. Relationships say that your clients are special and you will treat them the way they want. That's one reason why branding is so effective when marketing to peer-influenced teenagers.It's time for a branding wakeup call. Coke, McDonalds and Nike are powerful brands. Just because big corporations do it does not lead to the conclusion that small business and individuals should copy. It takes time, conformity and uniformity.What about personal branding?In 1997 Fast Company magazine published an article by Tom Peters, titled, "The Brand Called You".And one more thing - each of them has a personal tale of loss, pain and obstacles in achieving their goals.Oprah has co-authored several books, and publishes two magazines named after her - with her photo as the consistent cover shot."Let's start by examining some of the world's best brands. They look like you and I. Building strong brands is very expensive.Your branding might be more harm than good. If your competition is Wal-Mart don't emphasize your brand.There is a better way for you to Hooks Manufacturers build your business. That's why they focus on branding. A brand is simply a weaker type of relationship. The result of both done well is to build an emotional bond.Besides hosting the multi-season TV series, The Apprentice, Trump has authored over a dozen books, the first, The Art of the Deal in 1987. This might hurt especially if you have recently succumbed to worship of the brand. Both GM and Toyota have strong brands yet they are hardly distinct from their competition. His name is on at least 20 luxury buildings around the world and he boasts a $1 million speaking fee. However it's easy to guess why the governator won that election.Let's look at some individuals with strong personal brands.Never fight a stronger enemy on his terms. Unfortunately these zombies don't look like the ones in Michael Jackson's Thriller video." Bottom line - this article is not a convincing argument to base your marketing on or the future of your business. Nike stared in 1962 as Blue Ribbon sports and became Nike Inc.Given all that, it's easy for these folks to have developed a strong personal brand. The Coca-Cola Company started in 1892." These creatures only want your life blood. As an individual or small business owner you can do something that the big corporations can't. And of course he had his own TV show. You might not like what you see.

 Nurturing personal relationships is your sling shot. I'm urging you, "Pay attention to the man behind the curtain. Branding is impersonal and focuses on logos, jingles and vague imagery.Arnold might be getting far less exposure while he is the governor of California. If so we would all have corporate jets. In the December 2001 issue of Fast Company, Peters was quoted admitting that he had falsified the underlying data for In Search of Excellence. They regurgitate meaningless mantras like you need a brand" and "we can help you develop your brand.In this article Peters points to the big corporations as the best case for branding and ergo draws the conclusion that individuals must brand as well. Building strong relationships costs very little money. They call themselves branding consultants, marketing agencies or graphic designers. Branding ensures that every hamburger served around the world is served exactly the same regardless of the customer's desire. in 1978. 

Beware of the branding zombies. His own personal brand is based on the success of his first book,In Search of Excellence". It's in nurturing relationships.If you don't have those kinds of resources stop wasting your time on developing your personal brand. Relationships are personal and individual. That's important because strong relationships beat strong brands. Relationships are about connecting with your clients and making them the heroes. That is not the same as branding.. In an odd turn of events, however, he later insisted that this was untrue, and that he was the victim of an "aggressive headline. That is the only purpose of branding. Tom Peters is known for being provocative and attention grabbing.