Expect more

The quality of our expectations determine the quality of our actions.

Let´s Dance

Let´s Dance is on again. I´m a bit amused by the way the TV-channel chooses the participants. It is a good mix. It is also fun to see that the best dancers may certainly not be the most popular ones when the viewers are voting. Charm and some kind of uniqueness is more important. I also think that the clumsy ones - which some of us may be able to associate with - get voted for.

The carpenter Willy is certainly not a good dancer so far - at least not traditionally speaking. However, he is fun to watch and he has lots of charm. I am sure that he will stay in the competition for quite a while.

The pretty fashiongirl Elin could be getting lot´s of fancy-votes. She didn´t. She´s among the three on the bottomlist.

Some build their personal brands by participating in this competition. I believe that Gudrun is trying to win some votes for her political party by doing this. Time will tell if she will succeed. At least she gets some more airtime than others.

I am surprised that the tough soccerplayer Victoria had to wear such a princesslike dress. It didn´t suit her at all. She didn´t look comfortable in it. She should be styled in a much tougher way, in order to follow the brand that she already has. If it continues like this, she will be out in a blink.

This program is a goody-bag when it comes to studying personal branding. Some will succeed, some will be less fortunate.

The logo is not the brand

This was written by the Manager of Tourism in Spain - Ignacio Vasallo - in Monocle Magazine, Dec/Jan-issue. It may not be so easy to find those few carefully chosen words, but it is certainlyl important. A logo is not a brand. A brand is everything you say and everything you do. When all is well, the logo illustrates the values of the brand in a good way.

"Nearly 30 years ago, a single meeting with Joan Miro was enough to revolutionise Spain's tourism brand. These days, it's even simpler as the web means nations can promote themselves with just a few choice word.

Vasallo writes: In 1982, seven years after General Franco died, Spain was just getting going as a modern democracy. All that people outside had heard about us as a country was to do with violence, death and repression. They thought we were backward and damaged. I was made junior minister for tourism and, basically, my job was to get people to think of Spain as a tourist destination.

We were creating something from scratch. People in high places were open to new ideas and passionately needed to send out a really powerful message. We came up with a simple one - "Spain, diversity under the sun." And then we started working out how to illustrate that. The in-house artists played with images of oranges and sombreros and that stuff. But nothing felt strong enough. 



So I dropped that approach and went to see Joan Miró, one of our greatest artists alive at the time. He was ill and we talked as he ate his soup in bed. And he completely got it. He gave us the red, black and yellow sun that is still our tourism logo to this day. He refused to take any money - he said he wanted it to be a gift "for the King and the government". Some people thought the logo looked like a fried egg. But the country's leaders understood.

When we launched our campaign with this logo in 1984, it was a huge success. In the space of less than a year, perhaps because of timing and personalities and a bit of luck, we had created a symbol of Spain that is still strong today. 

It was the first time any country had created an abstract logo to brand itself but today everybody thinks that all you need to do to rebrand a country is make a logo. 



I think that's out of date. Logos are old fashioned. These days, you can communicate almost instantly with the world. And the internet means that message has got to be verbal. How many logos do you ever notice when you're surfing online? If I were in charge of making a new image for Spain now, or a new nation such as Montenegro for that matter, I would not be thinking about a logo.

All you need is to be clear about what you've got to say. In this age of mass communication in English all you need are a few carefully chosen words.
"

Joy in a bottle

Last year, Skånemejerier launched a new range of drinking yoghurt. The bottles are called Joy, Happiness, Harmony and Love. Who wouldn´t want to buy a bottle of Happiness? My favorite is the taste of Love - raspberry and licorice.

Skånemejerier

New workshops coming up

Visit driftig.nu and give yourself a great branding-start of your new year. If you live in Stockholm or close by, take the chance to build your personal brand through inspiring workshops during January and February.

The workshops will be held at Lilla Hornsberg, where you´ll be welcomed by a sparkling tile stove and cream tea.

Potential

Focus on your potential, not your limitations.

Living the brand of your dreams

We have had a range of workshops about personal branding during these last couple of months.
I am happy to observe how people find alternative ways of thinking and acting, as they become aware of how they can form their lives in a new way depending on their goals.

In a couple of months we will have a reunion with the group. I´m already excited to find out what has happened with everyone, as they live the brand of their dreams and goals.