In This Issue
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Where in The World is Brenda Now??
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Author, Speaker, Trainer and Coach Brenda Bence travels extensively to present her unique approach to corporate and personal branding at conferences, conventions, & corporations all across the globe... |
If you'd like Brenda to speak or train at an upcoming event, conference, or meeting, please
e-mail her at:
[email protected]
Here's where Brenda has engagements scheduled in the next few months: |
2010
July 22: Bangkok, Thailand
July 30 - Aug 1: Hua Hin, Thailand
Aug 9-14: Singapore Aug 16-17: Bangkok, Thailand Aug 31 - Sept 5: Singapore
Sept 15-19: Sydney, Australia Sept 26 - Oct 11: U.S.A.
Oct 18-21: Prague,
Czech Republic Oct 29: Bangkok, Thailand Oct 30 - Nov 6: Phuket, Thailand Dec 17: Bangkok, Thailand
Brenda is now booking engagements for the rest of 2010.
Write to Brenda if you would like her to speak, train, or coach your team. |
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Contact Us
Brand Development Associates Int'l Ltd.
U.S. Contact Information
Phone: +1(312) 242-1830 Fax: +1(312) 277-9211
Brand Development Associates Int'l Ltd.
P.O. Box 28909
Las Vegas, NV 89126
Thailand Contact Information
Phone: +662-711-9215
or
+662-627-9327 Fax: +662-711-9210
23F, M Thai Tower
All Seasons Place 87 Wireless Road
Phatumwan
Bangkok 10330 Thailand
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.BrendaBence.com
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Greetings!,
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Thanks to
the World Cup, all eyes have been on South Africa over the past few weeks. With
that in mind - and as a parting "Ode to the World Cup" - I thought it would be
interesting to revisit a 2008 interview with Nelson Mandela regarding
leadership. Published in Time
Magazine, the article outlined eight leadership principles that
Mandela used to build his distinguished career - and his very powerful
leadership personal brand - as an activist and politician. All eight are
interesting, but I want to focus on two of Mandela's principles in particular
and how they apply to building a leadership personal brand in the business
world.
Also in this
issue, you'll find the top 10 tips for successful entrepreneurial
branding, you'll get help to clear the clouds around potentially con -fusing
marketing and branding terms, and you can read the results of our "Brand
Thailand" blog question.
All the best - and here's to
YOU™!
Brenda Bence [email protected]
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Nelson
Mandela's Leadership Principles
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A 2008 interview with Nelson Mandela about leadership, published in Time Magazine, outlined eight
leadership principles that Mandela used to build his distinguished career - and
his very powerful leadership personal brand - as an activist and politician.
All eight are interesting, but I want to focus on two of Mandela's principles
and how they apply to building a leadership personal brand in the business
world. Principle #1: "Lead from the back - and let others
believe they are in front. The trick of leadership is allowing yourself to be
led too. The chief's job, Mandela said, was not to tell people what to do but
to form a consensus. 'Don't enter the debate too early,' he used to say." What Mandela is doing here is
advocating a democratic, or participative, leadership style. Let's face it: As
a business leader, there may be times when you have to use an authoritarian
style and make a fast - and sometimes lonely - decision. But, most of
the time, it makes sense to include direct reports in the decision-making
process. Otherwise, why did you hire them in the first place? Great leaders
know that they, too, are learning and growing every day in the job - even from
those who are in subordinate positions. Click here to read Nelson Mandela's second principle.
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Key Marketing Terms and Phrases - What Do They Mean?
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Over the
years, I've seen a lot of confusion around what the various elements of
branding and marketing are. So, if you're confused, too, don't worry -
you're far from alone!
It's my
hope to clear the clouds about many different aspects of brands. By doing so,
you can unleash the power of branding and learn how to use that power to
advance both your business and your career. So, let's look at what the
difference is between "a brand," "brand positioning,"
"branding," "marketing," and "sales." Yes, they
are all quite different!
What is a
"brand?" You may think a brand is a "product" or a
"trademark." But it actually isn't that easy. A brand goes beyond the
mere physical attributes of a product or trademark. In fact, a brand is
actually intangible - you can smell the aroma of a Starbucks cup of
coffee, you can taste the flavor of a chewy Mentos, you can see the golden
arches of McDonalds - but you cannot touch a "brand." A brand
has both rational and emotional appeal, so it provides a total experience enjoyed
by customers. That, in turn, helps the brand create a perception of added
value, leading to customer loyalty.
Not clear
about the difference between a "brand," "branding," and "marketing?" Click here to find out . . .
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The Top 10 Branding Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make
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When you're growing your own business, every error you make means money out of your pocket, so why learn the hard - and expensive - way? Why not learn ahead of time which pitfalls to avoid?
As a corporate brander and an entrepreneur for the last 25 years, I've seen a fair number of branding and marketing mistakes. Not only have I learned from a few brand blunders I made myself, but in my work as an executive coach and marketing trainer for other entrepreneurs, I've developed a list of the most common branding mistakes - as well as many great branding successes.
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Congratulations
to Trish Meecham, our
winner!
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Many thanks to those of you who
responded to the call for questions that appeared in my last e-newsletter. We
had some great questions that came in on the topics of both personal and
corporate branding.
Our winner this month is Trish
Meecham from Credit Suisse. In return for her question, Trish received a
complimentary copy of the book The Power of the Platform: Speakers on Purpose that I wrote along with other professional speakers such as
Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, and Les Brown.
See Trish's question and my
response below. Thank you, Trish, for writing in - it pays to ask great
questions!
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Trish's question:
"What are the recommended process
steps to align company brand and [employee] behavior?"
My answer:
What you're talking about here is
what I like to call successfully making the personal brand/corporate brand
connection. Let me share an example.
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When speaking at conferences on this
topic, I share a true story about the high-end Ritz-Carlton hotel chain. This
particular story is about how a hotel guest, who left his laptop at the
Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta, had his much-needed computer returned to him in Hawaii
- personally - by an Atlanta-based housekeeper who flew all the way there just
to bring it to him. This housekeeper was empowered to do that, without
hesitation, because key leaders of the hotel chain had established a clear
credo and had set up a system to enable any employee - whether a housekeeper,
receptionist, driver, or guard - to do what was required to communicate the
very specific brand of customer service the hotel wanted to craft for itself. I like that story because it
illustrates how much of an impression every single employee - and his/her
individual personal brand - can make on a corporate brand. So, how well do the individuals -
the unique personal brands - of you and all the people you work with reflect
the total brand of your company?
Click here to read more about
making the Personal Brand/Corporate Brand Connection.
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Your responses to my
last e-newsletter question "What is Happening to 'Brand Thailand?'"
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the mix of comments posted on my blog in response to the question "What is
Happening to 'Brand Thailand?'" The outcome is an interesting
collection of responses from a wide variety of people including past tourists
to Thailand, people who make Thailand their home, and from people who have
never visited the Kingdom. To read what others said, click here.
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All the best, and happy branding!
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