Can We Just Be Real In Business?

What trumps a tornado ripping through the South?  You got it, “The Donald”.  Only Donald Trump, the P.T. Barnum of our time, would have the audacity to fly in on his own branded helicopter to hold a press conference in the midst of a disaster to congratulate himself on getting President Obama to turn over his long form birth certificate. 

Beyond the “Birther” issue, Trump is blasting that our trade with China isn’t fair and that American workers are losing jobs to the Chinese.  As true as that may be, Trump is out of integrity licensing his name to manufactures who make his branded products in China.  

Despite the hair, as a brand strategist, I used to think this guy was a brilliant self-marketer.  But lately, I’m beginning to wonder. 

When creating a personal brand, puffery and lies can only take you so far. To gain trust and honestly deepen your relationship with your target audience, which in Trump’s case is the entire US voting population (or television audience), you have to practice what I call the Holy Trinity of Branding: consistency, clarity and authenticity. 

Consistency makes you look like a brand leader.  This is about staying on message – synchronizing agreement and action — walking the walk and talking the talk.  Think about Verizon’s “Can Your Hear Me Now?” campaign.  Is there anyone in American that doesn’t know that Verizon delivers the most consistent and dependable cell phone service?

Clarity tells the world why your brand matters.  The best brands edit their communication down to its essence and speak to their audience in a language they can understand and emotionally connect with.  Think about how much Nike communicates with the simple tagline, “Just Do It.”

Authenticity gives your brand staying power.  Great brands come across as real.  They don’t manipulate the truth to get what they want.  What they say about themselves comes directly from their true essence. Think of fast-growing brands like Zappos, Google and Apple.  Not only do they have authenticity at their core, their visual image syncs up with what they say they can do. 

My issue with Trump and so many other grandstanders, false profits and arrogant ladder climbers is that underneath their spitfire rhetoric is a pack of lies.  They may initially steal center stage, but they will end up as a sideshow. 

Don’t let this happen to you!  Understand that when you throw dirt, you lose ground.  Start today taking steps to keep yourself in integrity. 

• Take a hard look at your own inconsistencies.  

• Stop letting things slide in your personal life and at work.  

• Start today by unearthing your true essence and find your best intentions.  

• Articulate your brand’s mission – its purpose in the world

• Harness your creative energy behind your mission.

Even well established brands like Trump misplace or forget their purpose.  They are so busy trying to win sales, ratings or votes that they go off track and confuse their audience.  When that happens, loyalty dies.  

False truths and denial have become an epidemic in this country.  It hangs juries and leaves our children questioning what integrity really means.  To stave off this ethical breakdown, we have to hold our leaders and ourselves to a higher standard.  

Robin Fisher Roffer is a leading brand strategist and reinvention specialist. Founder and CEO of Big Fish Marketing, she is the author of Make A Name For Yourself: 8 Steps Every Woman Needs To Create A Personal Brand Strategy For Success, The Fearless Fish Out Of Water: How To Succeed When You’re The Only One Like You, and Reinventing Yourself: 10 Steps To Shifting Your Career Into High Gear. Learn about her Reinvent Yourself! Workshops at http://relevanceinstitute.com/