WE ARE ALL "LUXURY BRANDS"

What if we treated the brands we work for (and the personal brands we build ourselves) like LUXURY BRANDS?

Think about it...

The strongest luxury brands rarely compete on price.

They compete on perception and performance.

I listened to Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna talking about the strength of the Ferrari brand recently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV4osqHcQe8

About 6 minutes into this video he describes Ferrari as being built on THREE WHEELS:

📖 HERITAGE & STORYTELLING

People don’t just buy what you do. They buy the story behind it.

⚙️ TECHNOLOGY

Great brands respect their history but they value innovation and invest relentlessly in their future.

🏁 PERFORMANCE

Reputation is built on proven results. Over time. And every interaction either strengthens or weakens the value of the brand.

When I look at IBM and the 3 pillars we are built on, like Ferrari - I see "a luxury technology brand."

⬇️

But what's interesting to me is that these 3 wheels don’t just apply to companies...

They apply to careers too. 👩🏼‍💻👨🏾‍🏭🧑🏻‍🏫🧑🏻‍🍳🧑🏽‍⚖️🥷🏻

The strongest "personal brands” I know also sit at the intersection of these 3 wheels. They each have a compelling story, a commitment to continuous learning, and a track record of performance.

STORYTELLING > TECHNOLOGY > PERFORMANCE

(I know, I hate the phrase "personal brands" too, but I can’t think of a better one 🤷🏻‍♂️).

"Luxury" isn’t about being expensive, or crafting unrealistic expectations...

It’s about being distinctive.

⚡️ Don’t just be the best at what you do… be the ONLY. ⚡️

Just a thought….

🏎️💨

Image credit: Gapingvoid Culture Design Group