Brenda’s Blog
Explore Brenda’s latest thinking on leadership, coaching, and branding. Each post offers practical insights and immediately usable tools to help you succeed — both as a leader and in life.
Do YOU™ and Your Brand Have Sticking Power?
If I started a conversation with you about the Super Bowl, I suspect you’d reply, “Huh? That was two months ago, Brenda – ancient news by now.” Indeed, one of the biggest sporting events in North America has been long forgotten and has been justifiably replaced by much bigger and more noteworthy news like what […]
Has Starbucks committed a “logo no-no?”
Whether you’re a fan of Starbucks or not, the brand is a great one to study. As the first big-name coffee mark to explore the idea of offering a “rewarding experience” in addition to a great tasting cup of coffee, Starbucks has single-handedly transformed the category since it first opened its doors 40 years ago.
I Asked . . . You Answered! 2010’s Biggest Corporate and Personal Brand Winners and Losers Survey Results
In late December, I asked our online community to vote on the Biggest Corporate and Personal Brand Winners and Losers. Which company and individual brands fared the best and which took a dive?
HOW YOU™ ARE LIKE SHAMPOO FOR COLLEGE GRADUATES WINS A NATIONAL BEST BOOK 2010 AWARD
SPONSORED BY USA BOOK NEWS Author Brenda Bence’s book focused on helping college graduates find a job using personal branding — entitled How YOU™ are like Shampoo for College Graduates: The Complete Personal Branding System to Define, Position, and Market Yourself and Land a Job You Love — is a winner in the Young Adult: […]
WHAT’S YOUR BRAND ICON?
Most of you know I travel a lot, but September and October were filled with two personal “never-done-that-before” travel feats: I worked on four continents in the span of seven days in September and four continents in the span of 11 days in October. Yes, in those very short time frames, I was in such […]
The U by Kotex brand has found a way to speak to an audience that will never even use their product . . . How?
If done correctly, a little bit of controversy can go a long way for your brand. It builds word-of-mouth awareness and can also better inform your customer (or encourage them to be better informed) about your product. What do YOU think? (This brand video made me laugh out loud) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n09SejxpcFA&feature=related
Brenda Bence to Be Featured on Cover of The Woman’s Advantage 2011 Calendar
Entrepreneur’s Advice Presented in Woman’s Advantage Shared Wisdom Calendar Brenda Bence, Founder and President of Brand Development Associates (BDA) International, Ltd, was selected from 5,000 submissions to be featured in the 2011 Woman’s Advantage Calendar. The calendar provides advice from influential women leaders across the US and Canada. Mary Cantando, Growth Expert of The Woman’s […]
Recent Interview about How YOU™ Are Like Shampoo for Job Seekers
Click here to read a recent interview about the second book in my personal branding book series “How YOU™ Are Like Shampoo for Job Seekers.”
How Johnnie Walker came to be one of the world’s most recognized whiskeys.
The actual Johnnie Walker logo came from a lunch meeting between a famous cartoonist and JW execs, where, after a meal and a drink, the cartoonist was asked to draw a figure that would personify the brand. It was drawn on the back of a menu. Now, the company and its logo are recognized worldwide, […]
PUMA developed from a rivalry between two brothers…
PUMA developed as a rivalry between two brothers. It has gone from signature soccer apparel to a line of clothing representing a hip, cool fusion of sports, fashion and high-style. Though it used to compete primarily with Adidas and Nike, it now competes with brands such as Gucci, Armani Diesel and D&G. Not happy with […]
Martha Stewart – from ‘busted’ brand in handcuffs & knitted poncho to legendary personal and corporate brand.
Not long ago, the world watched while Martha Stewart’s brand plummeted and the press had a field day as a result of her conviction of stock trading conspiracy. I still have images in my mind of the famous knitted poncho Martha wore in the aftermath of her release …
Top Leadership Personal Branding Tips from Nelson Mandela
Inside my latest newsletter… Join me in my ‘parting ode’ to the South African World Cup by reviewing top Leadership Personal Branding lessons from Nelson Mandela. Clear up any confusion around key marketing terms, including how a “brand” is different from “brand positioning” and “branding.” I share the top 10 most common branding mistakes entrepreneurs […]
Successfully Making the Personal Brand/Corporate Brand Connection
Congratulations to Trish Meecham, our winner! 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 […]
Nelson Mandela’s Leadership Principles
With all eyes turned to South Africa and the World Cup over the past weeks, 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 […]
Unexpected Riches: The Six Advantages College Grads Have in a Job Search
As a college student getting ready to graduate, do you find yourself worrying that you’re at a disadvantage in the job pool because you don’t have as much experience as older applicants? If so, you’ll be glad to hear that you have some definite advantages while looking for a job just by virtue of being young and new to your job search.
Customer Complaints: Why Your Brand Can’t Survive Without Them
“You can’t complain on a Saturday.” I paused, certain that I’d misunderstood. “Pardon?” “Our Complaint Department is only open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central time. You can call back and share your complaint during those hours.” It was hard to believe that I was hearing this from a customer service […]
