Branding is largely about how people feel toward a product, service, or person.
How someone feels is often a reflection of how they've been treated.
Today, I'm going to share a personal story that highlights this. It's a great reminder that branding never sleeps, especially at a personal level.
This month I was mentioned in a LinkedIn post by a guy who applied to work at Focus Lab — eleven years ago. 🤯
Yes, you read that right! Eleven years.
His name is George Vanjek. (Hey George 👋)
His post led with …
"11 years ago, Bill Kenney rejected my application for Focus Lab, and it was the best thing that could've happened to young George at the time."
But why?
George explained that receiving a direct message from me — not a generic rejection letter — meant everything. (He was one of 124 applicants.)
In my message, I endorsed his work and subsequently followed him on Dribbble — and that was a huge confidence boost for him at the time.
"That alone assured me I was doing something right and motivated me to continue."
Eleven years later, George is still thinking about that message. Enough to celebrate it publicly.
What's even more powerful? George is now in a position to pay it forward within his own agency, as he responds to applicants. How cool is that!
"I respond to all applicants, hoping to inspire them as Bill inspired me that day."
I hope this is a simple reminder to never underestimate how your words and a little bit of your time can make someone feel. What's small for you can be huge for them.
In life and business, you're always building your brand.
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." – Maya Angelou
Warren Buffett spoke on Geico's 100x increase in advertising spend over 25 years, "When you get that message in people's minds, you never know when that's going to pay off down the line." You can see the fruits of their efforts through their success in search revenue.
"GEICO understands how immensely profitable it is to invest annually in an intangible asset that is nationally recognized, recalled, likeable, and clear." That's brand.
"Be brave and stay true to the strategy that got you to this moment. Become immovable when it comes to your expression so that your brand can become immutable in market. Numbers will go up, down, and stagnate at different times, but you can't."
"From a finance and investment perspective, the [Cisco] Brand is a financial asset (like a factory or supply chain) which generates value by changing customer behavior. ... In fact the brand is one of the largest financial assets on a firm balance sheet — representing on average over 10% of firm value."
The B2B buying journey is longer, more involved, and involves more people. With an average of 27 interactions during a buying journey, only measuring sourcing gives a skewed view.
