During college, a lot of people thought my personal brand resembled that of Mario Lopez. As we all know, Mario Lopez was on the hit TV series “Saved by the Bell” as A.C. Slater. Lopez is currently hosting the MTV reality show America’s Best Dance Crew. This visual association typically came from girls or others that I met for the first time. Some were afraid to tell me that I looked like Mario, while others were upfront and honest about it. I even ran into a situation where a Cop called me A.C. Slater, which blew my mind.
Our society reveres Hollywood celebrities to a point where people wish they were them. Some take being compared to a celebrity as a compliment, while people who are reading this blog want to stand out and shine. Brand YOU is about being unique and a celebrity to a specific group of people.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Was there a time in my life where someone said “you look like _____”?
- What about me resembles that celebrity?
- How might Brand ME be different, in terms of facial sculpture, hair/eye color, skin tone and smile?
- Does the celebrity display a positive brand image? If so, do I carry that image along with the brand I’m being compared to?
- Aside from my face, what else about my physical appearance gives others the sense that I resemble a celebrity? Is it how I dress or my personality?
- Who is the celebrities audience and how is that different than mine?
- Do I want to use this resemblance to my advantage? Do I have a choice?
Brand YOU is singular
Although the object of personal branding is to populate your world with a strong network, “Brand YOU” is singular. To be a successful brand, no one else can be you. This is how you differentiate your personal brand. You want others to want to resemble you or at least learn from you. To be a brand in 2008 means to separate yourself based on your unique identity, consisting of a picture, name, expertise, and personality.
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If you do look like a celebrity, how far and fast should you move from that image?
I would have thought that some cross over in certain areas would be a good thing like ethical stance, morals etc.
Dan -
Interesting topic. My sister-in-law looks very much like Sarah Silverman, and I’ve been compared to Stallone, McCartney and somebody related to a friend.
It’s been an uphill battle to get out of the celebrity shadow, and it took a long time to forge our own identity. Thankfully, those efforts began paying off when I started breaking the ice by joking about my looks.
Thanks for the post, Dan!
Dan,
Thanks for a really interesting post.
I’ve often thought it must be terribly difficult for people who resemble, even in the slightest way, a celebrity or historical figure who is universally despised. What if you look like, say, Charles Manson or Adolph Hitler? What if you have a notorious last name like “Hitler”?
How do people overcome that kind of implied brand and get beyond the preconceived impression of them? They probably struggle their whole lives against an unfair perception of them based solely on their look or name.
@Chris – it depends on the celebrity.
@Meg – the most important thing in life is to just be yourself.
Dan Schawbel > Mario Lopez