Personal Branding: Think Iconic-Achieve Top-of-Mind Status

Madonna

Eva Perón

Personal branding for luxury real estate marketing professionals is much more than getting a new “look”. In the realm of market leadership it involves achieving top-of-mind status not only with potential clients but with anyone who could be a potential referral source for you. To understand the territory of the mind where brands reside it is helpful to consider the concept of “icons”.

An icon is an object of uncritical devotion by admirers. When you think of the word iconic which entertainers, politicians or companies come to mind?

In the music industry you may think of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Stones and Madonna. In politics, John F. Kennedy may come to mind. In business, Disney and Apple are certainly iconic companies.

In real estate, certain buildings have become iconic such as the Chrysler Building in New York. The Taj Mahal in India, a mausoleum, is an icon for the entire country.

When Madonna performed Like a Virgin on the MTV Video Music Awards TV show it was considered an iconic performance in MTV history. Much controversy ensued but Madonna could do no wrong among her devoted fans. It was no wonder that she wanted desperately to play the role of Eva Perón in the film version of Evita. When the Beatles performed on the Ed Sullivan show in the 60’s it was iconic moment that signaled the “British Invasion” in pop music.

If market leadership is your quest, it is not necessary to become a local iconi or a living legend. But, understanding the concept of achieving top-of-mind status is essential to this pursuit.