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MKTG 448: Managing Brands

Individual Assignment (50 points)

Due: Thursday, January 30th by 11:59pm via Canvas

Personal Brand Image-Identity Gap Analysis & Personal Brand Positioning Statement

To manage any brand effectively, you must constantly be in touch with what you think about your brand and what your consumers think about your brand. It helps to have some language to pull these constructs apart:

  • Brand identity is defined as the set of (aspirational) associations the company has of its brand;

  • Brand image is defined as the set of (actual) associations consumers have with the brand.

Understanding how the brand is perceived internally and externally is critical to build and manage a strong brand.

This concept is equally useful in assessing and managing your personal brand. To conduct an image-identity gap analysis for your personal brand, do the following:

  1. Assess your identity (i.e., how you see yourself), by writing down:

  • What are the first 5 words that you associate with yourself?

  • What are 3 (positive) things you are not? For example, what are three areas of development?

  1. Assess your personal image (i.e., how others see you), by asking 10 people—family, friends, and classmates/colleagues:

  • What are the first 5 words that come to mind when they think of you?

  • What are 3 (positive) things you are not?

  1. Visually capture your personal image by creating a word cloud, using a website like www.wordle.net. Just include the things you ARE that were generated by the people you asked.

  2. Analyze your findings.

  • Are there any discrepancies between your identity and image?

  • Would it (ever) be important to address those gaps? If yes, what steps can you take to close them?

  • With respect to a certain group (e.g. KU students, all students or young professionals, your family, your gender), what are your points of parity? What are your points of differentiation? That is, with the insight you gained from assessing your identity and image, how should you position yourself from a personal brand perspective?

  1. Pulling from your analysis in the previous question, draft a positioning statement for yourself. The statement should capture your UNIQUE brand essence.

  2. It should also be appealing to your target audience. You choose your target audience: who are you trying to influence and impress? Keep in mind that to be compelling, you must be concrete in the support you provide.

The template below identifies each component that should be included either explicitly or implicitly in your positioning statement.

Positioning Statement Template:

______________Your name _____________(product/brand)

is _____________________________________(unique and most important claim) among all ____________________________(competitive set)

for ____________________________________(target audience)

because ______________________________(concrete support).