With all of the dots in the background, why do 3 stand out?

I counted 160 dots in the background of this blog page ... they are all fine dots, identical in diameter and shape ... they all qualify for selection for this background. But, 3 stand out ... they're the same diameter and shape as all of the others, but they're bolder and more colorful.

What happened? Branding happened. Something made these 3 dots stand out from the crowd and catch our eye.

That's what branding is all about ... it's a choice, a decision, a commitment, an effort ... to be different, and to attract the attention of the target audience in a positive way.

I've lived my life trying to be bolder and more colorful than all of the other dots ... I knew what I wanted, and I believed that this was a great way to get it. It works.

I have been fortunate to work for bold and colorful brands ... Procter & Gamble, Polaroid, ATARI ... all innovative market leaders. Brands like these know who they are, and they know what it takes to connect and win with their target audience.

Sometimes, tho, brands lose their way in the marketplace ... like Polaroid and ATARI did.

So, this blog is devoted to an exchange of branding concepts, blueprints, successes, and failures ... whether it's personal branding (YOU), or product or company branding.

It's all about ensuring that the "brand promise", whatever you've determined to be the attributes and qualities that distinquish your brand from the rest of the dots, is delivered 24/7.

Without that, you're just another dot.

So for 2009, make the choice, decision, commitment and effort to be bolder and more colorful.