The Sarah Palin Effect-Self Branding

Whatever maybe said of Gov. Sarah Palin, she is a woman that we can learn from. How does a woman of her stature and background, acheive overnight what many have worked long and hard for years?

How does one go from zero to hero in 60 seconds? How is it that one woman in a matter of hours was able to acheive what so many have striven and worked hard for so many years? I mean look at Oprah, It took her decades to become a household name!

Gov. Sarah Palin's secret to success lies in her understanding of marketing. You see to become a household name, you must know and understand your target market. But knowing to whom to direct your message is just not enough, yout must understand your buyers psychology, what are their immediate needs, what perceived problems plague them.

But wait that not nearly enough. You must quickly and effectively align yourself with their cause and champion it as a mother pit bull does with its cubs when she percieves they are under threat (with lipstick!).

Don't be fooled though. Having all this knowledge in your arsenal will help you get out the door, but if you want to win the battle, you must have a method of delivery that is so unlike anything that has been seen or heard and in Gov. Palins case, that feminine, folksy home town approach sold the goods!

How did Sarah Palin do it? By Personal Self Branding.

Sarah Palin - Just Your Average Hockey Mom!

Grow Your Business through Branding Yourself Author: Carlos Aponte, Jr. states that “Successful branding will create the perception in the mind of your prospects that there is no other product or service on the market, quite like your product or service.”

Indeed, there is none other quite like Gov. Palin!

So let's tak shop! It goes without saying that Sarah's target market is women! Total chess move on behalf of the GOP. But you can't blame them. You know what they say, don't hate the players, hate the game!

Women need representation and that is why between Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton, it boiled down to race and gender. If you were a black woman, boy that was a tough one for you! Tell you what, it got pretty hot for me there for a momment being a woman, black and mormon....whew!

If a black man can run, then women must be represented since we live in a country that loves to class and categorize everything!

So enter Gov. Palin!

Now using

Using Grow Your Business Through Branding Yourself Author: Carlos Aponte, Jr , Keys to Successfully Branding Yourself, lets see if between you and I we can figure out the secret to a successful business!

1. It’s important to keep your focus narrow. We cannot be all things to all people. And if we try to do so, we dilute our brand. Focus on doing one thing, incredibly well.

Hmmm....well she covered it very very well. Her focus is women or is it? You see women is just too broad. Gov. Palin's focus is women who are mothers!

After she was introduced she immediately honed in on mothers with special needs children! Wow...tug at the heart strings quickly selling is about emotions, unearth the painful ones and ride that wave. A phrase like rest assured that "you will have a friend and an advocate in the white house..." Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on!

Women, like a good looking guy right? So you reel them in with a nice shot of Hot hubby, babe in arm (of course who among us women has not seen a man carrying a child and not felt instantly attracted to them?) If you haven't you are lying!

Now the picture of a hot guy is well enough! But you know many a woman loves a manly man, a rugged guy with muscle and Gov Palin did not waste any time listing the qualifcations of her man!

Oh and women are saps for a romantic story, so throw in a few lines about your high school romance to close the deal and we are in! Cha Ching!

Ok being a mom is tough let's face it. Chauffer, nurse, punching back, secretary, teacher, mother, lover, soccer mom oops! I mean HOCKEY MOM!

So down the list she went further solidyfing her identification with this mother, the women who will hopefuly swing this election in favor of the GOP!

And oh, every mother has a special bond with her sons! So connect with the mothers who have sons at war, or have lost sons at war! Bring up the memory of 9/11, make sure we know your son will be deploying around that time. Make real the threat of terror in our mind!

A marketing work of art! Beautiful! I think that just about covers it!

No wait there is more! Teen pregnancy is an issue that well Gov. Palin knows from first hand experience and hey, gotta connect with the soccer mums right?

Throw in the PTA for good measure and we have sealed the deal. And oh remember she is a daughter too, with loving parents. Family, that is what women are about!

2. What others say about you is much more powerful than what you say about yourself.

Each and everyone of us is flooded with commercial messages each day — so your message must rise above the others and if you have testimonials that tout your unique or special talents, you’ll have an easier time building a bond with your target audience.

I will not discuss the string of credentials and accomplishments that were listed in mayoral duties (which she so eloquently related to mommy duties)!

I loved the plane sold on e-bay though! Like any good mom knows, waste not, want not!

3. You’ll need to be consistent. Consistently offer quality. People will come to expect it from you. And they’ll respect you for it.

Well that remains to be seen. If her recent interview, where she was queried about her comments on God's war are anything to go by... But since she is a marketer, she has been consistent in her identification with her target market and that is what counts!

4. Be real. Share your experiences, especially the mistakes. You want your brand to have a personality. Sharing yourself with your audience will earn their respect. Adopting the Right Attitude Henry Ford, the historical business visionary that built the Ford brand and helped to shape the auto industry, once said: “If you believe you can do a thing, or you believe you can’t, you’re always right.” Brand yourself as a winner. Believe that you can achieve your goals, and take action to make them a reality.

Boy, she is sooo good at that! I can't believe I didn't take notes. But hey sometimes it takes a while to see what good is before you!

And there you have it, the key to building a successful business!