If I asked you to name a brand you might mention Coca-Cola, Nike, Apple, or Starbucks.

But what is a brand? It’s not just a logo.

I could create a logo just like Apple’s. But it doesn’t mean my company will instantly be successful.

The brand isn’t just the product. The annals of business are littered with better products which lost to the “inferior.”

The brand isn’t even the experience. Uh oh, I might have lost some of you here. I know it is popular to equate the brand with the experience. But what creates that experience? Better asked, who creates that experience?

People.

People are the genesis of the brand. The logo represents them… it’s their signature. People create the product. People inspire the experience.

It may seem like an obvious truth, but we act as though this is obscure.

We forget it as we make hiring decisions based on paper and cloth. We are persuaded by diplomas, certificates, resumes, and a snappy suit. What about the person, his passions, her personality? Do his values align with the organizational culture? Will she take the risks necessary to grow and enhance herself and the company?

We forget it as we make decisions based on “the market.” We peddle ourselves to a nameless, faceless crowd. We speak to them in generalities from a podium, instead of specifics across the dining room table.

Lately, the concept of personal branding has been very hot. It seems like such a jump from corporate branding. It shouldn’t be.

Because corporately, or individually… it’s all about PEOPLE.