PERSONAL BRANDING
The Branding Studio & Dressing Room
Congratulations! You are well on your way to having a plethora of professional portraits showcasing way more than just what you look like. We are going to show what you are made of, that is, your Personal Brand: who you are, what you are capable of, and why someone should work with you.
THE BRANDING DRESSING ROOM
As entrepreneurs and business professionals, we need to appear confident, authoritative, and approachable all in a manner consistent with our branding. Whether on your website, social media or other marketing assets, these items below all support the creation of the perfect Personal Branding Portrait. Here are some tips to help you prepare.
Hair and Make-Up / Grooming / Skin Care
Every Personal Branding session includes a hair and makeup artist on set. Grooming for the gentlemen.
Arrive with clean, moisturized skin. Have your hair just the way you like it, our stylist will polish it off and leave you camera-ready.
Haircuts should take place at least 4 days before the session. Same thing with getting rid of any unwanted facial or body hair.
Nails should be neat and trimmed.
No extreme beauty regimens just before your session - no tanning beds, self-tanners, extensive exfoliating, facial peels, botox, etc. Do these well in advance of your session.
Gentlemen, if you are rockin’ facial hair, make sure its nice and neat and trimmed. If clean-shaven, then its usually best to shave just before your shoot so there’s no 5-o’clock shadow going on.
I have a fluffy robe waiting for you, but if you’d like to bring your own or just hang out in your own comfy clothes that’s cool. Best practice is to wear a button down shirt that you don’t mind getting a little dirty while your makeup is being applied. You can also wear a top with an ample neckline that won’t ruin the hair and makeup when you change.
Wardrobe Choices
Rule #1 - Wear something you are happy with and that fits you well! If you are uncomfortable or unhappy with your wardrobe, it will show in your face. You gotta love what you are wearing!
I always recommend dressing within your brand identity, but, in general, something classic and timeless is best - solid colors are an excellent choice in that they aren’t distracting and won’t draw attention away from your face. We will discuss this in-depth during your Brand Analysis Consultation.
Generally speaking, avoid shiny fabrics as sharp reflections of light in your clothing will serve as a distraction. That said, if you have something you just can’t live without, bring it! Let’s have fun!
Dress head to toe. Everything you wear adds to your body language, demeanor and confidence. We will do headshots, three-quarter and full length portraits as well. That means bringing the right shoes, wearing the right socks, cufflinks, jewelry, etc.
Make sure each garment is clean and pressed. Bring everything on a hanger - you will get dressed just before we start shooting.
About Your Brand
How well do really you know your brand and your ideal client? What styling choices would help your Ideal Client know, like, and trust you?
We will make sure your clothing and styling selections support your brand in style, tone, and color.
If you have very specific brand colors and your photos will be going on your website, consider adding a splash of color to your wardrobe that coordinates with your brand colors. A visually pleasing website helps the customer say YES.
If you have an agency handling your image and brand, talk to them and ask for any guidance on clothing and styling choices as well as on location vs. solid background choices.
We will go over everything at your Branding Analysis and Planning Session.
THE BRANDING STUDIO WORKROOM
Need a little more clarity on your brand? Check out my Curated Resources below. I’ve listed my favorite strategies, teachers, articles and exercises for you. I just love taking a deep dive! Take a second and look through all the images on this page - what do you notice about each professional? What can you guess about their brand? Their personality? All those subliminal clues made it into the final portrait because we made sure we all knew their brands inside and out.
Business Strategy
Have you heard of Red Oceans vs. Blue Oceans?
RED OCEANS are all the industries in existence today – the known market space. Here, companies try to outperform their rivals to grab a greater share of existing demand. leading to cutthroat or ‘bloody’ competition.
BLUE OCEANS, in contrast, denote all the industries not in existence today – the unknown market space, untainted by competition.
Competition is irrelevant because the rules of the game are waiting to be set. A blue ocean is an analogy to describe the wider, deeper potential to be found in unexplored market space. A blue ocean is vast, deep, and powerful in terms of profitable growth.
Make sure you are operating in a Blue Ocean! Check it out here:
Brand Personality
Your Brand has a life of its own! The more you can describe your brand in different ways, the better choices you can make across your marketing efforts.
Here’s a fun exercise I came across:
Ask yourself - Is your brand a lion, an eagle or a dog? Which one did you pick? Why? Note those adjectives and make sure that comes through in your brand personality.
Another article I read suggested that there are five primary types of brand personalities. I added some examples that came to mind. Where does your brand fall on this list? Is there cross-over?
Excitement: Easygoing, lively and youthful
Betsy Johnson, Legos, (Convertible)
Sincerity: Generous, thoughtful, and value-oriented
Gaia, Dove, (Honda, Toyota)
Ruggedness: Rough, outdoorsy, and sporty
The North Face, Harley Davidson (Hummer)
Competence: Accomplished and authoritative
Apple, Prudential (Buick, Subaru)
Sophistication: Elegant and renowned
Chanel, Dior, Tom Ford (Jaguar, Bentley)
Check out these articles!
How to Create a Brand Identity That Elevates your Business
Ideal Client Avatar
Want your marketing to be effective? Identify your Ideal Client in as much detail as possible! One of my favorite exercises is this one by Marie Forleo creator of B-School. If you are just starting your business, check out the Marie Forleo B-School Course. If you’ve been in business for a while, I highly suggest you run through this exercise in earnest one more time and make sure your ideal client hasn’t changed since the last time you did this type of analysis. It really helps create clarity around your brand’s voice.
Mission & Vision Statements
The very foundation of your business! This is the thing you will share with your marketing team, employees, and everyone who touches your brand. Make sure you’ve got it nailed down!
Here’s a fun exercise: Best Moments – bullet point your best success story - Understand what your brand truly cares about and delivers. List specific moments your company was at its best. This exercise helps you: understand what your brand truly cares about and delivers. Actions speak louder than words, and your answers get to the core of your brand’s mission and values.
Good Content
Good copy speaks directly to your Ideal Client. With your Mission and Vision Statement on point, your Ideal Client identified, and your Brand Personality in order, your content copy will surely support your brand.
Here’s a fun exercise! Create a little “Core Content” list for yourself. Pick 5 words, 5 phrases, and 5 sentences that you can easily drop into your marketing messages. This will keep you and your team focused on your Brand Language.
Check out this amazing program that I love and they even have a free offering you can use.
Branding Colors that Speak to Your Ideal Client
Yes, even the color you choose matters! This is one of my favorite parts, actually. However unconsciously, every color already has an identity in your mind. Think of yellow – what does it remind you of? What about blue? Green? See how you have a near-visceral reaction? So will your clients. Check out these resources!
How To Choose Your Brand Colors Plus 10 Examples to Learn From
Image Color Picker is super cool too. You can upload an image and it will give you all the hex codes you need.
Need more help getting these elements dialed in?
Let’s have a chat - I’d be happy to workshop some of this with you and can even recommend some of my favorite vendors!
Need more inspiration? Check out the Personal Branding True Stories and the Branding Articles.