Glossary
My last post was my ‘show notes’ for the first half of this year (January-June). Consider it as a thesis statement to my personal creative and strategic practice. Read that here.
I keep coming up against the concept of ‘brand persona’. In the sense of a brick wall. ‘Brand persona’ in the sense of assigning qualities or values to a strategy (more here). Connected to cultural branding (Holt 2003). The closest acceptance I’ve come to is through studying ‘brand archetypes’. Those feel good for the purposes of creating a brand around my framework (blog post).
In general, most branding frameworks borrow from psychology, anthropology or organize patterns (more here). My approach feels homespun enough to fall into this category.
Classical is my frame of reference. Data-driven. I’ve worked in both agency and corporate settings. Some of this stuff I simply have not seen before up close. I am pressure testing this all as I go. My real question is, can something like this be built without the benefit of massive scale?
My first try at the parts of a brand bible written May 2024
In the very beginning I was thinking of Instagram influencers who leverage their platforms into larger brands. Growing a digital platform (low overhead) into an enterprise (revenue-driving ecosystem). Accounting for your ‘platform’ to evolve in that way. Growing an engaged following (community/aspiration) and leveraging that into other models.
Admittedly, the challenge I’m having is this personal balance of leading with the work, while also remaining behind the scenes. I’ve decided that there does need to be some humanizing element behind an “influence platform” even if by proxy. A brand persona. Examples like Solange for Saint Heron (Linkedin), Virgil for Louis Vuitton, Ronnie Fieg for Kith, Joe Fresh Goods for New Balance.
Virgil for Louis Vuitton Fall Winter 2021
All to say I think that’s what writing a ‘brand bible’ is about for me. Wholly inspired by science fiction and the writer’s guides from TV series. What I’ve actually been doing this past couple of weeks is just gathering my thoughts before jumping into play from strategy. That was one of my themes for this year and it’s time. I don’t know, but let’s see.
So, I’ve started writing my ‘brand bible’. First with a glossary. It’s meant to be the foundational codes, references and principles of my work going forward (linked here). One hundred percent inspired by Virgil’s show notes. Free game.
