What’s in a boutique brand Part 1.

It’s 2013 and the Globotrons are dead. Giantcorp is feeling the squeeze of boutique operators offering similar services on a personal level and the general public have more purchasing power than ever. The attitude and arrogance of the faceless corporations is a mere memory and you’re thinking strongly about commercialising your hobby in an attempt to cut in on the boutique revolution.

Unveil the contemporary cult of personal brands. The accuracy of data logging via social media channels and your trusted online hangouts along with the indexing of every digital move you make means you’ve actually already embarked on this self-explorative mission. This consideration represents the strongest synergy between you and your brand, which means your representation, needs to be on point. In other words don’t start a personal brand if you intend on impersonating someone else. Somewhere along the line the synergy will be lost and the all important trust and good will your business relies upon will be irreparably severed.

What about the URL availability? If you’re going to be spending time building your brand online you’re going to want a TLD (top level domain) .com, .com.au or .net etc which accurately represents your brand. The length of your domain is worth considering when memorability and ease of interaction is concerned. A lengthy domain likely means lengthy email addresses, which will not only cause you heartache in the multitude of times you will have to verbally recount it but also increase the chance of error as your potential customers copy it down or enter it into their email client.

OMG the stress of it all! The hobby business is copping some serious heat already and it hasn’t even got a name! So, before you get too carried away, let’s go back to where it all begins, with YOU. Branding isn’t just a quirky acronym tapped out in a modern font, it refers to the whole look and feel of your entity, essentially it’s a capture of all the properties which make you unique. It’s fundamentally you.