Can Chad Ochocinco teach us something about branding? His first instinct might be to answer that question with a resounding no! But that would be too hasty. I suspect that even if you’re not a football fan, you’re familiar with the name Chad Ochocino. It probably sounds a bit familiar to you, but you’re not sure why. He is a professional soccer player who made headlines when he changed his name from Chad Johnson to Ochocinco in honor of the number he wears on his jersey: 85. Now I know that Ochocinco is not a literal translation of eighty-five, but that no matter. Instead, let’s focus on what we can learn from a quick study of his branding/marketing activities.
Recently, Chad has parlayed his popular appeal into an appearance on Dancing with the Stars (he’s been on until the last four couples) and his own love-seeking reality show. He is not the first soccer player to appear on Dancing with the Stars or to have his own television show. But Chad is unique in that he seems to make every public move of his with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, fully aware that what he is doing is deliberately creating a brand that will be bigger than Chad’s athletic career. the.
One thing Chad has done to set himself apart from others striving to secure his future after football is to jump in with both feet to use social media to engage with others and build his brand. What tools did he select? Internet TV, Facebook and Twitter! Chad has over 995,000 followers to date and is a frequent and entertaining tweeter on political, social, and of course sports.
I don’t know how you measure the value of a personal brand (I bet that guy at Mashable or someone like him will be looking into that soon, oh dear!), but I do know that Chad is now way beyond the typical athletic brand. What does that mean? It means that he has become the kind of leader with the kind of influence that legends are made of. He uses social media the way all of us working to build personal brands should. He works to build relationships both offline and offline, diversifies his marketing efforts, is personal and very real, and adds value (entertainment and sometimes thought-provoking commentary) before looking for anything in return.
And other athletes are certainly taking notice! Did you watch the Spy Awards last night? In addition to the number of athletes who personally tweeted about the event, many of them mentioned social media, specifically Twitter, in interviews. Chris Johnson even thanked ‘Twitter, above all’ in his acceptance speech for Best New Player. Who would have thought?
Now Chad is effervescent, mischievous and charming, yes? Do you have to be those things to achieve the same business success? Should you have your own iPhone app like Chad has? Nope! You need to be yourself, know and use YOUR unique assets and gifts, and remember to have fun. If you’re having fun and having fun, the people you’re looking to build relationships with will too.
I hope you are planning a POWERFUL day!
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