Don’t Call It A Comeback: How to Reposition Your Personal Brand

“Don’t call it a comeback, I been here for years. Rockin my peers and puttin suckas in fear.” – LL Cool Jay, Momma Said Knock You Out

We see it again and again in the media; stars rise, they fall, and depending on the power of that star, they rise again! You don’t have to be making millions of dollars in a glamorous industry to follow this path. In fact, repositioning your brand is a natural part of evolving with your experiences and your target audience.

A classic example of this is the original pop superstar, Madonna. Her first studio album came out in 1983, and even though her last was in 2009 and wasn’t as well received as previous efforts, today’s pop divas are still compared to her. Why? Because Madonna (or Madonna’s PR team) understands the importance of an evolving brand. From her look to her music—even her accent!—she has been unafraid to change with the times and has stayed relevant while still staying true to her image.

KEEP ON TREND WITHOUT BEING TRENDY

In order to understand where your brand needs to go to stay relevant, it’s important to be aware of market research and stay updated on demographics and sociographic trends. Not sure where to start looking? Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan “fact tank,” is a wealth of information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the rest of the world. If you want to know how your target audience feels or behaves regarding a certain topic, chances are Pew has not only done the research, but has also made a comprehensive report about it, including easy-to-read pie charts and graphs to go along with it.

EVOLVE AND STILL BE AUTHENTICALLY YOU

Even though a brand should be authentic and unique to you, in order for your message to hit home this authenticity needs to be expressed in terms that resonate with your target market. Bret Michaels is a great example of a “brand” growing with its audience. From the ‘80s hair band rocker on teenagers’ walls to the much-loved winner of The Celebrity Apprentice on adults’ TVs, Bret has changed and evolved with his fans. Those who loved to rock with him back in the day still root for him because instead of staying steeped in the leopard print and spandex of his rocker days, he has brought modernized aspects of his over-the-top personality into 2011.

KEEP AHEAD OF YOUR COMPETITION

Successfully growing with your audience isn’t something that can be done with just intuition and a basic understanding of pop culture. If you want to stay relevant and stay ahead of your competition, market research is key. In addition to the information found with Pew, Demo Dirt, an online publication providing multi-generational demographic and psychographic information, is another great resource. From Gen Y to Boomers, Demo Dirt covers behaviors and attitudes and sorts them by race, religion, gender, geographical location, education, income level and more.

Also, don’t be afraid to conduct your own market research. Affordable, online survey tools such as Ask Your Target Market (AYTM) give everyday people the accessibility of interviewing their own market group like previous clients or you can even poll their panel. Doing so is much easier than you think and you can even post your surveys on your website.

A rebranding doesn’t have to come in the form of selling out (no Cher-style infomercials for you!). By combining a solid understanding of your target audience with a keen sense of yourself and your brand and a willingness to keep up with the latest communication trends, you can naturally evolve your brand to stay viable in any market. Another awesome source for viral and social media cases is viralblog.com. From the newest social media trends to the viral videos everyone’s watching, this blog helps you keep your finger on the pop culture pulse.

What resources do you use to keep up with market trends? Is your brand continually representing who you are today, or is it stuck in the past? Maybe it’s time for an image shakeup, but as LL Cool J might say, don’t call it a comeback. Stay true to your brand and your audience, and your star can stay on the rise.

Kimberly Bordonaro is a personal branding strategist that teaches entrepreneurs how to powerfully brand themselves as experts, applying the same marketing strategies used by large corporations and celebrities, so they attract their ideal clients and make more money. Not sure where you should start when building your personal brand? Check out Kimberly’s free training ecourse at http://www.kimberlybordonaro.com/free-training.