Drew McLellan, a marketing and branding expert, blogged a vivid tribute to Tim Russert last week.
Tim worked passionately and was deeply grounded in his beliefs and values, the things he built his brand upon. His integrity preceded him. He was consistently liked and trusted by his audience and, apparently, by everyone who knew him.
Tim’s brand was compelling. Drew puts it this way:
“The sign of an extraordinary brand is that we can’t imagine what we’d replace it with.”
It is rare for people with such strong brands, especially in the political arena, to so transparently be the person they appear to be.
Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Drew.
Tim’s brand really points to the fact that authentic branding is measured by what others have to say about you.
I wish I had paid more attention to him.
Meg
What I find particularly noteworthy about Tim Russert’s brand is that he didn’t shout it or try to climb into the spotlight. He was humble and utterly comfortable in his own skin. That’s why we let him in. That why we grew to trust him.
A very good lesson in branding, indeed. Thanks for the kind words.
Drew