Your brand isn’t what you say it is.
It’s what they say it is.
Does that scare you?
You might have an idea in your head or a concept in your office regarding your brand, but your brand isn’t your logo, your blog or your trendy colour scheme – it’s the gut feeling people have about you.

This gut feeling is created after having several experiences with you or your company.
Therefore, if you are engaging the public at any level, you have a brand.
Intentionally or haphazardly, you have a brand.

Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney, once said, “A brand is a living entity—and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures.”
What Mike said is true, but it happens at lightning speed now.
Because of the world-wide interweb and a social-media-frenzied culture, your brand can be instantly awesome or instantly tarnished.

So as you step out everyday to conduct business (or not, for that matter), know this – you have the chance to leave your personal fingerprints on everyone you meet.
Not in such a way that you should be arrested, but in a way that is going to leave an impression about you or your business.
And that impression will affect their gut feeling about you.
And that impression, is your brand.

Are you aware of your brand?
Are you making purposeful strides toward embodying the brand you want to be?
How are you doing that?

At some point in time, an adult married male will be asked to go to the market to pick up a few essentials.
No doubt the list will include things like milk, bread, cheese, apples – an assortment of kitchen staples.
But there are some things that the ladies must know about the mind of a man left alone to shop at the grocery store.

1. If you ask for fruit, don’t assume he’s going to get apples.
Man Mind:  “Let’s see… this list says ‘fruit.’ I bet she means apples. [Looks around with strategic eyes] Hey, these are organic, but they are $4 a pound. Wait – is that pineapple? Pineapple is good and weird. And you have to cut it. Maybe I can use my sword to cut it.  Wait, this one is already pre-cut – what a time saver. I will be a hero, and she will be so proud that I don’t bring my sword into the kitchen again.”

2. If you ask for juice, please clearly state the brand name and the juice type.
Man Mind:  “Juice, juice, juice… ahhh. Here it is. [Reading label with much precision] Hmmm… this is just some plain old apple juice. [Looking around and seeing super-expensive imported Italian volcanic spring water juice infused with blood oranges]
Oh – here we go. [Places it in cart]

3. If you ask for cereal, limit the number of allowed boxes.
Man Mind:  “Raisin Bran – check. Cheerios – check. [Seeing Fruity Pebbles] I loved these when I was younger [drops them into cart with a smile] – for nostalgia. [Looking at aisle of cereal that goes on and on and grabbing a nearby box] Whooo – there is fruit in this one. She wanted me to get fruit, and this one has some kind of astronaut freeze-dried strawberries in them. [Places box in cart] And these… oooh. This box of Special K says that it helps you lose weight. She’ll love this. She’s really into weight loss.”

Suffice it to say – you get the point.
Please know that in addition to the above scenarios, a man left alone to shop in the grocery may be sucked in to a wine-tasting and come home empty-handed, but a bit more cultured.
And if he comes home with everything but what was on the list you gave him, just know that he had your best interests in mind…
…even if it is a box of Special K.

This short list certainly applies to me, what about you?
Ladies – care to chime in?

Have you ever attended a concert? If you have, you no doubt encountered a variety of concert attendees.
Depending upon the show and the venue, a unique group of people can gather and sometimes be as entertaining if not more entertaining than the group pouring out their guts on stage.
Out of that unique group, which of the following concert-goers are you most like?

1. Dancy Nancy
This girl has no concern for others around them. They have lived their whole lives for that moment – the moment to dance like a ferocious wet noodle before their musical idols.

2. Phil Spectator
This guy spends most of the evening in awe of the human condition. On occasion, he will watch the people on stage, but is usually more enthralled with the show happening all around him.

3. Make-out McQueen
This person takes every opportunity to demonstrate how much they feel toward their concert partner. Nothing left to say here that can be said.

4. Drunken Duncan
This guy makes it his mission to consume as much alcohol as possible, and potentially ruin the show for others around him. He can go from screaming his love for the singer, to giving the band the bird as they exit the stage at the end of the night (if Drunken Duncan is still standing).

5. Kevin Keigley
Sometimes nods in time, never claps (especially with his hands over his head) and then blogs about the evening.*

I am sure I missed someone.
If you feel that I have, please enlighten us to a concert attendee you have witnessed (or that best describes you).

*This does not apply to the time that I saw Paul McCartney in concert.
If it did, #5 would have read like the following:
5. Kevin Keigley
Turns into an unsightly girl.

Over the last several years, the Relay for Life campaign has taken off.
When I lived in Virginia, it was a huge event that I helped cover whilst working at Cable 12.
The occasion unites a community that rallies around one cause – fighting for a cure for cancer.

Life is different for me now that I am no longer working at a camp.
Ever since I started a business with a dear friend, I am able to be more active in the community.
One way I was able to get involved was with the Relay for Life for the greater Travelers Rest area. Bottlecap (my business) was able to lend support by participating in the Paint the Town Purple campaign.
We showed our support by temporarily changing our logo as you can see below.

Those that participated in helping paint the town purple were entered into a contest and judged by a small panel.
The winner was chosen based upon certain criteria and were awarded the Spirit Award.
I had made some suggestions for a creative trophy, and then very quickly given the task of developing said trophy.
In trying to capture the essence of the event and the area, I wanted to do something unique.

Materials:
Paint brush
High gloss latex paint
Reclaimed barn wood
A Jenga piece
Industrial glue
A hanging thingy for the back

Below is the abridged version of the process…

…and where it currently rests (The Forest Coffeehouse was the recipient of the award).

So congratulations to my super-wonderful friends at The Forest, and well done to the folks involved in our area’s Relay for Life event.

Do you have a cool Relay for Life event in your area?
What are some creative things surrounding the promotion of the event as well as the all-night-long relay itself?

One of the best things in the world: getting a hug from your kid after a wonderful time of throwing baseball.
One of the worst things in the world: getting a skull fracture from Rob Dibble after he launched a ball at your cranium out of an outbreak of insanely violent rage.
This picture makes me laugh.

Recently, while looking at my old WordPress site, I noticed that I had a “blogroll” all my favourite bloggers posted at screen right for all of my readers to see.
Among the short list was my friend Tripp Crosby.
I had forgotten that he “blogs” – so I was excited to check out his page.

I guess it has been awhile since his last post.
That’s cool – he’s busy doing stuff.
But out of his small pool of gems, one caught my eye – a post about a caricature of himself stood out.
Check out the artwork below.

As you can see, it looks exactly like him.
He challenged his readers to create one.
Here’s mine.

I know – it’s almost as if Tripp himself is staring into your soul.
But really, the thrust of this post was a comment that was on his blog.
It was so direct, specific and hard-hitting – I had to post it.

I don’t know who Cheap Bras is, but I agree.
I was aided about this issue, and I really wanted video clips coupled with this because it would help out.
And Tripp’s conclusion?
Wow.
Thanks, Tripp.
Keep blogging so I can direct my pals to your site.

]]> http://www.kevinkeigley.com/2012/04/20/tripp-crosby/feed/ 0 http://www.kevinkeigley.com/2012/04/16/tortured-artist/ http://www.kevinkeigley.com/2012/04/16/tortured-artist/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:13:18 +0000 Kevin http://www.kevinkeigley.com/?p=5761

We all know that artists tend to think differently.
It’s their unique vision that makes their craft so delightful.
Sometimes, not everyone appreciates your point of view – like the Chicago Police Department.

See if you can spot the artist in the video.

Do you have problems with being too close to your work?
If someone rejects your work, do you take it personally?
How have you dealt with this?

As of today, my family and I are debt-free.
My poor choices haunt us no more and I can’t begin to describe the elation in our home.
It has been quite a journey of sacrifice, maturity, discipline and some real lean times of operation.

To celebrate, we are buying mink coats and a walk-in humidor.

But seriously, have you beat debt?
How did you celebrate?

Just something I created to convey a little bit of truth.

What do you do when someone reeks of stale cigarette smoke?
You drench them with this friendly product.
Just look how well it will be accepted – you can judge this by the smiling and noxious woman in the photo.
(Also notice that this is another product proudly made in the U.S.A.)

For more Bottom of the Barrel, click here.