Africans Are Building Their Unique Brand

[williamjackson]

Africans are Building Their Unique Brand Part I
William Jackson, M.Edu.
Edward Waters College
@wmjackson #MyQuestToTeach



In today's global economy and sharing of content
Africans cannot allow others to Brand them nor
tell their story. Africa is known as the cradle
of civilization so the diversity of people of
color and culture is representive of the world
around us.

Africans in business, education, commerce,
entreprenurialism and The Arts are learning the
value of Branding themselves. Far to long
because of ignorance Africans have allowed
others to create Brands that do not represent the
greatness of African people, African culture, the
diversity of color and the importance of
history and heritage. Africa is awakening with the
aid of technology to spread it's diverse voice in
a new century of technology empowerment and engagement.

Africans for centuries have a legacy of culture,
creative innovation and invention. How the world
views Africa is important, Africans are learning the
world needs to see African society beyond skin tones,
hair styles, wild life, safari, and accept the
intelligence and growth potential of Africa.

This is why African Brands are growing in importance
to help define outside of visual and cultural perceptions.
Africa for years has been Branded and stereotyped
by a mass media that only wanted to define a people
that could not define themselves. To tell an
incomplete and inaccurate story that only sees or
tells inaccurate innuendo and false/half truths seeking
to show Africans as uneducated, divided and lawless savages.
The media does not show the cultural splendor, the economic
growth, the investment potentials in new markets that
the world is only discovering.

Because technology is unifying African people others
around the world can no longer take advantage of African
innocence and ignorance, Africans for years have
fought hard to change the world perceptions from the
indignity of slavery to European colonization and even
American/European companies raping and stealing natural
resources from the African people and continent.

Africans are fighting for financial independence to
rebuild their nations, they are striving for global
respect and recognition too show their continued and
transformative contributions across their individual
nations and their continent can positively contribute
to the global economy.

There are growing technology, social media, scientific,
educational and cultural conferences, workshops, seminars
and other learning platforms that are allowing Africans
to relearn their history as an empire of intellectual
expansion, international commerce, philosophy, medical
science and cultural tolerance.

Africans are quickly learning they do not have to compete
against others because the world will come to them to trade,
and collaborate. The Brand of Africa should continuously
be modified and adapted for growth and a paradym shift in
perceptions and reality that Africa is a global player
in multiple areas of commerce and technology.

This is a multi-part blog focusing on Social Media,
technological, scientific and medical achievements
and accomplishments. Africa has a dynamic and rich
history outside of cultural and color.

Part 2 Suggestions for African Branding

[williamjackson]

Africans are Building Their Unique Brand Part II


Suggestions for African Branding:
1. Africans personal Brands should be self reflective of their
goals in business, commerce, education and entreprenuialism
What markets do they want to enter into or expand to should
enter into their Brand building.

2. African Branding should include what they want societies
local, national and international to see.
Planned work goes into building a Brand, it allows for
reflection and adaption to changing needs and what is available to offer.

3. African strengths are in the potential to grow, to extend
out of the box of conventional imagination. The mind set must
change as the demands and imaginations of Africans change.
Innovation Innovation Innovation

4. Africans are finding their Brand is personal and leading
them on new journeys. It opens up additional questions:


Questions related to Brand growth.....
A. How do I want to expand?
B. How can I match a personal Brand to grow in to a
business brand.
C. How do I want Africans, Europeans, Americans and the
international markets to see me?
D.What makes me unique as an African?
E.My Brand identity is important why?
F.How can I collaborate with to expand my Brand?
G. What technologies are available that I can integrate to
share/spread my Brand?


Asking, then answering are foundations to building a strong
and influential Brand. Understanding your "Brand" how you present
yourself to others. Understanding your "Brand Identity" the
qualities that make you unique and different from others.
Africans must take the initiative to mentally grow in areas
not involved in and make academic growth by taking classes,
workshops, attend conferences and begin to network.
Africans that begin with a vision and start are already growing
in force so must see themselves as leaders. Vision is a start,
the journey allows them to envision themselves as growing
Presidents, Managers, Corporate Executives, Visionaries,
Chief Business Officers, Chief Brand Officers, Chief Engineers,
Social Media Visionaries, Chief Design Officers and the list
goes on.


Controlling your Brand helps you control how you are perceived
by others that want to partner with you and collaborate with you.
Perceptions manage the thinking of thinking people. Your
Brand can make you memorable, forgettable, nefarious or
notorious, the choice is yours.

[acme54321]

Splitting your post into two parts is a little spammy.

[williamjackson]

Strategies that can be used to build your unique African Brand Part III

How should you manage your Brand is the first order of the day,
Marketing your Brand is next and collaboration is the next step.
Africans must strategically work their Brands, it will be
the first impression that people with have and will create the
tone of how people will develop their perceptions.

Learn how to integrate additional technologies and platforms to
expand your Brand and learn how to implement new marketing ideas to
share. There is great value in attending conferences, workshops,
seminars and other learning experiences. Volunteer in your field
and continue to learn as the changes and adapts not just with
the technology aspect, but the people aspect too.

Strategies for your African Brand

1. You should be Authentic.
Have an expression of who you are
what you value.
what you want to accomplish should be more than just you.
How you should be remembered in the scheme of your Brand.
when people think, what associates you to their thinking
don't borrow, steal, imitate or emulate other Brands, you
must stand on your own.

2. You Should be memorable and genuine.
Think about your current reputation - is it favorable
to who you are?
Think about how your current friends and families would
describe your personality and expand beyond that.
Think about how popular you are and why.
Research what social media has about you, do a Google
and Hash Tag search.

3. Your Brand is influenced by your audience and where your
market is going.
How diverse is your audience.
What type of speech do you us to communicate with them?
How far does your influence travel?
Who are you connected to via Social Media platforms?
when in public, who do you hang with and what is their reputation
and E-reputation?

4. Changing and modifying your Brand may require you to change
and modify your associations with friends and even family.
Passion is important, because people should see, hear, and feel
your passion without you mentioning it.

Ask yourself:
1. What am I passionate about and can people see this passion in
my works not just in my face and words.
2. What are my values and do they follow my Brand?
3. What are my unique skills that can promote my Brand?
4. What is my current e-Perception e-Reputation, and e-Footprint?
5. How am I perceived by the local community and the world?
6. What do I need to do to grow past my current position?

Online Brand
A strong online presence is important. Increased universally,
diverse and multi-talented abilities are important.
Even in business you should have a Professional Learning Community
(PLC) for continued education. People want to see how your Brand
can add to their Brand through Brand Cohabitation, Brand Collaboration,
Brand Cohesion and Brand Connections.

Brand Maintenance
There is work in keeping your Brand strong by
Blogging, Podcasting, Community Activities,  Volunteering.
The list can grow and in growth there is strengthening your Brand
and visibility. There must be a Brand balance between in office
work and community volunteering.

Flexibility in Culture and Color
The work place is a representation of the world. If your
Brand cannot integrate diversity you will become stagnate and
loose touch with your customers and never connect with potential
customers. The color and culture of a potential partner should be
something that adds value and expansion into new markets.

Africans seeking global influences must have a big picture beyond
their border. There must be a plan, a goal, a vision and a mission
in some form to embrace the diveristy of the world.

Twitter  @wmjackson
Blogging at:
http://myquesttoteach.wordpress.com/
Email:
williamderekjackson@gmail.com