🔌 Using brand differentiation to launch a new brand

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👋🏾 Friends! This one is juicy 😋 This week we’re talking about :

• Just how strong is LeBron’s brand power? 🔋

• Nostalgia is making a comeback (again) 📺

• Emo vibes from Willow for your Saturday 🎵

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🥰 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ROKU 🥰

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📣 THE MANIFESTO 📣

These are the House Rules! Get into it.
And when you’re ready…memorize it so you know its real!

I AM A STRAIGHT UP ORIGINAL™.

I am unapologetic in my beliefs and obedient to my gifts.

I do everything with intention because I am passionate about my assignment.

I cannot stand cookie cutter…I value MY story. 

And I do not ask permission.

I control my own narrative.

🔋 BRAND POWER 🔋

So LeBron and his son, Bronny, played their first NBA game together this week, and apparently the word of the week is…nepotism 👀

Well, question. Is it nepotism or is it brand building??

Who gives af because I sure don’t!

What I see when I look at LeBron + Bronny tugs on the heart strings. But especially because of the type of man that LeBron has turned out to be, 21 years after he entered the league.

Now I’m not the biggest sports gworl so I’m not bout to debate on who’s the GOAT or when LeBron should retire or any of that. But lemme concentrate on what I do know…

LeBron is a businessman.

A billionaire businessman to be exact, with a production company, an elementary school in his hometown of Akron, OH, and a handful of large scale investments.

LeBron is also a brand, and because of his level of talent, he’s actually been a brand since he was in his teens. (He’ll turn 40  years old at the end of this year.)

As a professional athlete, you don’t get to where he’s gotten outside of sports without a focus on legacy. And what’s special about Bronny and him is, he gets the opportunity to assist his son in creating his own brand.

A legacy outside of his own.

Remember how Shaboozey absolutely bodied his rollout after Beyonce introduced him to her audience?

Bronny gets to do the same (over time), with a leg up from one of the greatest basketball players to ever do it.

And here’s how we know LeBron has his eyes on the brand play:

LeBron has done this before.

He brought his closest homies on this journey with him, allowing them to build a career side-by-side with his.

He hired young, dedicated go-getters like Rich Paul to help him fulfill his dreams — now Rich is owner of Klutch Sports Group and one of the biggest sports agents in the NBA.

Maverick Carter, who played ball with LeBron back in Akron, has managed him for the past 18 years, and handles all of his brand partnerships and co-executive produces many of their SpringHill Entertainment projects.

If you’ve been paying attention, you’d see that this is all very on brand for LeBron.

So no, it’s not nepotism…it’s essentially the Halo Effect. And LeBron is damn good at it. 

As long as you’re an A player, his brand can elevate yours. And he’s happy to do it.

So will Bronny turn out to have a stellar career and prove all the naysayers wrong?

Who knows 🤷🏾‍♀️.

But this is almost more about LeBron than Bronny, because if you look at his track record, he’s been an excellent judge at who can handle the light from his shine and use it to create their own spotlight.

And the genius move that he’s done, is added a new brand to the mix: not his and not Bronny’s, but the two of them together. 

The NBA’s very first father/son duo.

Wanna know how I know the brand of it all is on LeBron’s mind too??

This video.

You’d be forgiven if you thought it was a commercial. But nope, just LeBron thinking ahead of the game. (No pun intended.)

The inherent brand differentiation (only father/son duo) is enough for this new brand to stand on its own. But knowing LeBron, there will be a lot more to come.

Some people are gonna hate.

Some people are gonna be intrigued.

And some companies are gonna want to pay up to leverage all of that attention, no matter what side the eyes fall on.

Now that’s brand power!

📺 NOSTALGIA IN THE NEWS 📺

Nostalgia is everywhere nowadays. Let’s talk about it! Here’s where we saw some brands using the nostalgia hack this week.

• Nelly is bringing back Apple Bottoms Jeans brand. Who else remembers when Oprah had AppleBottoms on her Favorite Things list?? 🙋🏾‍♀️

• Megan Thee Stallion’s latest album Megan II pays homage to Pen and Pixel, the iconic Houston graphic designers behind the No Limit and Cash Money album covers. And the first video, Bigger in Texas is straight up Southern 90s rap. LOVE!!

🔥 YOU’VE GOTTA SEE THIS 🔥

A clip that made the rounds this week that you must take with you on your journey.

The power of delusion is REAL. All the successful folks say so 😂 

Press play ▶️

keke

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TLDR : Act as if.

🎵 ISSA VIBE 🎵

If you’re gonna be coming up with dope ass ideas and strategies, you’re gonna need some dope ass music to inspire you! Here’s a tune that I’ve got on replay this week.

Willow is all grown up now and I gotta say…when I’m in my jazz bag,
this is the album I reach for 👇🏾

Can you really build a brand system centered around YOU?
Yep, sure can. Grab a free consult with me here and let’s talk about it!

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