You know the answer to that.

You’re not.  And you should.  We all should.

And to achieve successful branding we need to be able to differentiate our brand from all the other brands out there.

Why do you think you never see Christianne Amanpour interviewing a group of, say, automakers, from Detroit? Because that’s not her brand. She’s created a name for herself in exploring and analyzing the issues behind international hot spots like the Middle East.  Or you might see her donning a burka to covertly explore tormented and male dominated society in Afghanistan.

Why do you think Martha Stewart‘s version of The Apprentice took a nose dive?  Because Martha Stewart is not usually thought of in a board room making decisions.  She’s thought of baking the best and most beautiful cherry pies.  Or picking a soft, signature color for a living room.  That’s why her association with KB Homes works.  Because people can see Martha and her expertise in that setting.  Martha Stewart may be a mogul, but people don’t perceive her that way.  Because that’s not her brand.

To examine branding a little more closely let’s take a look at food conglomerate Kraft Foods which sells hundreds of different food items in 155 countries.  Everything from A1 Steak sauce to Jello, Planters Peanuts, Velveeta and Wheat Thins.

Ok. A little further down that food chain, General Foods International is a subdivision of Kraft Foods and it produces several different flavors of instant coffee, everything from Cafe Vienna, Dark Mayan Chocolate, Hazlenut Belgian, Orange Cappuccino and Pumpkin Spice to Viennese Chocolate Cafe.  Not much chance of mistaking Dark Mayan Chocolate with Pumpkin Spice, right?

And it should be the same with each of us.  Our potential audience, customers or clientele should know instantly whether we are Dark Mayan Chocolate or Pumpkin Spice, metaphorically speaking.

For instance, I operate a number of websites, one of which is called AdvancingWomen.com.  It deals with with career and financial parity for women by electronically mentoring them so they have the tools and training to get better jobs or start their own businesses.  Occasionally we mention women running for political office, because, research shows, women legislators will pass laws more supportive of women. Fighting for equal pay would be one example.  No one on the web confuses AdvancingWomen.com with a dating site.  No one goes there for gossip or make-up tips.  We are what we are.  And people know what we are.  We may have a small slice of a large pie, but we do have a slice.  We don’t aim to gobble up the whole pie and lose even our slice in the food fight that follows.  As Esther Dyson, venture capitalist and digital guru said, “More companies die from indigestion than starvation.”  In other words, they take on too much and flame out or stumble down trying to handle it all.

So the bottom line is: Look deep inside yourself and decide who you are.  Narrow your focus.  Concentrate on that. That will be “Brand You”. Broadcast that and you will succeed.