When it comes to those glittering celebrities that we love - or loathe - to admire, we often think of their personal dramas and, let's face it, the slight jealousy of "look how easy they've got it".
That's probably a valid point you have, but they're also brands and sometimes their brand development is a lot like the process your company could need...
It's reported that David Beckham - ex-England football captain - earned £7.5m a day exploiting 'Brand Beckham' in 2013 and that together, he and his wife, Victoria, have amassed a £210 million fortune [source].
What does that have to do with you? Brands can be as big as David Beckham, Pepsi or Apple, but they also can be just as important to small businesses.
Brand development can be swept under the carpet, avoided or ignored by companies, because it "costs too much", "takes up too much time" or "adds no value for the effort required".
With those opinions in mind, we could take you down the path of explaining brand development, what it costs and how it works, but we're going to give you examples, of the celebrity type as to why brand IS important.
1. Sometimes you need to reinvent yourself
Chris Pratt was a virtual unknown as recently as January 2015. Since Jurassic World's release, however, his star has rocketed. This isn't necessarily about Chris' fame though, it's about his personal reinvention.
Although little is known about Pratt in the UK, he was well known for playing Andy on NBC's Parks and Recreation, currently showing on Netflix. He has underwent huge weight gains and losses and admits himself that his recent weight loss to star in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy led him to the leading role in Jurassic World:
"A huge part of how my career has shifted is based on the way that I look, on the way that I’ve shaped my body to look." [Source: BBC Radio 4 - "Front Row"]
Now we're not saying you need to shed or gain weight, but brand development can be about reinvention. Whether it's your service offering or how you present that, brands can become outdated, not least with the evolving technologies in our world today. Be aware that brands need adapting or a complete start over, if you're no longer doing the services your brand offers, your audience has changed - learn about buyer personas - or the times have meant you're previous brand is hindering rather than helping you.
Video thanks to Universal Pictures / YouTube - source.
2. Don't forget your background or roots
When the originally poorly-received Wet Hot American Summer hit cinemas in 2001, its stars were more or less completely unknown. For years the people behind the film, based on the last day of a US summer camp for teens, have tried to make a prequel TV series and amazingly they finally achieved it as it went live on Netflix this summer.
Somewhat unbelievably, the heavily criticised film actually featured a number of stars that would become complete A-listers and the TV series managed to bring all of those faces back together!
Stars like Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler all returned to reprise their roles, proving that remembering where you come from can be worthwhile - the TV series is somewhat of a hit!
When it comes to business, remember how you started and we all know that sometimes we need to rely on others, so thank those that help you on your way up and, as with all things, don't become too big for your boots.
Video thanks to Netflix / YouTube - source.
3. Your company relies on you to be a great person
The late great Robin Williams has always been referred to as a star, even when his career arguably dwindled in his final years. When his surprise death was announced in 2014, the one thing that shone through was how his personality had never changed. The announcement that one of his much-loved feature films, Jumanji, is to be remade for 2016, was met with a backlash - how could Robin be replaced?
Ensuring that your personality and attitude to business and the people you meet has a HUGE impact on your business itself. Don't lose business by not following through on promises, making dramatic statements or generally not reflecting a positive business demeanor in your day to day dealings. It's. Not. Worth. It.
Video thanks to Video Detective / YouTube - source.
4. Be adaptable and forward thinking
Arnie Schwarzenegger has been a Hollywood star for so long, it's impressive that he has totally nailed Snapchat!
The star has become known for his love of Snapchat, but he is also not a stranger to pulling pranks, as this great YouTube video (below) shows, as he advertised his new blockbuster, Terminator Genisys.
68-year-old Arnold has been an actor, model, producer, director, activist, businessman, investor, writer, philanthropist, former professional bodybuilder, and politician over the years, including two terms as Californian Governor!
Take a hint from the Terminator franchise star and ensure that your business remains adaptable and forward-thinking. You don't have to adopt every new term, method and software, but embrace the idea of them. Find out if there are services, products and people out there who can do things - which you previously couldn't - to improve your business!
Video thanks to Australian and World News / YouTube - source.
5. Awards and accolades - lots or few of them - don't make or break you
It's kind of cliche, almost, to include Leonardo DiCaprio's lack of Oscar wins on a list about Hollywood, but we are doing it anyway.
In many industries, there is a lot of importance on reputation and we want to make the point that reputation is not made by awards and accolades. Reputations are formed on the level of your work, your service and your the attitude of all of your customer facing team.
If you need further evidence that such things don't matter, look at Leonardo's most popular films - they're all in recent years and there is still no sign (somewhat sadly) of an Oscar win in sight.
Video thanks to Movieclips Trailers / YouTube - source.
What's next?
OK, so perhaps Chris Pratt isn't going to make your company into one that has a multi-million turnover, but having the guts to admit you might have been in the game so long that your brand no longer represents you, could be a game changer.
