During a recent visit to Philadelphia I had the opportunity to spend some time on the Ben Franklin Parkway where there are several amazing sites, including this magnificent statue of George Washington. When walking around this giant piece of work about this giant of a man, I realized that the case could be made that he was an early adopter of what it means to be a brand champion.
Today Barack Obama gets a lot of play on blogs like this one for being a brand champion and understanding that a sustainable brand is based on mission, core values and stakeholder engagement. But, Washington did much the same in his day. He realized that as the President of the United States, he was also serving as brand manager for the nation. How he led, the decisions he made, those he surrounded himself with would affect the image and reputation of the brand.
We can learn much about how to be an effective brand champion by understanding George Washington. We can also learn a lot about brand management from another US President named George, but that is for another day. Today, I salute you George Washington, as an early adopter of what it means to be a brand champion.
Some people who are my brand champions think I have a similar leadership style. Is it because we are both pisces, or because they think I look good on a horse?
Rex Whisman
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