Brandbite #18 Will the real brand leaders please stand? Do you have the right stuff to champion a great brand through good times and bad, with leadership changes, and radical shifts in the marketplace? If you look at the home-run brands, you'll see common threads in the minds behind these stellar icons. These brand builders are creative and fearless and understand the brand is the sum of the entity’s behavior, communication, and every touch point. A true brand leader:   ·Commits to building and breathing creative cultures.   ·Believes no risk, no brand.   ·Knows failure is a temporary state and always has an upside.   ·Walks the brand talk, every day, in every way. They break molds, pioneer innovative solutions, and create new and sometimes uncommon categories. They are not bound by the past, idea resistance fires them up, and they are open to all possibilities. They also:   ·Provide creativity exercises and inspiring environments for team members.   ·Encourage team expression through sound-off blogs and or venting walls of ideas.   ·Share stories with team members about company risk, reward, and setbacks.   ·Lead by the brand example on all points of communication. Recommended read. My pal Joe Calloway, a great business thinker and doer, just released his new book, Indispensable, How to Become the Company that your Customers Can't Live Without (Wiley 2005). Great insight from many real brand champions. Public events. Brain Tattoo in New York city, August 17. Karen will be speaking in the big apple on August 17. The session is open to the public. For more information visit www.brandtrainers.com. Brain Tattoo in Chicago, September 8. Karen will speak at The New Paradigm Breakfast produced by Mobium and BIGfrontier on September 8. Starting at 7:15-9:15 AM, join other Chicago business, marketing and technology professionals at Merchandise Mart Conference Room. The event is part of The BIG Idea Breakfast Series and is FREE. However, you must sign up. For more information visit www.bigfrontier.org or call Katy at (312) 238-9308. Brand Manage Camp set for November 3 in Philly. Karen will be a featured speaker at Brand Manage Camp 2005. Now in its third year running, this conference provides brand management professionals; an opportunity to be immersed in two exciting, enlightening days that will leave you inspired, educated and energized to return a stronger marketer, a more dynamic leader, and better able to grow your brands! Don't miss Karen's program — Free Your Next Big Idea: Brain Tattoo with Brilliance and Renewed Creativity. For more information visit www.brandmanagecamp.com. Brand on!

Karen Post helps organizations and professionals prosper with a powerful brand. She is a 20-year branding enthusiast, professional speaker, and author of Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands that Stick to Customers' Minds. If you’d like to learn more about branding, read her monthly column at Fastcompany.com and visit www.brandingdiva.com. You may also call her at 813.250.1730.