#5: 6 strategies Andy Warhol used to become the original personal brand
If you didn't know; Andy Warhol was more than the pioneer of Pop Art; he was also the master of the personal brand.
Over the course of his career, Andy became his art. He discovered the creative power of his fame and toyed with his persona as if he were a living exhibit.
Back in 1982, his performance 'Andy Warhol eating a hamburger' was some new, some other kind of art! Only Andy could get away with it and he knew it.
Art is what you can get away with.
~ Andy Warhol
He played with his identity, created smart partnerships and became the living-breathing embodiment of a commercialised institution (before anyone understood that an artist even could be). In short, that quirky little man was one hell of a savvy entrepreneur.
This is what he did to create the ultimate personal brand:
Become your business brand
Andy branded himself to create a persona everyone could remember; his appearance, personal style and prophetic philosophy were part of a layered and curated mystique.
Market yourself uniquely
He used his influence and traded his fame; being paid for guest appearances at parties and modelling in commercials. He was an expert at leveraging public relations.
Be good at business
The empire Andy created lives on in a merchandising effort that competes with few except, maybe, Hello Kitty. He played at accidental, even awkward, success, but he was a high-minded strategist.
Expand your offering
Nothing was off-limits; Andy painted, drew, took photos, illustrated and designed logos. He never shied away from trying new things - he even made digital art on one of the early computers.
Be a rebel
If there were rules, Andy didn't care for them. He used bold colour and made art fun when the art of his era was serious and beige. He was self-directed, different and unexpected.
Document your journey
He documented his life in photos, videos, even recorded conversations; Andy was killing at social media decades before his time. This record of his art, work and life is his magnum opus.
Andy's brand is timeliness and ubiquitous; I bet he's looking down from The Factory in the sky totally tickled about it all. Andy became pop art and then he became the culture. A creator way ahead of his time.
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