SelfBrand Strategy IX. The Heir

Lauren Bush Lauren

The Heir
Lauren Bush Lauren

Having a certain breeding or heritage can be a strong selling point. Think French cuisine, Swiss watches, German engineering, Belgian chocolates, Russian vodka, or Persian rugs. The fact that Veuve Clicquot is from the Champagne region of France gives it authenticity because of its special heritage. Its heritage gives it cache and social capital that creates branding magic.

If your last name is Bush, Kennedy, or Rockefeller, you have not only the money but a special heritage that is personal brand heaven in terms of the leverage it gives you. Offspring with a family-name brand are often able to start out at third base while the rest of us have to begin at home plate. Even if your name doesn't appear in the social register, you could leverage the special heritage strategy through national origin, a prestigious school, apprenticeship in a well-regarded training program, or a stint at a well-known company.

The Heir Personality

Stolichnaya Vodka

The Heir Brand

Heirs are people who are good at tapping into the positive advantages of their heritage. You have a strong sense of identity with your heritage and use your connections and credentials to propel your career identity. You like traditions and are conservative in some aspects. You like to think about the past and the good old days, and sometimes connect with your past through retrospection. You are proud of your background, whether it's your superior family, education or training programs, and can judge others negatively who don't have your heritage, breeding and connections.

Most of the time you:

  • Know where you stand and what you want
  • Have a strong sense of identity

But sometimes you:

  • Think too much about your past
  • Try too hard to prove yourself

Generally people see you as:

  • Traditional and conservative
  • Being proud of your heritage and connections
  • Having strong credentials

But you can:

  • Reminisce too much about your past
  • Judge people based on their socio-economic status
  • Rely too much on credentials

How to Execute the Heir Strategy

See You Are a Brand, p. 67 - 69 for ideas, examples and exercises on how to execute the heir strategy. You must be able to fill in the blank in the statement:

Heir, or Heritage Positioning: You're the best because of your __________ heritage.