Brand 2.0 Cardz, originally uploaded by Hajj Flemings.

I officially launched Brand 2.0 Cardz the revolutionary business cards designed to integrate the digital and human elements of your personal brand. The concept was first presented at the Brand Camp University Conference in Southfield, MI on 09/27/08.  For more information about Brand 2.0 Cardz read my blog post.

You live in a 2.0 world and your marketing assets should too.

Order your customized full-color double-sided business cards today starting at $75.

Brand 2.0 Business Card, originally uploaded by Hajj Flemings.

We live in a 2.0 world. Resumes have transformed from 1.0 to 2.0 people are developing online profiles on Linkedin. Web presence have transformed from 1.0 to 2.0, social networks are being used to hire and promote jobs. Business cards are typically the first printed marketing material for a personal brand, which most people still default to the 1.0 version. My question to you is why? Why in the world would you create marketing materials that are 1.0 when you operate within a 2.0 space?

What Brand 2.0 Cards Should Do
o Promote your personal brand.
o Spark or continue the conversation about you when you are not in the room or after the event.
o Create brand evangelist for your personal brand.
o Drive online traffic and create digital relationships with you?

Brand 2.0 Card Elements
o Avatar (Global ID): Should be consistent with your social networks.

I greatly respect the Marketing Genius of Seth Godin, but I disagree with a statement from his blog post, Business Card Mistakes about not using your photos on business cards. Are there exceptions to this rule, of course there are? You could work in an industry where this is an issue.

o List your top social networks: List the top 2 or 3 that you spent the most time in.
o Personal Brand Name: Should be consistent with your social networks (i.e. www.twitter.com/HajjFlemings)
o Personal Brand Cloud: Should identify who you are, a single title doesn’t always communicate that.
o Blog URL: Promote your blog the place where you communicate your ideas and establish your authority.
o Twitter Address: Not required but strongly recommended. It should be a part of your business strategy and be included.
o Brand Colors: Should be consistent with your blog and other printed materials.
o Logo: Include a clear image of your logo, please make sure there are no white boxes.

For the marketing geniuses who will look at my Brand 2.0 card and say he forgot his fax number I did it on purpose. The frequency of use didn’t justify the usage of space. If it is critical to your business by all means add it.

Additional Thoughts
o Be Creative: If you need a creative idea use ‘Brand Camp U. Business Card Lab’
o Be Relevant: Your business card should be relevant to your industry. I am a personal brand strategist so my card creatively speaks to who I am.
o Be Remarkable: Do something that makes you stand out in a positive way.
o Quality: Paper stock is important, please do not print your cards from your ink jet print.

Your Brand DNA should be communicated
o Personality- Your personality should be tied into the card (i.e. Branded Since 1971.)
o If you are environmentally conscience- Your cards should be consistent with your core values (i.e. use w/soy inks or recyclable paper for example).

Notes to all Students
o I strongly recommend that you create a Brand 2.0 Card (business card) for job fairs you attend or internships you apply for. You will standout in the mind of your recruiters.

Creative Resource for Brand 2.0: Brand Camp U. Creative Business Card Lab

I realize most people need a catalyst when it comes to inspiration or creativity. You might be a one-person operation with no marketing budget. I have created the ‘Brand Camp U. Business Card Lab’ it is a Flickr group where anyone can upload their business cards for others to get creative ideas. Use it as your online design resource and share with others.

I recently watched a commercial entitled ‘When You Let Everyone Play…Nobody Wins’ by ‘The Ladders’ which is an online job search provider for $100K+ jobs. The commercial embodied a topic that I planned to write on for a while that I term, ‘Maximum Capacity’. The video is a scene of a tennis match that is soon flooded with amateurs/people so that no one stands out. Have you ever felt in life and at work that it is impossible to stand out it the crowd? This video is funny but it is very real and very true. With the changing job market, downsizing, and outsourcing we all at times feel like we are stuck. There are more than 6.5 billion people on the planet and you are a mouse click away from your farthest competitor, so how do you stand out?

Personal branding is the new human capital, I will be developing a series of blog post on this topic covering the following content:

o Human Connections (Relationships)
o What’s my Human Capital?
o Your brand story

I will talk about how to develop your personal brand to increase your new human capital.
Are you ready to stand out?

This year’s Cinderella team is lead by the tournament’s most impressive player, Stephen Curry. He has had a ridiculous tournament, scoring 30, 40, and 33 points respectively. The ‘Curry Powered’ Davidson team has added flavor to the tournament. Their basketball program was virtually unknown nationally prior to March Madness, but the team’s incredible run has spiced up the month of March.

Now, the nation is watching. LeBron James was in attendance (near the Davidson section) at the Sweet Sixteen games in Detroit. Ironically, many of the Davidson fans were wearing the Nike, ‘I am a Witness’ t-shirt. As a fan at Ford Field Friday night, I sported my Davidson t-shirt and watched in amazement as the brand story of Stephen Curry unfolds.

Every personal brand has a story and Stephen Curry is no different. He started out as the son of a NBA sharpshooter and volleyball mom who was overlooked by major D-1 basketball programs and now he is the ambassador of the ‘The Davidson’ brand. As a personal brand Stephen Curry has put his permanent stamp on the Davidson basketball program, the NCAA, and college sports. Stephen Curry is one of four college players to ever score 30-points or more in their first four NCAA tournament games (including last years game against Maryland).

How far will the ‘Curry Powered’ Davidson Cats go? Only time will tell….

To Stephen, keep shooting the lights out and destroying NCAA brackets!!!

Stephen Curry Originally uploaded by j_visser