In one of the many online tributes to the great Elizabeth Taylor, one writer noted that the actress never would have been seen running around town in a T-shirt and jeans, or without makeup, or without looking “anything less than Elizabeth Taylor.”
Whether that commitment to full-time glamour was her natural choice or a result of her rearing by MGM, Elizabeth Taylor was, without a doubt, a movie star. Maybe the last true movie star. And perhaps, as USA Today wondered, “The Biggest Star Ever?”
Of course, “being a movie star” was only part of what she achieved as an artist and a human being, but her dedication to playing that particular role so completely speaks to her awareness of the importance of branding.
She understood that her audience had expectations, and that part of her job as an actress – and one of the keys to her long-term success - was to fulfill those expectations, even when she was off the clock.
How indelible is her personal brand? The most memorable images of Miss Taylor were created 50 and 60 years ago, yet they’re just as alluring and exciting and beautiful now as the day they were made. In fact, they’re the images that still define Elizabeth Taylor for so many of us today.
How do you want your company defined? As one that displays an uncompromising commitment to customer service? As a manufacturer of innovative products of unquestioned quality? There are a lot of marketing directors who would like their companies branded with those phrases. But are you willing to define and fulfill your audience’s expectations? Are you willing to do what it takes to be “the biggest star ever” in your industry? And are you willing to settle for nothing less than “Elizabeth Taylor”?
In one of the many online tributes to the great Elizabeth Taylor, one writer noted that the actress never would have been seen running around town in a T-shirt and jeans, or without makeup, or without looking “anything less than Elizabeth Taylor.”
