The Steve Jobs brand legacy

The former CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, was seen by many as a visionary, an inspiration and the reason we can access certain technologies the way we do today. The Steve Jobs personal brand is massive and well-loved. Why?

Jobs personified many of the personal brand attributes that we tend to find most attractive. He stood for something bigger than himself, and despite humble beginnings (he was a college drop-out), he went on to create a legacy that will live on, even though he is no longer here.

He forged a niche where nobody else had gone, declaring that his philosophy was about creating products at "the intersection of art and technology". He truly lived his personal brand values, even though they were not "mainstream".

Despite various career setbacks (he was ousted by Apple in 1985 before returning to get the flailing company back on track in 1997), he persevered, creating Pixar (which in turn created the world's first computer-animated film, Toy Story) and eventually turning Apple into one of the world's most valuable and highly respected companies.

There are many valuable personal branding and marketing lessons we can take from Steve Jobs. Here are just a few:

• Insist on excellence in your area of expertise.
• Be consistent (even down to his trademark look of Levi jeans, New Balance shoes and black turtleneck shirts, Jobs was always consistent).
• Don't be afraid to take a stand for what you believe.
• Don't dwell too long on past successes - keep looking for new ways to innovate.
• Love what you do - passion is your brand's fuel.