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I haven't seen Sex and the City 2 yet. But I know that when I do, I'll not only be watching Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte talk about their relationships (and the super gorgeous Aiden re-surfacing in Carrie's life), I'll also be faced with a parade of brands that have worked hard to become associated with the movie.
 
I'm talking about the likes of shoe designer Christian Louboutin, fashion legend Halston and even technology company HP. The same goes for most movies these days. I went to see Iron Man 2 this week and couldn't help but notice the strategically placed inclusions of Audi (Iron Man's car), Oracle (lots of signage) and Jaeger (Iron Man's dress watch).

Of course, these brands seek out opportunities to become involved with franchises that they perceive to be hip or cool or popular, or whatever positive characteristic it is they want to emulate. It's the same concept as hanging out with the cool kids at school. You think that some of their coolness is going to rub off and that other people will think you're cool by association.

In fact, it's a strategy that's adopted by many entrepreneurs and career climbers. You've heard the advice from career books and self-help tomes:

"Hang out with people you want to be like."
"Dress like your boss – or at least in a way that your boss would approve/admire."
"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with."

I do agree with some of the above ideas, but they should come with a warning. Associating with people or organisations just because they seem stylish/successful/smart/whatever isn't going to automatically make you stylish/successful/smart. If you don't acquire the qualities that you admire in those people or organisations in a hurry, it won't be long before others will see through your ruse. So what should you do?


Make sure you're hanging out with the right people
Remember that all that glitters is not gold. So make sure you are clear on who you are looking to as role models. After all, I'm sure you know many cool kids at school who did not turn out to be cool or successful at all later in life. So you need to clearly focus on why you find an organisation or individual appealing. Look beyond the surface and see if they are truly living a life that you admire.


Study how they got there
I don't mean shadowing them to the point where you're exhibiting stalker behaviour. But learn from them – be active about it. Figure out the steps they took to get to where they are today. It might seem like success comes so easily to them and they might appear like they are super smart or savvy
about issues that you want to master. But this may have been the result of
thousands of hours of hard work or learning. Find out what it took to get
them where they are today, decide whether you're willing to do the same
or equivalent, then ... just do it.

If you don't put in the hard yards, then your "style/success/smarts by
association" is only going to go so far. However, you CAN take a
shortcut – that is, you can skip the trial-and-error by getting advice
directly from the person who possesses the success you're striving for.


Share your knowledge and be generous
It's all about karma isn't it? You give some and you take some. If you're going to benefit from someone else's experience, if you're hoping that some of their success is going to "rub off" on you, then you should also pass it on to others. When you get selfish about this kind of thing, that's when it will start to unravel. Give generously – and the benefits will come back to you tenfold.

So what does that mean? Be generous with your advice, sharing your experience and helping people in the same way that you've been helped. That doesn't mean that you let people take advantage of you or that people should expect you to give away your services for free. It means having a generosity of spirit that is not only appreciated, it's reciprocated – and rewarded in unexpected ways.


Be authentic
This is about being yourself. I feel sad when I see people attempt the "style/success/smarts by association" approach and then promptly turn themselves into clones of the people they are trying to emulate. You should definitely learn from these people but have the confidence to stamp your own mark in the world. Be true to your values, your tastes and beliefs. People will respect you more and, most importantly, you'll respect yourself.

Ultimately, when you are determining the "product placement" strategy with your own brand, do your due diligence on who you want to be associated with. And be strategic, subtle – and real.

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