We can’t have a conversation about the personal brands of famous Seattleites without talking about one of our most famous and beloved sports heroes, Ken Griffey Jr. Since the news broke that Griffey would be returning to the Seattle Mariners—after leaving us in 1999—a wave of elation has swept through the city.

What is it about #24 that has us so excited about his return? Pushing 40 and riddled with injuries, do we truly believe that he will make a strong contribution this season? Or is it the nostalgia for the good ole days of Mariners baseball that gives us a new sense of hope for the team–the days when every car with a Washington license plate had a “You Gotta Love These Guys” bumper sticker?

What do you think differentiates Ken Griffey Jr. from all the other famous Mariners and MLB players alike? What do you think he represents for Seattle—the heart of his personal brand?

-Hiley Spaet

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What does President Obama and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan see in King County Executive Ron Sims?  The same thing we see. 

 A big part of Ron’s appeal in consensus-oriented, squeaky clean Seattle can be characterized by the old software term WYSIWYG – the ‘what you see is what you get’ factor, lacking in so many politicians today (although you could argue that the anti-Ron, disgraced ex- governor Blagojevich, is also easy enough to read that no one should have been surprised).   Sims is so high integrity that he kept his mouth shut extra tight before the announcement of his appointment, and managed to sound appropriately giddy when he got it.  So what else does the Ron Sims brand stand for?

·         New Guard  – he isn’t that young, sure, but he can learn new tricks.  He blogs!  He Twitters!    

·         Progressive – he actually has balanced environmentalism with growth, not just talked about it.   

·         Yet, practical – he is all about building partnerships. 

·         Gravitas – if you’ve felt that handshake you know he means business.  Solid as Mt. Solid there behind him in the picture. 

Hmm, so his brand sounds remarkably like both that of the President and of Seattle itself.  Could that be why we are also sending police chief R. Gil Kerlikowske to Washington to be the new Drug Czar and Governor Locke to head up commerce?  What these public officials do, unlike whoops – some other guys, is hone their stakeholder promises and then live them.  Just like any great brand. 

- Peggy Brown

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