His last name is impossible to spell, and not much easier to pronounce. His brand was synonymous with a Texas drawl, a swagger and smile women loved, and three words.
Yup, Matthew McConaughey was known for being charismatic and those three simple words: “Alright, alright, alright.”
But from a branding standpoint, he easily could’ve become “put in a box” (a problem for many companies I help), a plight many entertainers allow themselves to be (pigeonholed):
- So-and-so is an action hero.
- He or she is a comedian.
- He or she is a serious actor.
- He or she only does romantic comedies.
- He or she only plays dark, tormented characters, etc. etc.
It all comes down to this:
“If you don’t give the market the story to talk about, they’ll define your brand’s story for you.”
So how did Matthew advance from that heartthrob actor to change the narrative of his brand?
HE DIDN’T CONFUSE THE START OF THE CONVERSATION WITH THE SUBSTANCE OF THE NEXT CHAPTER OF HIS BRAND.
What Matthew McConaughey Knew: The Start Isn’t The Finish
“Alright, alright, alright” was the hook. The headline. The start that people could remember.
Too many people and brands confuse the hook with their brand.
Matthew wasn’t oblivious. He said, “I got to feeling like, for a few years, I was doing something that I liked to do with romantic and action comedies. But believe me, I noticed there were other things that were not coming in.”
He knew his “soundbite” did three things:
- It got attention,
- Got eyeballs,
- And was memorable.
That enabled him to start talking about other points he wanted to talk about and writing his bestselling memoir, Greenlights.
If McConaughey can do it, so can you.
Having money to do was NOT the barrier. IT WAS KNOWING HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS EXACT SEQUENCE.
Trust me. You REALLY can do this.
And in my experience, we each really need to ensure we’re NOT put in a box that controls our brand story. And our destiny.
