Robin Williams: The Brand
Bill Floyd
A powerful brand speaks to its constituents. It evokes emotion and stirs feeling. Robin Williams' untimely death did just that. Hardly one dimensional, he was a hilarious comic ("Cricket is basically baseball on valium.") but also had the gift of performing dramatic roles (Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting) that touched the soul. If his powerful brand wasn't apparent in his life, it certainly was in his death. People who knew him paid tribute, but just as impressive were those that had never met him but spoke as if they did. Obviously, he touched people far and wide and that's what a powerful brand does.
Of course Robin Williams was far more than a brand. By all reports he was a gentle, caring man, but he also was a facade that often masked his pain and insecurity. "Laughing on the outside..." I must admit to being one of his fans who like so many others, was stopped in my tracks by this news. It did however make me take some time to reflect.
All his fans will miss him but I can't help pondering what made him stand out and be so special amidst a sea of comedians and actors. He did with his "brand" what we all try to do with ours, make people really care about us. He turned on a switch and made folks so happy that they were devastated at his loss. I guess my conclusion is - to be special, you must really be SPECIAL. It can't be faked. It's really not that hard to see it when the emperor is wearing no clothes. Robin Williams was the real deal and people reacted to that.
Once asked what he hoped to find when he got to heaven he said - laughter. Paraphrased, he said, I hope when I meet God he starts off with, "Two Jews walk into a bar ...." That was Robin Williams. The genuine man with the powerful brand. He never mailed it in or pretended to be something he wasn't. And we "his customers" enthusiastically responded.
See some of Robin Williams best lines in our Worth A Smile Section.
Email us today: bfloyd@electricsmarts.com
Of course Robin Williams was far more than a brand. By all reports he was a gentle, caring man, but he also was a facade that often masked his pain and insecurity. "Laughing on the outside..." I must admit to being one of his fans who like so many others, was stopped in my tracks by this news. It did however make me take some time to reflect.
All his fans will miss him but I can't help pondering what made him stand out and be so special amidst a sea of comedians and actors. He did with his "brand" what we all try to do with ours, make people really care about us. He turned on a switch and made folks so happy that they were devastated at his loss. I guess my conclusion is - to be special, you must really be SPECIAL. It can't be faked. It's really not that hard to see it when the emperor is wearing no clothes. Robin Williams was the real deal and people reacted to that.
Once asked what he hoped to find when he got to heaven he said - laughter. Paraphrased, he said, I hope when I meet God he starts off with, "Two Jews walk into a bar ...." That was Robin Williams. The genuine man with the powerful brand. He never mailed it in or pretended to be something he wasn't. And we "his customers" enthusiastically responded.
See some of Robin Williams best lines in our Worth A Smile Section.
Email us today: bfloyd@electricsmarts.com
