The term “branding” is often misunderstood by actors, not because it’s their fault, but because it’s bandied around by people who don’t actually understand the broader marketing principle it arises from.
Actors are often led to believe that their “brand” is something they have to dream up or figure out or choose out of a million possibilites. Or vice versa, they think they have an “implicit brand” that they just need to discover, and they set out on a mission to find out what it is but they’re never quite certain if they’ve found “it.” But that’s not how it works.
From a marketing perspective, there’s no way around having a brand or being branded. Like it or not. Although consummate and famous actors like Meryl Streep don’t all actively set out to brand themselves, the fact is they offer a brand. That brand is what makes them famous. They are like McDonald’s in that whether they are the best or not doesn’t matter…. audiences know (and like) what they will get when they go to see a movie that actor is in. With Meryl Streep, you know you will get a consummate performance of anything she does, and typically an accent of some sort. Some people like her and some people don’t.
