Networking In America

Networking is a big part of making a brand become successful. “Professional growth depends on networking, and should be viewed as an important part of your branding strategy” (http://www.business2community.com/branding/5-ways-networking-can-help-personal-brand-0899167#!bDDBwZ). In the fifth episode of "How To Make It In America", Cam and Ben show a variety of ways to network. First of all, they play basketball with a group of guys that could potentially be customers. Cam and Ben also notice an old friend in the street that is involved in the fashion industry. Cam, being the confident person he is, yells to their friend and there three men start talking. The man says how he is busy but Cam keeps akin if he wants to grab a coffee and give him and Ben tips for their brand. Their friend finally gives in. While the three men are talking, Cam and Ben’s friend says he knows a buyer from Japan who is in town for a little while. He says how he can set Cam and Ben up for a meeting with him. This is good because Cam and Ben have networked and are now creating new relationships with possible business partners. As the episode continues it is time for the meeting with the buyer. Cam shows up all alone at first and this is where he makes his first mistake. Instead of walking into the office and making himself stand out he just sits down like the rest of the people waiting. “The more unique your approach is, the better chance you have of catching the eye of potential customers” (http://www.knockoutwords.com/5-ways-you-can-make-your-brand-stand-out/). Cam should've grabbed their business cards and he should've stayed standing. If he stayed standing this would have made him stand out from everyone else. Another mistake that both Cam and Ben made was that they only had one sample. All the other designers in the office had racks of clothing. They should have provided more for the buyer to see however, when Cam and Ben leave the buyer notices Ben’s shirt. He loves the look of it and how it is has an antique feeling. Ben says how he made it himself in high school. This shows that sometimes the simple things are the best for a business. “A simple idea behind a creative output is much easier to grasp and retain than a collection of complex ideas” (More Than A Name). Cam and Ben are then asked to make 300 shirts and that is where Cam and Ben take the next step for their brand.