When you think of punk rockers, what comes to mind?
A bunch of strung out, skinny white kids rebelling against any and everything, all at once?
If so, take a look at Bad Brains, circa 1979.
In the 70s, most punk groups were what you think of: nihilism, drugs, bad leather clothes. Bad Brains were a group of African American kids from Washington, D.C. that started a band and nearly singlehandedly created a genre – hardcore punk.
They played fast – most of their songs were under 2 minutes long – yet they actually played their instruments, no simple three-chord stuff like other bands that have come and gone. They were energetic, aggressive, but not angry. They wore preppy clothes!
They weren’t trying to destroy anything.
The song above, “Attitude”, sounds as if they’re telling the world off, “I’ve got an attitude”. But check out the lyrics below to see what they’re really saying.
Don’t care what you may say
We got that attitude.
Don’t care what they may do
We got that attitude.
Hey, we got that PMA.
Hey we got the PMA.
Now, okay, they are saying they have an attitude – in fact, they have that attitude. But what attitude, and for that matter, what’s PMA?
Positive Mental Attitude.
Bad Brains defined a genre not just for what they did, the mechanics of their music, but as much for that attitude that they always displayed.
The members of Bad Brains were heavily influenced by the classic business and self-help book, “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. In later years, they became Rastafarian, and HR, the lead singer, is now a successful reggae artist.
Great, but how can that help my brand?
Your brand – whether it’s your product’s brand, your service’s brand, or your personal brand – is defined as much by what you do as how you do it.
Whole Foods sells all-natural food, is a leader in getting rid of plastic bags, and teaches people about food and healthy living on their site. Their good attitude is so well understood that I’ve heard of people starting write-in campaigns to bring one to their neighborhood.
There are countless personalities that have positive, helpful attitudes. Gary Vaynerchuk‘s attitude is phenomenally addictive, whether you’re a wine drinker or not. Chris Brogan is the epitome of helpful, both to businesses and people. Walt Ribeiro teaches the world how to play music.
A brand can even change their perception by changing their attitude. Comcast was the giant, evil, faceless monster until Frank came along (as @ComcastCares on Twitter).
Is what you’re doing different than the rest? Is your attitude elevating yourself above the fray at the same time?
Ask yourself: Do you have that attitude?
For more info on Bad Brains and early 80′s hardcore, check out American Hardcore.
