How has Tim Tebow become a household name? His football skills? His college legacy? His religion?

Tim Tebow is more than a football player. He is more than a Gator alum, more than a Christian, more than a team member.

Tebow has woven himself into the hearts of people across the country in a cult-like fashion. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny the boy has made a name for himself. Now I am in no way a football expert. I am, however, a brand connoisseur, and Tim Tebow has become a brand.

On Sunday night, the Broncos win warranted Tim Tebow a new record- the most tweets per second about a topic. Following the win, there were 9,420 tweets per second about Tebow. People who hate the Gators as well as the Broncos still deem themselves “Team Tebow.”

While his professions of faith are the foundation of Tebow’s reputation, I believe there is a different reason why he has gained such an influential personal brand.

Brand alignment.

Tim never claims to be the best football player in the world. He never claims to be the most moral man. He is real. And while seemingly perfect, he never claims to be more than he is.

Tim Tebow has created a brand of helping others, standing up for what is right, glorifying Jesus, caring for others, playing football, and much more.

The loyalty associated with Tebow comes from a deeper issue. He has stayed true to something most can only dream of: himself. While he is rooted in the Lord, he never tries to change who he is or adapt for others.

A lot of people and brands should be taking note of this Tebow phenomenon. People want authenticity, they want alignment, and they want consistency. Be who you are, and don’t worry about the haters.

To end with a cliche quote… “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.”