I was in a meeting the other day with a consultant who is helping the SBUS with its brand. In this case, we probably have one, but it is unclear, not well known, changing, and not very leveragable in terms of attracting students or prospective employers of our students. We are not Harvard, Warton, or Darden. But, we are known--at least in the region. The question is, what are we known for? Cheap? Quality? Convenient? Value? That's the task of the consultant, to figure out what it should be and plaster it everywhere. Why? Because brands matter. We DO reach for the Budweiser rather than the Rolling Rock as we have been told that Bud is the one to have: it's more refreshing, cooling, and "in" with almost anyone who is, them self, "in." When students are reaching for an MBA or employers an MBA graduate, we want them to reach for us, take Montclair State off the shelf. (I copied a few paragraphs from Wikipedia and pasted them at the end of this blog to give you some intellectual grounding on branding.)
Well, the whole conversation got me to thinking about individual branding--Your brand. What are your attributes? What do employers think about you when your name is mentioned? That mostly depends on how you have branded yourself. You don't think you have? Of course you have by the way you talk, dress, the quality and timeliness of your work, who you hang out with, roles you have played--either personally or at work, and a host of other ways. You see, you and I tag you and that becomes your brand. Part of my brand is a suit and tie (How many of your other professors "dress up?") The executive look is such a part of my brand that a former student made an emoticon of a tie for me that I included with my email address for a few years. I'd be surprised if one of your descriptors of me was not "corporate." Am I right?
Facebook and LinkedIn are brand creators. Readers tag you by what's on your wall, who your friends are, what groups you belong to, etc. My second cousin got nearly 1600 on the SAT (she took it before the scores changed). A near-perfect score and a sure scholarship to Princeton, Harvard, or wherever she wanted to go. NOT! She was rejected everywhere and barely got in to a state school in WA where she lives. I was not at the table where these decisions were made but I did go to her FB page. Surprise, surprise, according to her friends she was a really party girl. If I'm the admissions officer at Princeton do I want a very smart party girl or a student a little less capable that seems a little more serious?
So, here are some questions to ponder:
1. What brand do you want to be? If you're not sure, look around at the colleagues your respect and see what brand they have.
2. What brand do you have a the moment? Ask a friend--not your close friend and definitely not your significant other--what brand they see in you at work or from your social networking sites?
3. Are you satisfied with your brand? Will it get you what you want? Where you want to go?
4. If yes to #3, you're done! Congratulations. If not, you may want to work on your brand a bit. Not all at once, but a little at a time.
Or, maybe you think this branding stuff is a pile of s***. You are who you are and we can take it or leave it. In this case, I have little to say except "good luck!"
_____________________
From Wikipedia:
A product identity, or brand image are typically the attributes one associates with a brand, how the brand owner wants the consumer to perceive the brand - and by extension the branded company, organization, product or service. The brand owner will seek to bridge the gap between the brand image and the brand identity.[3] Effective brand names build a connection between the brand personality as it is perceived by the target audience and the actual product/service. The brand name should be conceptually on target with the product/service (what the company stands for). Furthermore, the brand name should be on target with the brand demographic. [4] Typically, sustainable brand names are easy to remember, transcend trends and have positive connotations. Brand identity is fundamental to consumer recognition and symbolizes the brand's differentiation from competitors.
Brand identity is what the owner wants to communicate to its potential consumers. However, over time, a products brand identity may acquire (evolve), gaining new attributes from consumer perspective but not necessarily from the marketing communications an owner percolates to targeted consumers. Therefore, brand associations become handy to check the consumer's perception of the brand.[5]
Brand identity needs to focused on authentic qualities - real characteristics of the value and brand promise being provided and sustained by organisational and/or production characteristics[6], [7]. Managing the whole organisation to this purpose is called Integrated Marketing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand#Individual_branding
I must say, i really can relate to this post. I truly believe that the way you present yourself to the world; whether it is through work, school, friends, Facebook, or even just to strangers, is your brand. That brand does not have to be categorized into one set characteristic, as we ourselves and our personalities are not defined by one word. Some days i can be the happiest girl in the world and i present myself to the world in that manner, where as opposed to a day that is not going well and i am a bit down in the dumps. I could be perceived by an outsider as a mean and closed off individual, where really i am the most outgoing person i know. It’s truly difficult to decipher ones brand based on characteristics as we have so many that make us all so diverse. Very interesting topic!
ReplyDeleteYou bring up some very interesting points about personal branding. In the business classes I have taken so far, we always focused on the branding of product or company, but I never really thought about my own brand identity. The brand I portray in my career world and personal life go pretty much hand- in-hand. A few key words that my co-workers, family and friends would use to describe my brand are: reliable, a planner, and determined. I feel that my brand is very positive, but there is always room for improvement and brands should be ever-changing. One trait that I would like to be associated with my name would be aggressive. Sometimes, I tend take a back seat to those around me with stonger personalities and I blend in with the crowd more than I would like to. Brands may be pre-judged based on first impressions viewed on networking sites, like Facebook or Myspace. But, unfortunately this is a choice that you make when you put yourself out there for the world to see.
ReplyDeleteThat’s an interesting topic! We know brand is important for enterprises, but in order to build a successful brand an enterprise not only requires operation strategies, but also needs a lot of money for marketing and adverting. Under such circumstances, creating a brand became an exclusive game for enterprises. However, by the advent of internet, it provides a way to create individual brand. In the traditional media world, creating an individual brand is almost impossible, because of the limited resources of traditional media. The general public cannot, therefore, have any opportunity to use these traditional media to build a personal brand. But, because of the emergence of blogs, FB etc., there is a free channel for Internet users to construct and produce the individual image.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, although blogs and other social networking tools provide everyone a way to express themselves, their users must sacrifice some privacy. Therefore, if we want to use those tools to create an individual brand, the contents of our blogs should be selected carefully, since what is on our blogs will be considered as our personality by other readers.
This really made me think what my brand is. I think that sometimes we could have different kind of brands. At work, you have to behave in a most professional level. Of course, that if you are an outgoing person, happy or smart, those qualities can show in a work place but in an appropriate matter.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, when you have your facebook, linkedin profiles, you are being casual and yourself. So, should you create an image to satisfy others or be yourself when it is your leisure time. I think that in life everything needs to have a balance. At work, work your hardest and behave professionally. When you are out of work, be who you are with no fear of "damaging" your brand.
I think you just have to be careful what you put on your facebook and other social networking websites. You can be a "party girl" and potential employers wouldn't know if you don't post pictures and talk about how partying on your facebook page. As long as you understand that there is a difference between being well-liked in your social group and being well-liked and respected in your professional life, your "personal brand" will not be harmed. If you work hard in your career and have no evidence of being a "party girl" there is no reason for potential employers to choose a more conservative job candidate over you.
ReplyDelete1. It's funny that we are discussing this topic because I think about this all the time. There have been many times when I have asked my two best friends why they like me as a friend. What makes me a person that you want to be friends with? However, I have never had the guts to ask a co-worker or a manager. Maybe because I don't want to hear something I might not like.
ReplyDelete2. I understand that brands are important. However, I also think that we have different brands. For example, when I am with my family I might be the loud and outgoing one, but at work they might see me as the quiet and shy one. My friends might think I am the popular one and my cousins might see me as the weird one. I think it depends on the situations we are in and the masks we put on for each environment we are in.
3. I do not agree that employers or professionals should be looking at facebook profiles or any other networks when they are considering you as a possible candidate. Your performance should be more than enough to consider you as a candidate. Others might argue against this and say that the image you give off is a reflection of the company name or the school you attend. However, why should it matter if you are a party person when your performance is good? I strongly disagree with this!
-Arda
I really do believe that this is true. The way one presents him/herself to others shows how you really are. The way you talk, walk, dress and how you approach certain issues really tells other people what kind of person you are. Have you heard this phrase, "Tell me who your friends are and I can tell you who you are". The way people present themselves on Facebook, Myspace and all these other social networks is ridiculous. Is it really "cool" to show that you always get drunk on weekends? Is it classy that you wear clothing that do not fit you or jeans that are falling down? First, you embarass yourself in front of all those people then you post pictures online? Are you proud of that? If so, then you definetly need to work on your brand!
ReplyDeletepeople will always judge you based on the way you talk, dress and walk. They speak volumes of the way we are
ReplyDelete