Upgrade Your Brand
We see Brand names all over our star athletes. They are aggressivley pursued by NIKE, UNDER ARMOUR, SPEEDO, VISA and hundred’s more to be the symbol of why we should want to be like Mike. A brand is more than a symbol. It is an idea, and it represents an aspirational and uniqueness that boasts it’s offerings will make your life better. They are all around us. The connection we feel by the ad and the success of the celebrities that promote it are all elements that create the value of a product, service, and organization.
What does this have to do with Generation Y’ers who sit in their cube making far less than Michael Phelps made on his deal with Visa, and Omega watches? Alot. Phelps found out quickly how a Brand can be tarnished by association when he mistakenly was captured “celebrating” with a bong in November 2008. He lost his sponsorship with Kellogg’s cereal, and found that his personal Brand was effected simultaneously.
Our personal brand is valuable and needs to be protected. In the world of twitter, Facebook, and cellphone video, we are held more accountable then ever for our actions and words due to technology.
How can you improve your Brand?
Make sure your google results with your name possess only clear and positive perspectives on your professional abilities and activities. Create and own your domain name. Many HR offices are using social media to do research on you before interviewing and hiring.
How do you protect it?
Watch what you say/post on twitter, Facebook, and how you act on a videophone cameras. We have seen way too many celebrities caught by photographers in some pretty comprimising positons.
More importantly how can your Brand get you the job you are searching for?
You know your Brand best. If what you do at work does not capture your Brand completely, start Branding yourself on your own website, through Linkdin, Facebook, and other social media sites.
For more ideas on how to successfully Upgrade Your Brand check out personalbrandingblog.com Dan Schawbel is called a “personal branding force of nature” by Fast Company and released his book ME 2.0 today.
Seth Travis is a young communications professional residing in Pennsylvania. For more information on Seth’s Brand and expertise visit: http://newlycorporate.com/seth-travis/
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What about having a life and friends that you can talk to on the internet without watching your every word? Do we have to create an alter-ego for these everyday conversations?
I wouldn’t expect a recruitment agency to root through my garbage reading my personal mail, or checking how unhealthily I eat, or how much wine I drink. Am I the only one that finds it a bit invasive that they look through internet postings that are potentially years out of date and intended to be between friends only? We can’t be ‘at-work’ all the time….
I understand what you are saying, however because of technology, love it or hate it; our brand does not “re-boot” after college graduation. All of these social medias and any on-line activity/postings are almost like a tattoo. I think that is what is the take-away here. It means we must use filters more and think a bit more even when we are having fun on a saturday night at the bar. We are a bit like celebrities thanks to Facebook, and youtube, every move we make good or bad might be captured………..
The following link will bring you to an outline on how to improve your personal professional brand. Let me know what you think
http://www.gottamentor.com/viewAdvice.aspx?a=345