Can you see the real me?

Recently, MCorp’s Harley-riding, blues-drumming Controller, Carl, and I were having a conversation about “personas outside the workplace.” The next day, Carl introduced me to a blog he likes called The Personal Branding Blog.

I don’t know about you, but I have always found it uncomfortable to “leave my personality at the door” just because I’m “at work.” I love the idea of the “personal brand” and I find it to be quite liberating.

The transparency of the “digital ID” makes it easier for real people to do business with real people. And I like doing business with real people, don’t you?

Meet the new boss

Remember when you had an interview and you Googled the CEO (or whoever your new boss might be) and all you could come up with was the corporate headshot and a boring paragraph of nothing but work-related stuff? Weren’t you really looking for something interesting, like hobbies or a glimpse into his/her life outside of work?

What if you Googled your prospective new boss and you got to see a video of her first snowboarding experience (and it was hilarious)? Or the CEO who works weekends at the local animal shelter and has posted a photo album full of pictures of himself bottle-feeding tiny foster kittens?

Wouldn’t you rather work for a person than a corporate headshot? And if you are the CEO, wouldn’t you rather have your organization filled with diverse, interesting personalities? You don’t really want your people to leave their uniqueness “at the door” – do you?

Tom Peters has been telling us to look differently at hiring criteria for quite some time now. Here he is in Re-imagine! Business Excellence in a Disruptive Age:

I champion the idea of weird for only one reason: These are … Weird Times. Therefor (simple logic): We desperately need an Eclectic/Weird/Peculiar Talent Pool. (Not a bunch of clones.)

I think we can extrapolate from the above that someone who is “weird” (in corporate-speak) is someone who indeed brings their personal brand to work.

Are you ready to see your COO’s monster truck rally videos on YouTube?

A couple of the ideas that I found especially intriguing in Personal Branding Predictions: The Top 9 for 2009

1. Video as primary personal branding tool.

It’s a great medium because it allows you clearly communicate your message while showcasing your personality and creativity. Look at the popularity of YouTube and you can see how video will become an even more important element in your personal media plan.

and

8. More widespread adoption of the term personal brand.

‘Personal brand’ will be standard term inside companies to describe colleagues – as in “He’s always late, that’s part of his personal brand” and on an annual review “your personal brand attributes of creative and clever make you an exceptionally valuable part of the team.” Now that personal branding has become a part of the talent development curriculum at many companies, the term has taken on a life of its own.

What do you think?

Do you think that encouraging the development of your employees’ personal brands (in and out of the workplace) will have a positive effect on your company’s brand? Tell us about it!

Will Dunder Mifflin win?

In the most recent episode of NBC’s The Office, Michael offers to gather intelligence on a neighboring competitor by posing as a potential client.

Michael happily schemes to annihilate Prince Family Paper, but then finds himself in a moral dilemma when the rival turns out to be a family-owned Mom and Pop business. And they couldn’t have been nicer to Michael, who is posing as an interested prospect.

The owner of the business even gives Michael their client list.

After the “meeting”, Michael ends up having a problem with his car, and “Pop” fixes his car. While he waits, “Mom” brings him a cup of coffee.

Getting Personal

Now that there is a very human face on the competition, Michael doesn’t want to hurt these people by turning the client list over to his boss. Unfortunately, Dwight manages to take the list away from Michael after an amusing foot chase around the office and parking lot, which forces Michael to turn the list over to his boss.

Armed with the Prince Family Paper’s client list, the conventional thinking is that Dunder Mifflin can now put Prince Family Paper out of business.

Or could they?

It’s pretty easy to take a closer “look” at this situation for the customer experience perspective. It is highly likely that the companies on the Prince Family Paper client list are already aware of the larger company, Dunder Mifflin. Let’s say it’s common knowledge that the larger company’s prices are lower than the Mom and Pop operation.

So why would these companies authorize paying more to work with Prince Family Paper?

“People who need people”

Based on what we saw in the episode, my guess is that Prince Family Paper has a loyal following that values customer service over lowest prices. Like many small businesses that have a loyal following, highly personalized service is the cornerstone of their brand. Prince Family Paper understands that people do business with people. And as long as they adhere to this principle, their clients are unlikely to stray merely in pursuit of lower prices.

As we go about our sales activities, let’s keep this classic quote from American Business woman Mary Kay Ash in mind:

Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ”Make me feel important.” Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life.

What do you think – can a “Dunder Mifflin” win? Could your customers be lured away by lower prices? What are you doing to make sure your customers want to stay with you?

And, if you were armed with your competitor’s client list, what would you do?

Branding Your Brand Equity

OK, let’s face facts. Managing your brand is paramount to any business. Right?
After all, it’s the best way to boost its perceived value to your customers so you can drive brand equity, boost business growth, and increase profitability.

It was launched by the brand geniuses at Procter & Gamble in the early 1930s. But in today’s über-competitive marketplace with an increasing number of media channels ––digital, print, broadcast and mobile –– brand management is more critical than ever to product and corporate success as organizations attempt to communicate promises, build preference, and create other barriers to competition.

But brand management isn’t just about enabling multiple brands from a single company to compete in the same product category. You know that. I know that. Heck, even my kids know that with the Apple iPods or the Abercrombie & Fitch clothes they buy with their weekly allowances.

But building brand equity is even more imperative to organizations with just one single brand that must overcome the odds and out-market their competitors to create stronger bonds with their customers. This fact is key to the relationships between your divisions or product groups who are constantly cross-selling, up-selling, and trying to corral as many customers as possible within a branded family.

So whether your organization is large or small, multinational or regional, statewide or local, we are here to provide insights, guidance and counsel as you contemplate the various ways to manage –– and grow –– your brand.