As the fall season sweeps in, many now turn their focus to football, foliage and budgets. That’s right…it is time to start thinking about 2008 and how to align anticipated public relations and marketing resources with your company’s core business goals.
The next six to eight weeks also present the ideal time to evaluate your own personal brand. How are you perceived by the important audiences with whom you interact professionally? Does it support your career path? Is your personal brand consistent with the image your company is working hard to establish?
I started thinking about personal brands after reading an interesting article from Scott Ginsberg, a professional speaker and author of "HELLO my name is Scott and the Power of Approachability." Several years ago, Scott started wearing a name tag wherever he went in an effort to make people friendlier. He soon became branded in business circles as “Scott, that guy with the name tag” which, he claims, has helped him sell books and land speaking gigs.
I have followed a similar path, minus the name tag. Shortly after launching Strategic Communications Group (Strategic), I began to refer to myself as the “Strategic Guy.” It is a professional brand that captures my belief in the importance of context-based PR/communications that are in-step with the goals of our clients’ business. It’s also a reflection of my personality – passionate and aggressive, while always maintaining a healthy sense of humor.
There are a couple of ways I market my brand. You’ll see it in the subject lines of my Emails. It is the name of my blog. And I often refer to it in presentations and speeches.
Is being the “Strategic Guy” effective? I think so. It sure is unique and memorable, and it reinforces why our PR firm has produced such dramatic results for our clients. That’s the ultimate purpose of marketing, right?
