Jonathan Fitzgarrald
As I left the office at the end of the day, I took the elevator down 22 floors with three people I did not know.
About half way down, the elevator stopped, and an older woman (who we’ll call Rose), who seemed unfamiliar with the building or its floor numbering system, got on and pressed several buttons in a confused attempt to find the floor for the valet. In doing so, she prolonged the elevator ride for all of us.
Before I had a chance to lend assistance, one of the others in the elevator (who we’ll call Ron) snickered at the older woman, “Is this really the first elevator you have ever been on in your life? Why don’t you just get off until you can figure out what floor you need to be on?”
Ron followed up his verbal cruelty by rolling his eyes, shaking his head in disgust, and looking around at the rest of us to validate his comment.
I immediately glared back at Ron and exclaimed, “Did that make you feel good…well, did it?” I continued to stare hard. I could feel everyone else in the elevator cringe at the impending confrontation. Ron’s face turned crimson red. He was shocked that someone had actually called him out on his bad behavior.
Americans are falling asleep at the wheel in record numbers. Air traffic controllers are dozing off on the job. Even Vice President Joe Biden couldn’t keep his eyes open during President Obama’s recent budget speech. This country has fallen victim to a major epidemic–boredom!
The boredom bug has also infected business. While attending a recent networking event, I worked the room to meet as many professionals as I could.
Introductions would go something like, “Hi, I’m Jonathan Fitzgarrald, what do you do?” The response would typically be, “Hey there, I’m Mary Jones, and I work at a bank,” or “Hi, I’m Eric Brown, and I work for a non-profit,” or “I’m Deborah MacIsaac, and I’m an attorney.”
Now was my turn to further the conversation, but neither Mary, Eric, nor Deborah had given me anything specific about who they are or what they do to suggest a follow-up question. Because their introductions were so generic, I quickly lost interest. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why so many professionals hate to network — it’s a chore!
So, what’s the cure to the boredom bug? Storytelling!
In 2009, film director John Lee Hancock faced a major dilemma. His movie, ‘The Blind Side,’ a real life story about a homeless and traumatized boy who becomes an All-American football player with the help of a caring mother, played by Sandra Bullock, was scheduled to open the same weekend as ‘New Moon,’ the sequel to ‘Twilight.’
How was Hancock going to position his movie in a way that would catch the attention of weekend moviegoers? Would he ultimately be able to recapture his $29 million investment or would this project turn out to be a flop and go straight to DVD?
Everyday, I coach professionals who face a similar dilemma — the threat of being commoditized. In an effort to position them properly, I inquire as to what differentiates them from their competition. In other words, what is it about their personal brand that could add value to a business transaction or solve a complex issue?
Ever since McDonalds introduced its McCafé iced coffees almost four years ago, it’s been nearly impossible to resist the temptation of swinging by the Golden Arches every morning on my way into the office. Twenty-two ounces of sugar free, vanilla, iced coffee bliss not only satisfies my morning hunger pains, but because coffee is an appetite suppressant, it holds me over until lunchtime. One word: delicious!
One morning while in my office, one of my coworkers, Alex, stopped by to chat. Upon entering my office, he saw the McDonald’s cup sitting on my desk. He stopped dead in his tracks and looked as if he had seen a ghost.
“Good morning Alex,” I said. He immediately shut my office door and exclaimed, “You eat at McDonald’s?”
I started to laugh. Alex had known me for over three years, and the thought of me eating at McDonald’s shocked him (we are, after all, on the westside of Los Angeles, home to such icons as Spago, Mastro’s, and Valentino). It seemed totally out of character. In other words, it wasn’t consistent with my personal brand.
Whether we realize it or not, each of us has a personal brand. It’s our reputation. It’s a direct reflection of who we are, and it’s comprised of everything we do. The organization we work for. The university we attended. The brand of car we drive. The jokes we tell. How we treat others. How responsive we are to emails and voice messages. And the list goes on and on.
In the April 18, 2011 issue of Life & Style, Mariah Carey bares it all — well, almost — by posing nude on the magazine’s front cover. Having posed for her fair share of portraits, none have been as personal as the ones of Mariah’s baby bump, or should I say, babies bump — she’s having twins.
I have received a dozen or more emails, asking for my opinion as to how these pictures will affect the singer’s personal brand.
I agree with competitive strategist Michael E. Porter who said, “The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” Had I been one of Mariah’s advisors, I would have discouraged her from pursuing the opportunity for the following reasons.
It’s already been done. Mariah joins a seemingly endless list of nude-and-bulging stars, including Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Cindy Crawford, and the original trend-setter herself, Demi Moore.
One element of a strong, personal brand is uniqueness. Everything you do (and don’t do) and say (and don’t say) tells a story about who you are as an individual and how you differ from your competition.
In today’s Harvard Business Review management blog entitled, “What is Your Brand Against,” guest columnist Scott Goodson suggests one way to differentiate your brand is to communicate what you stand against. He cites various examples of how brands like Smart Car, Apple, and fashion brand Diesel have been successful at doing so.
Play to your strengths. While posing nude may be consistent with the singer’s past fashion stunts, do these photos further Mariah’s reputation as one of the world’s best-selling music artists? Is it the side of her fans really want to see?
Although consistency is one of the building blocks of a strong, personal brand, I highly doubt Mariah can parlay the photos into record sales.