The Personal Branding Blog: William Arruda and the Reach-Certified Personal Branding Strategists

Build Your Brand Online with a Video Profile

With more than 29 million online video clips on the Internet, video is quickly becoming the must-have app for personal branding differentiation. Whether you are in a job search mode or looking to promote your small business, videos have preferred Google-juice status for search engine optimization. That means you can stand out from your competitors, who likely only have word content online (not as SEO friendly).

Unlike many homegrown videos, with jerky movements, embarrassing close-ups of nostrils or eyebrows, disjointed audio, and weird backgrounds, a professionally done video can really enhance your message. Learn about how to maximize your use of a video profile in the April 2010 Reach Personal Branding Interview on Thursday, April 8 at noon ET with guest expert Catharine Fennell of VideoBIO. William Arruda, founder of Reach Personal Branding, will be interviewing Catharine about how to:

- Improve your search engine rankings with video
- Control your messaging for optimal personal branding results
- Increase your visibility online
- Connect with your target audience

Video tips and further benefits of videos for branding have appeared in recent articles, such as “Brand Thyself - via Online Video”, “Video Resumes Offer Reel Advantage”, and “Video Resume Tips”. In fact, in 2010 William Arruda and Reach Personal Branding launched personalbranding.tv, which features videos, what William says is “the most effective personal branding medium on the web”.

UPDATE: Audio recording of Catharine Fennell interview with William Arruda.

Cross-posted at Career Goddess Blog

Who is the World's Strongest Personal Brand?

When I deliver personal branding keynotes, I ask the audience to tell me who they think is the world's strongest personal brand. As expected, there are a few people who come up in every presentation I deliver; yet there are others who really surprise me.

Of course, this makes me want to know definitively who would make it into the top ten. So, I decided to ask you - our loyal blog audience to tell me who you think is the world's strongest brand. You can do so here [bit.ly/9yOg01]. Once we tally all the results, I will let you know.

William Arruda
www.personalbranding.tv

Could Santa Be the World’s Strongest Brand?

Whether you believe in him or not. Whether you call him Santa Claus, Pere Noel, Father Christmas or St. Nicholas.  Whether you buy into Santa’s naughty or nice routine. You have to admit, the jolly rubenesque man with the long, white beard who hails from the North Pole is a really strong brand.
 
Mr. Claus is the envy of brand managers everywhere. He represents the ideal when it comes to branding. His brand attributes are clear and desirable to virtually everyone.  Even parts of the world that have no connection to the holiday with which he is associated know who he is and what he stands for. Everyone seems to want to support his mission. And he is in large part responsible for billions of dollars in sales and charitable contributions each year.

Santa Claus is about goodness. Productivity. Hard work. Reward. Giving. And his generosity is contagious. Ever play "Secret Santa," dress up as Santa or sign a card from him? You can see people doing good in the name of Santa throughout the holiday season. 
 
Santa is the model brand. We know what he stands for. His values and passions are clear to us. And they are consistent. I asked a group of colleagues and friends to describe his brand attributes, and virtually everyone used the same words: jolly, generous, hard-working, collaborative, giving, and fair.
 
His consistent image is visible everywhere from the local Salvation Army to your next-door neighbor's rooftop; and you’ll always find him sporting the same look -- no matter when or where you see him. Even in the southern hemisphere where most people are wearing sandals and shorts in December, Santa can be found in his standard red suit, floppy hat and black boots.

As managers of our own personal brands, we strive to have that kind of incredible brand recognition, emotional connection and steadfast consistency. Interestingly, unlike most powerful brands, Santa has only a few months to work his magic. And yet in that period of time, his red image is even more visible than the other well-known, red image - COKE - the world's strongest brand. His brand is so valuable to marketers that he seems to be showing up earlier and earlier each year.
 
Santa always comes with an entourage - his hard-working staff of little green brand evangelists who share the same values, live and breathe the brand and are able to extend his message for him. And everyone outside his bustling workshop wants to get in on the act as well. Retailers, cities, web sites, restaurants, even non-profits want to associate themselves with him. During the holiday season, having a Santa Claus image in your window, on your web site or in your ad is tantamount to having a Nike swoosh hanging outside your sporting goods store.

The Santa brand is powerful, too. His economic might rivals that of many nations. He has his part in producing billions of dollars of sales each year. And imagine the extra revenue he brings in for philanthropic organizations. Whether he's ringing a bell or he contributes his image to the envelope of a direct mail piece, charities understand the efficacy of this powerful brand association. 
 
During the last few months of the year, he is the worlds most sought after spokesperson, selling everything from soft drinks to electric shavers. And his calendar during this same period includes more personal appearances than J Lo has made in her entire career. You can catch a glimpse of him at virtually any major retailer in cities throughout the world and you will probably find him serving up a hot meal in an underprivileged neighborhood on Christmas day.

Maybe Santa is the world's strongest brand. And maybe we should study how he does it as we work on our own winning brands. So, as you are building and nurturing your brand, take some tips from the man in the red suit. Stand out. Be consistent. Create an emotional connection. Remain visible to your target audience. And don't forget to surround yourself with brand evangelists who can carry your message for you. Whether you believe in him or not, Santa is the model of a brand that we can all strive to be.

Tiger’s Tarnished Brand

Well, Accenture joined the list of other endorsed companies/products that is saying farewell to Tiger. “Go On. Be a Tiger” suddenly took on a new meaning – and not one Accenture wanted to be connected to.

Tiger Woods’ brand is in free fall. Unlike Martha Stewart and her shady stock deal, Tiger’s branding issue is much greater. Martha didn’t violate the true essence of her brand (why we care about her). If we had learned that she stole her recipes or couldn’t make papier machee snowflakes, her brand would be just as tarnished as Tiger’s.

 Of course, Martha emerged from prison in an even stronger position and her brand has continued to grow. For Tiger, it is going to be much more difficult. That’s because Tiger violated exactly what he stands for. The companies that he endorses are hoping to bolster their brand image with his integrity, commitment, boundless success. For the time being, those brand attributes are in question.

Of course, even Michael Vick’s brand is on the way up. So it is certainly possible for all of this to be just a dip in brand value that will be resolved over time. What do you think?

YOU Can't Handle The Truth About Personal Branding

 

For me the video below is a well thought out and put together dig at what I have been seeing an explosion of this year and what is concerning me most about personal branding. Lack of depth and authenticity. It is what is causing so many online commentators to rant about it's shallowness, lack of substance, affront to the word branding, an attack on the profession of marketing etc etc.

I am certainly not claiming to be the perfect example of a personal brand, far from it, in fact is there really anyone that could lay claim to such? We are all evolving our brands and as technology advances our approaches change with it.  But the point about the technology available to us is that it is a tool to help us communicate our personal brands in new ways, to more people - IT IS NOT PERSONAL BRANDING IN OF ITSELF.

 

In the last few months I have found myself commenting on more blog posts, more tweets on twitter and generally having more discussions about personal branding. Not because, like some others, I am just trying to associate my name with the term and get hailed as the next new media douche bag, but because I firmly believe this is a bona fide approach to career management - dare I say even life direction and focus - ultimately meaning greater personal satisfaction and positive impact with others.

It is what I did in a corporate career that spanned banking to biotech - two subjects in which I have very little formal qualifications, it is what I have done in helping numerous, similarly very capable, people achieve in industries and roles that otherwise they might not have been considered for and what I do not for employees inside some of North America's largest corporations.

Perhaps what I am doing right now is exactly what Kelly Stewart is 'having a go' at - I think not - but can YOU handle the truth about personal branding? Let me know what you think.

Cross posted on Reflections of a Square Peg blog.

It’s Important to Act Green When You Are Green!

Practice what you preach.

Many companies focus on green products or green aspects of business such as producing solar panels or designing green buildings.

These companies market themselves as “green companies.” If you dig a little deeper you can find out if they act green too.

• Do they recycle paper?
• Do they brew coffee in house and use non-disposal mugs or paper cups?
• Do they have lights that are operated by motion sensors?
• What do they do with old office equipment?
• How do they dispose of old computers and gadgets?
• How are meetings organized (do they include lots of papers or are emails used to pass along pertinent information)?

Remember – as you brand your green business make sure you’re consistent in every aspect of portraying your image.
 
Download the Green Career's Guide

by Rachel Gogos
www.thebrandiD.com | 1.724.260.0026

Going Green: Five Tips for Getting a Green Job

1. Understand why green matters.
To those working towards sustainability, green isn’t a fad or trend—it’s a serious and critical shift in how to think about business, resources, and the planet. Study up on the origins of sustainable development; read leading books in the field like Biomimicry, Cradle to Cradle, and The Ecology of Commerce; and track the developments and trends in the industry by checking out websites like Treehugger, GreenBiz.com, and Greentech Media.

2. Get clear on your goals.
Green jobs vary widely, from climate scientists studying air quality to engineers designing solar panels to restaurateurs serving menus where all ingredients are sourced within a 100-mile radius. What do you want to do? Even within seemingly targeted areas, like clean tech, there are a wide range of subsectors—wind, solar, biofuels, battery technology, and more. Knowing the type of company, the type of work, and the customer category you want to serve will help you communicate your goals to others and make it easier to find the folks who can hire you.

3. Learn the language.
One of the requirements in any industry is to know what people are talking about. Within the world of green jobs, however, there are many languages—from green building acronyms like LEED to solar technologies like thin-film CIGS to wind industry terms like hybrid-composite. Mastering the language of the industry sector you want to join will show that you’re serious about the work.

4. Join the community.
Attend green conferences, networking events like Green Drinks and EcoTuesday, and presentations about local green initiatives. Join green groups on LinkedIn. By joining your local green community, you’ll find out about opportunities, build your knowledge about what’s going on, and come away with connections that will help you network your way to people who can hire you.

5. Build your experience.
Take classes, volunteer, and take on an internship. By getting involved, you build your skills and start to show a track record of facilitating the shift toward a greener world. You’ll also make more connections and show others in the field that you’re serious about going green.

Download the Green Career's Guide

Guest Contributor: Frank Marquardt
Frank Marquardt is the author of The Solar Job Guide and can be reached at frank@fierobooks.com. www.solarjobguide.com

Distinguish Yourself as a Green Leader

Our global environmental crisis requires we align our thoughts and actions with the furthering of renewable, sustainable, eco-friendly solutions at work, home and play.  With green career opportunities growing at an ever increasing rate, it’s an opportune time to stand up and stand out as a leader in your niche.
 
Businesses will be looking to hire and partner with those authentically engaged with the green movement.   Those who are knowledgeable about eco-friendly alternatives, actively integrating green lifestyle changes, and demonstrating leadership in these areas, through speaking and writing, will be setting a positive and beneficial example for others, not to mention gaining a competitive advantage.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur or careerist, you can increase your visi­bility and credibility by showcasing your talents and your understanding of what it means to incorporate a green-mindset into your area of expertise.  Here are some easy ways to distinguish yourself:

1.  Be authentic.  To be a green leader in your niche, you need to “walk the talk.”  How are you living a green life?  Why is this important to you and the work you do?  What contributions do you hope to make as a result?

2.  Expand your knowledge.  Actively educate yourself about green initia­tives, products, services, companies, and global issues by reading relevant periodicals and books, skimming blogs, attending seminars, and connecting with other thought leaders.

3.  Express your expertise.  Write articles and post them to your blog and to other online article sites.  Join the conversation by actively com­menting and contributing to relevant green blogs and podcasts.  Inter­view book authors, founders of green companies, and leaders of environmental causes.  Consider writing a whitepaper, ebook, or even a short self-published book that ties your industry expertise to all things green.

Be green. Be authentic. Make a difference.

Download the Green Career's Guide

Tara Kachaturoff is a professional speaker, writer and the producer and host of Michigan Entrepreneur TV.  After a career in corporate finance in the tech industry, she now provides business consulting, project management and training to entrepreneurs.

Strong Brands Attract and Repel

I saw this brandchannel.com article about upcoming episode where Oprah will interview Sarah Palin. It reminds me of something I say in almost every keynote I deliver: Strong brands often repel as many people as they attract.

Brands are frequently polarizing – think Donald Trump, Madonna and Michael Bloomberg. Personal branding is not about being all things to all people or trying to please all of the people all of time, it’s about taking a stand and being comfortable knowing that some will not agree with your point-of-view. Of course, this does not mean being contrary for the sake of it, either. You must be clear about what you believe and willing to express those beliefs.

As for Sarah Palin and Oprah, I am looking forward to this battle of the brands – but knowing Oprah, I think it will not be a confrontational interview. I think both their brands will benefit. What do you think?

William Arruda is the founder of Reach Personal Branding, the global leader in personal branding and the author or Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand.

Follow him on Twitter: @williamarruda

Can your personal brand portfolio land you a $100,000 a week job?

 

This summer in the UK saw a new move by the agents and PR staff for a UK soccer player Michael Owen - A 32 page Personal Brand Portfolio!

Owen was being released by his then soccer club, Newcastle United and was looking for a new home - ideally in the UK Premier league. The UK sports press was not very complimentary about his chances as he had a recent history of injuries and poor performance that did not warrant his then $250,000 a week salary!

His 'people' put together a very glossy, 32 page. portfolio brochure addressing these concerns and also highlighting such positive aspects as his Brand Values. You can see the brochure by clicking here.

Having come from the UK, I know the general reaction and approach to personal branding is a little more reserved than here in North America - but overall I think that Owen has done a good job. After all it got the biggest soccer club in the world, Manchester United, interested enough to sign him.

Naturally it remains to be seen if the club have made a shrewd investment. But in the meantime - are you doing enough to promote the value of an investment in you?

Take a moment to look at Owens portfolio and take the pieces that you like and see what you can put together for your career.

This type of online or electronic document is something professionals should be seriously considering as a way to differentiate themselves in a market that will continue to be tough, but full of opportunities to those prepared to take a little bit of a risk.

When I was in recruitment many years ago in the UK it was unusual not to see the best interview candidates with some form of portfolio or brag sheet - it made them memorable.

What are you doing to be memorable when your company is looking to make that next promotion?