Done Anything for Your Brand Lately?

There’s been a lot of talk about personal branding lately. A few weeks ago, I heard Catherine Kaputa, author of U R a Brand, speak at a conference. She told a story about a book with a great idea that achieved only modest sales. But then it was repackaged with some attention paid to branding and went on to captivate dieters around the country. The book’s original title was The Moderate Carbohydrate Diet. The book’s modified title? The South Beach Diet. Ms. Kaputa’s book is about how to apply this kind of thinking to ourselves.

What she said reminded me of my interview with William Arruda, another branding expert. Mr. Arruda discussed some good ways to think about a personal brand, and why it’s important to have one in a career, which I wrote about this column on self-promotion.

I just stumbled onto a great podcast interview with Mr. Arruda at Total Picture Radio, and in that podcast, Mr. Arruda explains a lot of the same things he told me. The podcast is 26 minutes long, but if you just want a taste, you can listen to a one-minute clip on “differentiation” and another one on “ego-surfing.”

Mr. Arruda says we all need to think about our brand attributes, and, as an example, he cites collaboration as one he has identified for himself. It’s why he wrote his book, Career Distinction, with a co-author and why he runs his company, Reach Communications, with a partner. Spurred on by Mr. Arruda, I did some thinking about my own brand and decided that my brand is about being connected and giving advice. It’s why being a new media journalist who blogs about ways to succeed at work is a good career for me. In my earlier life as a lawyer, I now realize that I used these same characteristics. I was a counselor, advising clients on how to comply with the law. I also knew a lot of people in my industry. I organized panels at conferences, which I still do, and I knew where the jobs were. I probably also would have been a good recruiter, or maybe a matchmaker.

Today, it’s easier than ever to convey your personal brand to the people you want to know it. Consider what Peter Shankman is doing. In an era when public relations people have been getting a lot of flack from journalists, Mr. Shankman has found a way to get me (and probably other journalists) interested in what he has to say. He started a Facebook page called, “If I Can Help a Reporter Out, I Will,” that showcases his brand of being a terrific people finder. I’ve never met Mr. Shankman, but I know that he’s a publicist who knows a lot of people and that he has helped me find sources for stories. I’m sure that some of those sources are his clients, which is fine with me. What’s unique about Mr. Shankman, from a journalist’s perspective, is that while I’ve known him for some time, he has never once pitched me a particular client or sent me a news release. Instead, he gets in touch to ask what I’m working on and whether he can help. That behavior makes him someone whose e-mails I don’t hesitate to open. I know he’s not going to waste my time trying to sell me something I’m not buying. I can’t really think of a better brand impression for a public relations professional to communicate. Credits: Marci Alboher

What have you done for your brand lately? Share your ideas in the comments.