- Guerrilla Marketing: Marketers at companies are struggling to get heard. Even leading brands are having difficulty reaching the tuned-out consumers who are frequently bombarded by advertisements. Plus, in this summertime recession, who really wants to spend millions on a Television campaign to advertise to turned-off consumers who are already outside not watching TV in the first place? A solution: pay less money and get 'em on the streets with some Guerrilla Marketing.
- Personal Branding: The unemployed are struggling to get heard. Even top notch, experienced workers who were laid off are having difficulty reaching companies that are bombarded with other job applicants. In this recession, some people cannot afford to remain unemployed for an extended period of time, as there are families to support and bills to pay. A solution: Personal Branding. Let them know who you are and stand out from the noise. Utilize new methods to reach employers.
How are Personal Branding and Guerrilla Marketing Inversely Related?
- Take for instance the latter, Guerrilla Marketing. It's hard to define but you know it when you see it. Sandwich-board clad promotion people. Cryptic sidewalk chalk inscriptions. Creative Billboard ads. Brands are seeking new ways to stand out amongst the clutter and in their own ways, adopting new and radical personalities. They'll create an experience, an event-- a more unpredictable, spontaneous and improvisational method of reaching the consumer. In this way, brands are becoming more like people.
- On the other hand, observe the practice of Personal Branding. Literally, it's quite like transforming a person into a brand. Instead of being that carbon-copy-job-seeker, Personal Branding is a technique to make the individual stand out from the crowd. Skills, characteristics and accomplishments can all be exemplified into a job seeker's unique personal brand to make them stand out in the crowded pool of qualified applicants. For expert advice on this subject, refer to Dan Schawbel and his Personal Branding blog--he's turned the whole technique into an art-form.
So do you see the inverse connection? When economic times are tough, both Brands and People begin to look for more innovative ways to become noticed. Marketers take their brands and have them adopt personalities. People take their skills, accomplishments and personalities and adopt their own personal brands. Obviously they're not "becoming" one another, but I think it's safe to say that each are adopting some of the others attributes.
Why Is This Happening?
I can only hypothesize that the economy has instigated the need for both brands and people to stand out and are thus seeking these new methods. In a broad sense, both brands and the unemployed are attempting to stand out from the crowd. It's interesting to see this shift in the way brands and people behave, respectively.
Thoughts? Critiques? Agreements? Hate-mail? Do your worst.
3 comments:
Wow - pretty brave to invite hate mail.
I like what you're saying, especially the comparison with branding evolving as people try to act like companies and companies try to act like people. The challenge for so many of both people and companies -- at least for those who try -- is to be authentic and truthful and consistent without being too predictable or boring.
There's no easy answer, despite what some so-called guru's espouse. Things need to evolve.
Really good column.
Hey Brahm, thanks for the comment and the kind words. I definitely agree with you about the careful balance between being consistent and not boring. A brand (or a person) can be ruined by inconsistent or ingenuous behavior, so it's really imperative to strike a happy medium. Thanks for the comment, sans hate-mail. I appreciate it.
Always be true to yourself, and you can not fail to be consistent. Always trying to flex to meet demands creates inconsistency and a confused message.
As an individual this is easy. Belive in your self, but as a corporation you need a strong leader, who never fails to reinforce the message of who you are.
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