Category Archives: Corporate Communications

Cindy Ronzoni Authors Informational Brief on The Social Aspects of Communication

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    Contact: Steve Jones
July 27, 2011
(202) 222-2373 sjones@cablecommunicators.org

ACC Releases Informational Brief “The Social Aspects of Communication”
An Overview of Social Media Practices in Corporate Public Relations for Cable

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Association of Cable Communicators (ACC) released the July 2011 issue of ACCbriefs, “The Social Aspects of Communication” and posted the paper on the association’s Web site. The thrust of the publication is to provide a current overview of Social Media tools and techniques cable communicators are utilizing to enhance their overall communication effectiveness and meet their business objectives.

“The value of the July issue is that it lays out specific examples regarding how both cable operators and programming networks are utilizing the power of these social media tools,” said Steve Jones, executive director of ACC. “It goes on to site how these new technologies are used for customer engagement, media relations, issuing official statements, and responding to the always-on news cycle.”

The paper is authored by Cindy Ronzoni, founder and CEO of Social Spread Media, a digital public relations agency specializing in social and traditional media. She has over 20 years of public relations and corporate communications experience with senior positions at Fox Entertainment, Fox Cable, Game Show Network and Lifetime Networks.

The brief is available online at http://www.cablecommunicators.org/resources_briefs.php and is being distributed to ACC members via e-mail. ACCbriefs provide clarity on complex industry and communications issues and are designed for communications, public affairs, government relations, executive office and other staff members who need a clear, concise, subject-oriented guide from the cable perspective on industry topics.

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The Association of Cable Communicators (ACC) is the only national, professional organization specifically addressing the issues, needs and interests of the cable industry’s communications and public affairs professionals. The association’s mission is to develop and promote cable communications excellence through professional development to help achieve industry and corporate goals. ACC works to enhance each member’s status and influence through skill building and professional development. For more information on ACC, go to www.cablecommunicators.org.

Best Customer Service Practices Include the Human Touch

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Clever Way for A Customer to Make A Point!

Are businesses ever allowed to provide mediocre customer service? Is it okay to leave customers hanging on a phone tree for more than five minutes? Are there industries that should provide excellent service more so than others?

The answer to all three questions above is a resounding NO-at least that’s my $0.02 worth. But, unfortunately, we all experience poor service on a daily basis as customers even from blue-chip enterprises to boot.

If you are a small business owner you are probably cringing at this thought because YOU know that your success lies in the quality of your customer service. So then why do we allow large conglomerates to do that to us all the time? Why do we still give these companies our precious dollars, especially when we expect more out of own business services?

Today I experienced such an experience. Unfortunately, I am dealing with medical issues associated with a loved one. As such, I had to wait for four hours in a hospital lobby while a family member had tests conducted. Since I was just sitting there I had hoped that I could log on to the Internet and quietly get some work completed. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they had a daily wi-fi access code, however, I soon found out that the system does not allow access to Apple devices only PCs. Say WHAT???

PHONE TREES DRIVE YOU UP A TREE!

I think I'll Skip This Place.

This wasn’t a life-threatening situation and I could do other work offline, but this example just got me thinking about all the other times that I’ve been frustrated by poor customer service. I attend dozens of small business connector meetings and each always stresses the importance of guest relations. So why is excellent customer service applicable to small owners and not large conglomerates?

A HUMAN VOICE GOES A LONG WAY IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

I would rather do anything than call my satellite provider, healthcare company or phone service. I know that when I call them I’ll be sitting there for a while. Phone trees that put you in sequence are annoying as are the companies that don’t provide any voice connection like Facebook. Most tech companies now provide email customer service and hide their main phone numbers. I don’t care how great you are in answering email support questions, yes I’m including Google, in this rant as well. There are times when a human voice is the best possible service a company can provide.

What companies drive you crazy with poor support and what companies do you think deserve some applause. Do tell.

How to Best Use Google Plus

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What do you think about this new communication platform? It is a hit or miss?

In social media circles Google’s new social networking platform Google Plus is the most talked about new shiny toy. With Google Plus, people with gmail email accounts can organize their circle of friends in logical groupings and easily video chat with 10 people or less at the same time.

Many of its functions are similar to Facebook, so early adopters can understand its practical functionality.  For instance, you have status streams of recent posts from your friends on Google + and it easily allows for sharing of photos and video too.

If you haven’t received your invite yet to to Google +, don’t worry you will soon. I’m sure its Google intention to have everyone in the world on their social platform. Just wait, your invitation is forthcoming.

I’ve been experimenting with it over the last few days and I still am not sure of all its bells and whistles. So, with that, I’ve interviewed two social media strategists, Stacey Soleil and Darin McClure, about their views regarding Google Plus and that interview is below.  Enjoy and let me know what you think.

 

Add Cindy to your Circles

 

About the Author: Cindy Ronzoni frequently interviews colleagues about the latest new advancements in social media. Today, she tackled Google + with two experts who attend her social media club, Social Media Mastermind of Orange County (SMMOC). If you have a question about a social media tool, just let Cindy know. She’ll try and get an answer for you.

 

How to Write Killer Blog Content-Timeless Advice from C.S. Lewis

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C.S. Lewis' Advice is Timeless

C.S. Lewis never ceases to amaze me. For those of you who do not know C.S. Lewis, he was a renowned theologian who taught at Oxford and Cambridge Universities and authored more than 30 books in his lifetime, including the children’s Narnia series, Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters.

C.S. Lewis’ work is revered by many around the world. In fact, so much so that his life was portrayed by actor Anthony Hopkins in feature film “Shadowlands,” and his Narnia books such as “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” have been brought to the big screen. However, not only is his work memorable, he lived his life transparently and openly shared his thoughts and struggles through his powerful pen.

His work has had a profound impact in my life and I often re-visit his words when searching for answers about life circumstances. Recently I had such a time when I needed to heed his advice and as such, stumbled upon a jewel in regards to guidelines for creating incredible content.

Whenever I attend social media events, inevitably this one question comes up every time – how do you make content that others want to read? C.S. Lewis provides the answer.

In a letter written to a schoolgirl in America, who had written (at her teacher’s suggestion) to request advice on writing, here’s what he had to say. The letter is from December 14, 1959 and his advice is spot on for the 21st Century.

CREATING MEMORABLE BLOG CONTENT

C.S. Lewis’ 8 Tips for Writing Incredible Blog Content (Source: The Essential C.S. Lewis, edited by Lyle W. Dorsett)

  1. Turn off the radio. (Today that also includes the TV, Pandora, iPod, X-box, etc.)
  2. Read all the good books you can and avoid nearly all magazines. (This one is tough for me.)
  3. Always write (and read) with the ear, not the eye. (Excellent point)
  4. Write about what really interests you, whether it is real things or imaginary things, nothing else.
  5. Take great pains to be clear. Remember that though you start by knowing what you mean, the reader doesn’t, and a single ill-chosen word may lead him to a total misunderstanding. (Brilliant point)
  6. When you give up a bit of work don’t throw it away. Put it in a drawer. It may come in useful later.
  7. Don’t use a typewriter. The noise will destroy your sense of rhythm. (I think he wouldn’t mind the computer keyboards now.)
  8. Be sure you know the meaning of every word you use.

So don’t take it from me on how to write content that gets shared…use these 8 points from the literary master C.S. Lewis. Who if he were alive today, I’m sure would be answering every Facebook and Twitter post personally.  That’s the stand up man he was.

Off to do a bit more reading.

Cindy

 

 

TAKE A DAY OFF! It Works for Chick-fil-A

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When Is Your Business Closed

Sundays are my personal days to be more human-like and step off the grid. I frown on forwarding and receiving business on this day of rest because I need to recuperate from the past week and get restored for the next. When I receive business-type tweets from others on Sunday, I feel really sorry the people who sent them for those tweets tell me that they are not resting. I rarely tweet on Sundays and when I do it’s about something that I found shareable that occurred at church or another social event. I rarely tweet out anything that I would normally do during a business week. Why?

BECAUSE EVERYONE NEEDS A DAY OF REST

In order to stay  balanced as well as mentally and emotionally healthy you need a day to rest from your electronic devices. You need a day to re-charge your batteries and chat on the phone with friends or go to a social event. Or just some time to do laundry or take a walk.

If you think by not sending business messages out seven days a week you’ll lose business think again. Look at how well does Chick-fil-A restaurants do on a six day work week. It was reported that last year the company’s annual revenue was $3.4 billion. Not too shabby huh.

In an interview with ChristianityToday.com VP of Chick-fil-A Dee Ann Turner said this about being closed on Sundays.

“It is doubtful that a public board of directors would allow Chick-fil-A to stay closed on Sundays…When we started in the mall business, Chick-fil-A always led all the restaurants on sales even though we were only open six days to their seven. I think that is still true even though the majority of the restaurants are now free-standing restaurants.

People always say to S. Truett Cathy (Founder of Chick-fil-A), “You could make so much money if you opened on Sunday.” His response is that we’ve been so successful because we have not been open on Sunday.

Truett’s children, two sons and a daughter, actually wrote a covenant that they would not do two things: 1) Sell the company or go public, and 2) Open on Sunday.

A lot of people believe the no Sunday practice originated due to Truett Cathy’s faith. And it did evolve to relate to that over time, but originally they closed on Sunday because Truett was exhausted. He needed rest. He said that if a person couldn’t earn a living in six days, then he needs to do something else.

It was about rest, but also about spending the time to rejuvenate and get strong again to serve his customers. As he hired people, he also realized how important it was for his employees to also have a day off.”

So what’s your philosophy on taking a day off? Do you agree with Truett Cathy? I do. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

 

 

 

 

PR TIP: TAKE A STANCE TO HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD

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Gray is Never a Safe Area Nor A Marketing Choice

One thing you are never going to hear from a medical doctor is that you’re half-pregnant. A woman is either pregnant or not. There are no other alternatives. It’s black or white, not gray. But, this doesn’t mean you can’t be half-pregnant in regards to business and/or marketing. In fact, in my humble opinion, I feel this diagnosis of late is in epidemic proportions.

How I define half-pregnancy in marketing and business is as such: “Trying to offend anyone or anything by choosing a side, even when a side is presented.” Again, this my definition and is not official.

GO AHEAD AND TAKE A SIDE

Half-pregnancy is a common practice in politics. Politicians are always trying to walk a fine line to please all parties. They are very careful when they make “stands” on issues and subjects that they try to make sure that both political parties will agree to some or all of the parts.

It’s this ‘not wanting’ to offend that impregnates the situation. And, that tightrope places that “said” person or thing in the vast and valueless wasteland of the dreaded “gray area.” Whenever you set out to become like Switzerland (slang meaning – not making waves or taking any sides… being neutral), then you are setting yourself up to not gain attention. Its similar to this saying – ‘When a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make noise?’

Taking a stance, side and position is important in making noise. Politicians want to be remembered and not forgotten because their words lacked opinion or substance.  But in this day and age of transparency (being authentic), it’s very easy for people to find out information. If you want to hold the line that you don’t have a particular agenda, they can find out in a matter of seconds if that’s indeed true.

Hello, I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up! Does anyone hear me?- Flickr Credit: Sage

To make this point a bit clearer, let’s look at this hypothetical situation.  Jane Doe is running for State Governor and she says as a female she believes that women should have the right to choose what happens to their own bodies and that birth begins at the moment of conception. She is referring to both the pro-life and pro-choice abortion movements with her professed beliefs.  But, she has regularly attended pro-life rallies and fundraisers as a part of her Catholic parish, as such it would be easy to figure out she leans more toward that cause. Which to me is fine. I am trying to make the point here that is fine to take sides, in fact its beneficial. Be who you are and make stances. Otherwise, the noise you make maybe only heard by you and that’s not a good PR move.

LEARNING THE HARD WAY

I found this out myself.  Here’s what happened to me. When I entered college I wanted to pursue a career as as sportscaster (don’t laugh too hard). With that, I was able to finagle being the guest on a local radio sports show.  It was my first foray into media and I was nervous, yet excited about the opportunity.  Five minutes into the interview he asked me my opinion about who would win the “freeway series,” between The Los Angeles Dodgers and then the California Angels.  I said something to the effect like “both teams seemed to performed strongly in pre-season” – I was in Switzerland, I gave a valueless “gray answer” and boy I got ripped when we went to the next commercial. The local sportscaster told me if I wanted a future in the business, I needed to have an ‘opinion’ on everything and I had to boldly state it. Otherwise, I would never make it. I needed to take a stance; he was right and that thought has stuck with me ever since.

I also often use this statement that I overheard somewhere…”when throwing a dinner party, it’s best to invite guests of differing opinions. Otherwise, it would make for one boring and long dinner discussion if we all agreed on the same subjects.” I so agree. We all can learn from each other.

So I’m taking a stance against the gray area and half-pregnancy and hope that you will call me out if you see me falling into this common practice. Is this something you have experienced too? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

 

5 Best 2011 Emmy Award Screeners

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The Emmy Award Process Is Just That...A Process

The countdown to the Prime Time Emmy Awards has begun.

Well, the process began months ago, when producers/production companies and networks began thinking about which shows, actors and crew would be nominated for TV’s  highest awards. April 29 was the deadline for all entries and since that time, members like me have been inundated with DVD screeners.

THE PR POSTMAN COMETH

For you see, producers, production companies and/or networks, often create DVD screeners which are mailed during the nomination window of March to June 10.  These people think that by investing in screeners that their show has a better chance of being voted on for who in their right mind, besides a TV critic, is able to sample everything on air. It’s impossible.

For over 15 years I have been a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ and as such, I have received DVD screeners for that length of time. I love getting them and yes, I do watch them.  They prove extremely helpful when it is time for me to cast my vote. In addition to having an additional opportunity to catch particular shows, I love observing how each DVD is branded. Each has its own unique nuance and price point and so I thought I’d show the DVDs I was mailed this year. For examples, please view the video below.

 

TOP 5 EMMY SCREENERS

As you see, producing and mailing screeners are not a cheap endeavor, it is quite an investment.  However, if I was able to vote on which were the best, these would be my top five.

She's Literally "Torn" Between Them - Spot On Brand Marketing

(1) HBO – They packaged their series, documentaries and specials in easily identifiable box cartons. They use this same box design every year as they should because it’s brilliantly useful and its cover art is stunning.  It reeks of class and prestige and it showcases dozens of shows in a small space. Magnificent.

(2) THE GOOD WIFE - HBO may be my overall winner, but “The Good Wife’s” design and messaging was my top choice for a single program. I do not watch the show, but I am aware that the lead character in the series has been struggling deciding between two men in her life. Therefore, by having a spot in the middle of the package that you have to tear to open was brilliant. The tear literally separates the main character from the two men.

(3.) BIO – I thought Bio’s packaging was extremely smart and classy and compact. They included a page for each of their shows and bundled it all up with one nice case that had a magnetic clasp.

(4.) MODERN FAMILY – I have to give ABC’s “Modern Family” marketing team an A for ambition. They organized a separate photo shoot just for the DVD screener. All others just used gallery photos.

(5.) FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS’ DVD screener is a definite keeper. I have to admit my bias here…but I absolutely have loved every minute of this TV series. And its screener is spot on perfect in carrying off the tone and sentiment of the show. Fans of this series will not soon forget it and thanks to the producers, we don’t have to with this screener.  In addition to providing every episode of the last season, they have tucked away in an inside compartment small photographs of key moments and characters in the show.  This extra touch was wonderful just like the show.

Friday Night Lights DVD Screener Carried the Sentiment and Tone of the Show. Hopefully, Emmy voters will have clear eyes and full hearts so it can't lose.

Well, that about wraps it up for me with this post. I hope you have enjoyed this behind-the-scenes peek at the Emmy voting process. I have to be going now for I have a lot of  television to watch before June 24. That’s my deadline to send in my Emmy ballot.

Until next time,

Cindy

 

How Hashtags Improve Tweets

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Talking Hashtags with Darin, Lisa and Kate McClure. Photo Credit:@Amykimesdesign

For those of us who are involved in the television industry, the rule of thumb has always been to put titles of TV shows in quotes whenever they are written about in releases or press articles. Therefore, if I was writing a press release about Fox’s hit show “Glee,” I would have it written with the quotes as I did in this sentence.

Yesterday I was looking at my Twitter stream of some of my media colleagues and I noticed that they were not using hashtags properly and in fact, really not using them at all.  For you see, these reporters are tweeting about specific TV shows, but they are putting the titles in quotes when they should be putting a hashtag instead.

Do you know what a Twitter hashtag is and are you using them on a regular basis?

In case you are new to hashtags, here’s how Twitter defines them: The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages.

THE PROPER USE OF HASHTAGS

Corporate Media Strategist Darin R. McClure of Ready To Go Information Technologies is often overheard saying that search is not the problem with the Internet, its sorting the information which is the most difficult. He and his wife, Lisa, are advocates of Twitter and both have a in-depth knowledge about Twitter’s multiple uses for companies and users. If you follow their respective Twitter streams (@darinrmcclure, @lisamcclure) you will watch poetry in 140-character action. They are extremely gracious and informative and involved in organizing several high level Twitter chats (full blown regular conversations). I highly recommend you follow them.

I recently was able to catch up with both Darin and Lisa and interview them about the merits of using twitter hashtags.  That interview is below.

[youtube width="960" height="540"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eJkVPo-Cug[/youtube]

HOW HASHTAGS ARE HELPFUL

1. People on Twitter use hashtags before relevant keywords to categorize their tweets so that a particular topic shows up more easily in Twitter Search.

2. If you click on a hashtagged word in any message, you will see all other Tweets in that category.

3. The most popular hashtagged words often become trending topics and if your tweet is re-tweeted a lot, it can become the top tweet for that topic.

Can you Over Hashtag? As a general rule of thumb, Twitter.com recommends no more than three hashtags per tweet. Anything over that number is considered  over-tagging and yes, they even call it hashtag spam.

IN SUMMARY

  • When tweeting about topics, use a (#) and not (” “).
  • Don’t start your tweets with an @ symbol. Put some letter or words before it…Like “Hi” and then address the person in the tweet. That way your tweet is open to your entire twitter stream.
  • Check out Tweetchat.com when wanting to connect with others who are passionate about your same topics.
  • And follow me, Lisa and Darin too. We’d love to continue this hashtag conversation with you!

Special thanks to videographer @jasontucker and photographer @amykimesdesign. Follow them too.

Cindy often uses #PR to sort her tweets.

About the Author: Cindy Ronzoni loves conversations on any platform. As an experienced communicator, Cindy often writes about devices or methods to promote people, places and products. She also is an active member of Orange County, California’s social media endeavors and as such, gets the privilege of rubbing elbows with such astute practicioners as Darin and Lisa McClure. Cindy also frequently writes about small business matters on her company blog at: http://socialspreadmedia.com.

If you feel like giving her some +klout support, feel free to put it toward #pr.

 

 

How To Land the Right Job After College

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Grads: The World is at Your Feet...Copyright All rights reserved by Albert Kenyani Inima

The headline of “How To Land the Right Job After College” may be a bit loaded I know. Landing jobs are difficult for everyone, no matter when you graduated or will graduate. But, I do feel that recent college grads and soon to be college grads can get hired in the positions that they have always dreamed about.  By following a few of these suggestions below, any aspiring employee can get closer to the job of their choice or at least assist in job search.

How do I know? What makes me an expert on this topic?

I’m no job education expert, but I am an experienced executive who has worked at major corporations. I also am skilled in job search, due to a professional program I recently attended thanks to a former employer.  And I often speak at local colleges, so I do have a sense about what college students are feeling these days.  So for those reasons and those reasons alone, I strongly suggest you read on and heed some of my sage advice in this matter.  Here we go.

JOB SEARCH TO DO LIST

(1) When asked what type of job you are looking for..NEVER NEVER NEVER answer this way: “I’ll take anything really, I just need a job.” This is a wrong answer. Go immediately to Point No. 2.

(2). Did you know that 97 percent of all jobs are acquired through networking and people you know? That’s a true fact.  Therefore, if you don’t know what kind of job you want or what company you would like to work for…people like me can’t help you. I have no idea what you majored in or what your passions are. This answer hurts you more than it can ever help you. Never be vague. At least give us something to work with…

Some things that you could say if you aren’t preciously sure of what you are looking are answers like these…”I’m interested in an entry-level position at a national hotel chain (insert area here) and I would like to stay in this area.”  Or “I would like to work for a mortgage company and I will relocate for the best opportunity.” Or “I interested in pursuing a career in the action sports industry. I’d like to work in marketing and promote apparel lines and will relocate if necessary.”

Can you see how these answers are a major improvement? It helps give people a better sense of how they can help you. And people really want to help you. Heck, in this tight economy, everyone knows that we need to help each other.  It’s a given.

(3.) Now that you know what kind of position you want, you need to ask everyone and anyone to help you connect with the right companies and the right people who can hire you.  In job search, shyness isn’t allowed. You’ve got to overcome your job fright. Never be embarrassed when you meet people to immediately ask them if they know anyone in the area of your job search.  This applies to your parent’s friends who come over, your teachers, your pastors, your music teacher, your grocery clerk, your bank teller and your doorman. Heck, even ask people you meet in the elevator. Well, that may be a bit too much, but heck how can it hurt. You have to solicit for your job. I mean I’m constantly having my door bell rung with kids asking me to buy cookies, magazine subscriptions, or wrapping paper to support their school drives. If you could do it then, you can do it now. Say hello and then go into your job spiel…Hi I’m So and So. I’m graduating this month and I am looking for a position in organic farming. Do you know anyone in that field that I could talk to?  Again, don’t be shy. Heck, email me and ask me for help. I’m now a connection for you. Ask people on your Facebook page. Put it out there. We’re here to help.

(4.) If you’re still perplexed about what you want to do…stop right now for I have some homework for you. Write down the five companies where you would like to work. Remember once you get hired, that company is going to grab 40 or more hours of your time a week, so why not work at a company you actually want to work for! Try to work at those companies first.

And then add those companies to your job speech…”Hi I’m a recent graduate of BLANK and I’ve majored in engineering. I am looking for an entry-level position at one of these companies GE, Boeing, Apple, Microsoft or Northrup. Do you know anyone at one of these companies? And if so, would you mind contacting them on my behalf?”

You Should Feel Like A Winner When You Land Your Job

(5.) Be confident and don’t be desperate. You’re in charge of your destiny and your search. You do not have to take any job that comes around. First go after the companies on your target list. Do it. I don’t want you to wake up one morning and regret that you never worked at Facebook. You don’t know until you try. And once you get hired…remember to keep networking for you need to always be ready for your next great job…even if that’s a promotion at the same company.

So go get that job of your dreams. Or least one that is a close match. You have invested a great deal of time and money into yourself going after that college education. 

That’s why you deserve to work at a company that you want as well one that wants you.

If you ever need any encouragement, please contact me. I’d love to pass on more words to help you feel like “Rocky.”

Cindy

Love the Group of Students at Cal Poly Pomona and My Shirt! Thanks again.

(This post is in honor of all the students at Cal Poly Pomona. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know them over the last semester and from my time spent there, I surely feel our future is in good hands. Congrats Graduates and to everyone else I look forward to seeing you next year!)

 

About the Author: Cindy Ronzoni has spent the majority of her career in entertainment publicity at major corporations. She now wears an additional hat, that of, blogger. She blogs here and at her company’s website: SocialSpreadMedia.com. Feel free to friend her up on Facebook and follow her on twitter. She has a soft spot in her heart for students and is a big supporter of PRSSA local chapters.

 

Can You Be A Brand?

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A savvy award-winning marketing colleague of mine took me to task today regarding my incorrect use of the word “brand.” He especially brought attention to how I’ve been using the term “personal branding” wrongly, for according to his experience a brand is not a person, but an inanimate object. And as it turns out he’s right. Here’s the definition of “brand” from netlingo.com

brand

A logo, corporate image, or distinct product or service identity that can become firmly rooted in the public’s mind. Its purpose is to establish a meaningful, differentiated presence that will attract and retain loyal customers.

To drive it a bit more home, here are some illustrations for you.

Are You One of These Products?

Products are Individual Brands

Bleach and Clorox Are Co-Brands

*An Author is Not a Product, But His Books Are

So if brands are products, like the three to the left. Then what do people have, if not personal brands?

It was explained to me that people have reputations. They have personality. They have interests, desires, ambition, talents, integrity and passions.

They are not objects like Q-tips, or Valvoline Oil or bread crumbs or WordPress Themes.

However, as the definition states above, the purpose of brands are to attract and retain loyal customers. Couldn’t the same be true for individuals?

Let’s look at the case of real estate executives for they are a perfect example. Realtors often work for a firm, (i.e., First Team Real Estate), but they act as individuals and are chosen by consumers for a variety of reasons. They pick up clients via referrals, online presence, personality and/or knowledge of the area.  Like branded products, “trust” plays a major part of their sales. (BTW-Trust is important for every professional by the way.) So if there are branded products that we “trust” couldn’t we say the same for people that they have “trusted” brands as well? Or is it more correct to say that you “trust” a person’s reputation instead?

I thought this topic was delicious food for thought and one I’d love to hear your opinion on…Are We Brands or Not?

Do tell.

*(I recently attended a speaking engagement featuring super savvy and smart social business consultant Gary Vaynerchuk, hence, the reason why I used his new book “The Thank You Economy” as an example of a brand product. This was my way of giving him a nod and a way to promote his efforts. I’m a big fan and will blog about my him in upcoming posts.)
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