Should "Christian" be part of your brand?

(This post is the third in a 3-part series.)

1. Two weeks ago we talked about choosing 3-to-5 words to describe your brand.
2. Last week we talked about re-branding in case you feel like you’ve developed a brand you aren’t crazy about.
3. This week we’ll talk about whether your faith [and the word “Christian” specifically] should be part of the brand you use at work.

What words did you choose? What do those words mean to you? What do you think those words mean to other people?

One of the points I mentioned the first week is that this list is for you, to remind you of how you want to act at work. It’s not for you to have tattooed on your forehead for others to see.  But it’s not a bad idea to know what others’ initial responses are to your branding words. What are their first thoughts (and perhaps, any baggage associated with those words) when they hear them?

If you say “I’m innovative” , some people see that as  code for being an original thinker. For others, that’s code for “this gal is looking for a trendy word to describe herself, but if she has to say she’s innovative, she probably hasn’t had an original thought in years.”

There are more potential interpretations for the word “Christian” than there are for “innovative.” An article by Cathleen Falsani in the Huffington Post, the Trouble with Christian Labels, demonstrates that words like “Christian” and “evangelical” are defined in multiple ways (and not uncommonly negatively).

Does it mean you’ll be extra nice and not swear (which may be some people’s interpretation of “Christian”)? Does it mean you’ll put a few strategically placed Bible verses up as decorations on your desk? Does it mean you’ll fight for justice and the oppressed?

Show, Don’t Tell

“Show, Don’t Tell” is an old adage for fiction writers. It’s the idea that it is more effective to allow the readers to “experience the story through a character's action, words, thoughts, senses, and feelings rather than through the narrator's description.”[i]

It applies to our personal brand as well. We aren’t going to tell someone we are thought-leaders, honest, imaginative, influential, teachable, creative or any of the other words we came up with. We are going to show our colleagues that we are those things. We want our colleagues to experience our brand.

So what kind of experience do you want to create as a Christian?

Your faith is the foundation of your brand. It influences each of the words on your list. Use a verse from scripture to emphasize each of the brand words you chose. For example:

• “Encouraging” - sarcasm is an often-used method of communication in a lot of work places. Do you want to be known as someone who builds others up? Proverbs 15:4
• “Excellent” - create excellent products, keep an excellent attitude, because you are working for God. Colossians 3:22
• “Creative” - there are plenty of people who don’t believe in Jesus who are creative, but your creativity is modeled off God’s character, who was the ultimate creator. Romans 1:20

Putting the word “Christian” on your branding list and trying to act Christian-y is a bit messy. Figure out the attributes of God that are most needed in your workplace and let them drive your brand.  Your faith is the foundation of your brand – all of it – not just one of the words you put on a list.

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[i] Wikipedia definition for Show, Don’t Tell

Re-branding

Re-branding: Last week we talked about developing your brand at work.

But what if you have been at your job for a while and you aren’t crazy about the brand you have developed (whether actively or passively)? How can you adjust your attitude - and brand - midstream?

Let’s take a look at two examples of products that have rebranded:

 

One the left, you have Dominos. A few years ago they realized their customers thought their pizza “tasted like cardboard.” Do you remember their really honest commercials featuring everyone from chefs to executives talking about their commitment to make a pizza you would love?

Then, on the right is Old Spice. The target audience for this blog is women, not men. You're not the main consumers of Old Spice, but when I put this picture up, you know what I'm talking about, don't you?

(Besides, how often will I get to post a picture of an attractive, shirtless man on my blog? I couldn't pass that up! - keep reading & you'll get to see a video of him too)

Both of these products re-branded:

• Dominos started over. They realized their customers were unsatisfied. They said “we made mistakes and we want to make it right.” They created new recipes and invited people to give them another chance. They were aiming to keep the same customers but to satisfy them better.
• Old Spice is a 70-year-old brand and likely had the clientele to support that. According to an article I read in Business Week their goal with their rebranding campaign wasn’t to influence their current clientele, they wanted to capture their competitor’s market share of younger deodorant users.

My own re-branding: At a previous job I took on a “newbie” attitude, afraid to make any recommendations or assert myself. I was surprised when, a year later, people were still coddling me, giving me extra affirmation, and hesitant to give me challenging assignments.

The brand I’d built was that of a cautious, easily overwhelmed young colleague, rather than the confident, trusted peer I wanted to be (and believed I could be).

I think that it’s necessary and appropriate sometimes to take the “Dominos route” and re-brand to the same audience, especially when you are staying in the same job. In this example though, I took the Old Spice route – I targeted a new group of people. I continued to work with my team, but I also looked for opportunities outside my normal assignments. I demonstrated my competency to new colleagues, all the while continuing to work hard on my regular tasks.

I grew my experience and “raised my stock” within the organization. New colleagues started to trust my expertise. My re-branding spread, and even my old team realized I had more potential than they first thought.

Some tips for re-branding:

• Know what you want your new brand to be. Both Dominos and Old Spice were very explicit about their brand and their target audience. If you haven’t done the homework from last week’s post – think about (and write down) the 3-to-5 words you want to describe your brand at work.
• Be persistent. Neither Old Spice nor Dominos won people over in one interaction. Dominos knew they’d have to change people’s minds, to get them to re-consider. Old Spice, for example, created a campaign that included 186 online videos where Isaiah Mustafa interacted with the public. For you, this means that even though someone may expect you to act like your “old self” and treat you accordingly, you have to continue to “be your new brand."
• Give stuff away. Old Spice gave away free samples. Dominos gave everyone a chance to try their new pizza recipes for free. You can do the same thing: volunteer for an additional project even if it involves staying late. It’s not unreasonable for people to need to try a product to become convinced of its value.

You can do it. You can rebrand. Everything I read about Dominos and Old Spice tells me it’s hard work, but it can be done.

And… just because I can: (video of Isaiah Mustafa) [embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=3R2cnxz27LI[/embed]

Developing your "brand" at work

I work with people who are rarely seen without a Diet Coke in their hand. I know people who shop exclusively at Trader Joes. And many I know would choose Starbucks over another coffee whenever they have the option. What is it about a particular soda, store or coffee that engenders such loyalty? Why are people so committed to one brand? And what does branding have to do with your job?

Branding

Originally branding was a way to identify your cattle – ranchers would stamp their mark on their herd so if they intermingled with another herd, they could identify their own.

But now a brand is more than just a mark on the hindquarters of a cow; it’s the personality or perception of a product. The term has evolved to cover companies, products and even your own personal image.

Why should you have a brand?

As companies will tell you, the competition for customers increases every day. Just like a product’s brand is its promise to its customers, your brand is your promise to your employers or colleagues.

How do you develop your “Brand Experience?”

If you were a product, how would you describe your qualities?

• Think of three to five words to describe how you want to be known at work
• The words should be influenced by your personality and your field
• Make sure your words are genuine – this isn’t about creating a new persona. It’s about focusing on the parts of your personality and skills that are most relevant to your job

Some examples:

• “Creative” - Helpful for an art teacher, generally not appropriate for an accountant
• “Refreshing” - Important for a soda, and it could be a great brand for a receptionist
• “Professional” - Boring, but important in a time when it seems like so many people are bothered by the thought of doing their job
• “Entertaining” - Good for a clown, but also probably helpful if you’re a pediatrician or a pediatric nurse.

Live Your Brand

Similar to how a company can’t just tell you they’re the best – they have to build a relationship with customers, you don’t put these words on your résumé and assume everyone will believe you. You have to live your brand.

Now that you’ve thought of the words you want to describe yourself at work, think about ways to put them into action. Keep a list of the words by your desk (you can hide them in your desk drawer so no one else can see them) to remind yourself throughout the day how you want to be known.

Realize it’s not just an image you’re creating. You aren’t doing this for everyone else so that they think better of you. This is who you are.

Looking to next week:

But what if you aren't new to your job and you feel like it’s too late to brand yourself? What if you feel like you’ve passively already been branded – and even worse – what if you’re not happy about your brand?

This blog is the first in a 3-part series about branding:

• Come back next week and we’ll talk about re-branding. It’s a trickier subject, but it can be done.
• Then the week after that, we’ll talk about whether the word “Christian” should be a part of your professional brand.

Stop and... enjoy some Christmas Cheer

I'm sitting in the living room, enjoying the glow of our Christmas tree. If you need a short break from all the hustle-and-bustle, wrapping-and-baking, take a look at one of these videos.

Christmas Flash Mob by Journey of Faith - performed December 18th, 2011

The Christmas story as told by children of St. Paul’s Church in Aukland, New Zealand (love those kiwi accents!)

They’re each about 5 minutes long. I know time is precious right now, but if you need to give yourself a rest, this is a good way to do it!

And if you're looking for some last-minute gifts - think about a gift-card to Opportunity International. It's a "meaningful gift that empowers an entrepreneur working her way out of poverty in another part of the world." Gift cards start at $10 and are a perfect gift for that person who has everything... They'll get to choose which client they help fund, and Opportunity International will keep them updated through emails through the life of the loan.

Merry Christmas!