As I wrote in an earlier blog, our "Brand" is the sum of the images and feelings that our Name and Presence evoke in others. Our "Brand" can be an "accidental" brand or a "deliberate" brand.
I suggest we work on the latter. And why not? Why should we leave it to others to define to the world who we are and what we stand for?
Here are the three (3) steps in a Personal/Professional Brand-building process which I developed for myself and for my friends.
Step 1: Decide - what are the three (3) most important characteristics you want the world to ascribe to you? These are called your BRAND ATTRIBUTES.
Step 2: Plan - what tools and activities would you use so the world can experience these ATTRIBUTES and remember and associate them with you? These are the major elements of your BRANDING STRATEGY.
Step 3: Calendar - when do you intend to do use these tools and implement the activities in your Branding strategy? This is your BRANDING PROGRAM.
Let me share first how I did my Step 1.
Discovering our potential BRAND ATTRIBUTES can actually be fun and could lead to making our ties with friends, families and associates even stronger. I began by asking them casually and informally what "VALUE" I add to their lives. "VALUE" represents the positive changes and improvements they experience because of my presence in their lives.
Here were some of the answers (among the many) to the question, what "VALUE" do I add to their lives :
1. They learn new skills, new approaches, new ways of doing things
2. They learn to like themselves, overcome fear and poor self-esteem
3. They experience the loyalty of a friend
After reflecting for some time on the feedback they gave me, I made a decision to focus on three areas that I believe are the strongest positive attributes that the world associate with me:
One, COACH
Two, COUNSELLOR
Three, COMRADE
Those are the three (3) major, primary BRAND ATTRIBUTES which I decided the world should know and remember me by. They represent the three best ways by which I can "add value" to the lives of others and help them in their own journeys.
On Tuesday, July 13, I will share with you the tools and activities I am using so my three BRAND ATTRIBUTES are known, experienced and remembered by the world.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
We all have a "brand"
Not only companies and products have "brands". We all do.
"Brand" is not just a name and logo. It is what image immediately comes to people's mind or the emotion that they feel when they come across the name and the logo. Or come across OUR name and picture.
People buy products or patronize a company not just because of the logo and name, but because of the image and the emotion associated with them. Same goes for all of us: we are hired, consulted, promoted because of the image and emotion associated with our face and name.
Most of us have "accidental" brands. Some have a "delibate" brand - meaning, something they decided on, invested in and painstakingly built. They did not leave to chance how they want others to see and feel aboout them.
Most of us rely on our "accidental" brand - images and emotions ascribed to us by those who observe and follow our lives and careers. Some of us can be "lucky" and end up with positive "accidental" brands. Most, however, end up with a brand that do not mirror their real person. It is tragic when good people in government end up with the negative brands simply because they did not handle their interaction with the public through media well.
Education Secretary Armin Luistro faces that risk today: a good man in government with a negative brand. Decades before him, a similar fate befell another good man in government - President Cory's transportation secretary, Reinerio Reyes.
However, there are "positively branded" people in the President Noynoy Aquino government.
One stands out: Transportation Secretary Jose "Ping" de Jesus.
In the industry and circles where he moves, Secretary Ping is known as a man of sterling credibility and integrity who "fast tracks" major infrastructure projects in a manner that is devoid of controversy and anomaly.
Building that brand began in 1990 after Luzon was struck by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that devasted large parts of Northern Luzon. President Cory tapped Secretary Ping to head the Task Forec to bring Northern Luzon back on its feet with a whopping P10 billion fund for reconstruction and rehabilitation.
As the task began, rumors started to spread through media that there were instances of gross misuse of the funds and of ghost projects. Some columnists planted insinuations that Secretary Ping could be involved in the anomaly. Unfair treatment for a man whose sole mission was to serve his President and countrymen well.
But Secretary Ping had a clear understanding of his role and mission and knew that the troubling insinuations could impact negatively on the reconstruction program. Therefore, though shy and self-effacing by nature, he decided to assume a high-profile role. He decided on what the "brand" of the Task Force would be - the watchdog of the P10 billion fund. As head, he would make sure that every centavo would go to the intended legal purpose.
Secretary Ping spent a great deal of time personally inspecting projects, listening to affected families, and updating the public through media on how the funds are being used. More important, he tapped the help of media to air warnings agains those who would misuse or abuse the funds. He also exposed ghost and substandard projects oftentimes incurring the ire of corrupt local government officials and contractors.
But Secretary Ping had Media on his side. Nope, he did not have good techniques on how to "handle media". He was not "savvy". He merely kept himself available, spoke to the people through media with candor and sincerity, and, most important, he never displayed anger or rudeness in their presence.
He finished the job with no PR crisis. No controversy. Just a new and refreshing "Ping de Jesus" brand.
The brand provided more than sufficient reason for him to eventually become Public Works Secretary under President Cory and Presiden Ramos. He moved on to pilot PLDT's zero-backlog program and to give the country one of its finest expressways - the North Luzon Tollways.
President Noynoy made a wise choice in tapping the "Ping de Jesus" brand for the Transportation and Communications Department. That brand will add much value to the goodwill of the Noynoy Presidency.
The "Ping de Jesus" brand is not accidental. It was painstakingly built and nurtured. I should know.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
"Media Handling" a Fallacy
We laud the move by President Noynoy Aquino to have the members of his official family go through a workshop on “Handling Media”. This is a clear signal that the new Chief Executive values the role that media will play in his administration. The benefits of this workshop should be visible within the next few weeks as his administration steps up its bid to establish a clear agenda and identity.
Given that our esteemed colleague, Carol Esposo-Espiritu is conducting the “Media Handling” workshop, President Noynoy should rest assured that his cabinet officials will be learning from a master of the craft.
We hope, however, that the Cabinet would view the Espiritu workshop from a better perspective.
They should not expect her to “teach” them how to “handle” media. That much-abused PR term “handling media” is a major fallacy.
Media cannot and must not be “handled”.
Media has its distinct and important role. It has its own way of doing things and going about its job. No one can dictate or control the culture of media and the behaviour of journalists. It is better for all of us to leave them alone to do their job.
At best, Cabinet members should only expect to learn one important thing: how to handle themselves during interviews and other interaction with media.
The lesson begins with a good appreciation of the reason why Cabinet members face media. “Media” means “bridge”. Media is the valuable link that connects the Noynoy Aquino presidency to the people he is sworn to serve.
It will be good for our Cabinet members to keep in mind two very important things when they face media.
First, that they are the alter ego of President Noynoy.
Second, that during media interviews, they are not really just talking to a reporter or an anchor person – they are actually speaking to the Filipino people watching television news in the comfort of their living rooms or listening to radio news updates while driving along Metro Manila’s clogged thoroughfares.
How they behave and conduct themselves during those interviews do not affect the reporter or anchor person. It affects the viewing and listening publics.
For example, that condescending and angry blast made by Education Secretary-designate Armin Luistro regarding media’s “uselessness” in the debate on sex education was felt more by us than by the pack of journalists to whom the remark was thrown. Listeners and viewers must have recalled the feeling of being scolded by a strict principal or schoolmarm when they heard that now-famous Luistro tirade.
We hope Espiritu would advice Luistro that President Noynoy may have been collateral damage in that unfortunate exchange with media. Luistro definitely planted a negative first impression. If that kind of exchange is repeated in the future, the impression is reinforced and becomes “image”. Unless our experience of him through media radically changes soon, the “image” can become “reputation”. And unless he watches it, the “reputation” can become a negative Luistro “brand”.
And that negative Luistro “brand” could take its toll on President Noynoy himself.
Here’s a piece of valuable advice I often give to government and private sector personalities whom I have been privileged to bring through media interview rehearsals. I always underscore that during media interviews on public affairs and news programs, a government official or business executive “can say what he or she feels, but cannot dramatize that feeling”.
It was perfectly alright for Luistro to say that he is “disappointed” with the role that media has so far played on an issue besieging his turf. Said in a civil and professional manner, we could have all understood and shared what he felt.
But that angry and condescending manner in which the remark was hurled at media hit us all. And now, we have a negative impression of him. He could have handled himself better if he knew he was not just speaking to media but to all of us.
Does the principle of “saying how one feels but not dramatizing it work”? I believe so.
One of the best persons I have worked with on practice for media interviews was a former Armed Forces chief of staff who later became part of the diplomatic corps.
He was an firm adherent to the principle. In so doing, he gave the AFP a fresh, new face. For once, we saw a battled-tested general who spoke to us through media interviews without the arrogance and the fierce commanding voice we associate with men in uniform.
Under his watch, the public approval rating for the AFP moved up from the negative zone to a positive 10. That was a first-time feat.
Our cabinet members can surely learn a lot from him.
Given that our esteemed colleague, Carol Esposo-Espiritu is conducting the “Media Handling” workshop, President Noynoy should rest assured that his cabinet officials will be learning from a master of the craft.
We hope, however, that the Cabinet would view the Espiritu workshop from a better perspective.
They should not expect her to “teach” them how to “handle” media. That much-abused PR term “handling media” is a major fallacy.
Media cannot and must not be “handled”.
Media has its distinct and important role. It has its own way of doing things and going about its job. No one can dictate or control the culture of media and the behaviour of journalists. It is better for all of us to leave them alone to do their job.
At best, Cabinet members should only expect to learn one important thing: how to handle themselves during interviews and other interaction with media.
The lesson begins with a good appreciation of the reason why Cabinet members face media. “Media” means “bridge”. Media is the valuable link that connects the Noynoy Aquino presidency to the people he is sworn to serve.
It will be good for our Cabinet members to keep in mind two very important things when they face media.
First, that they are the alter ego of President Noynoy.
Second, that during media interviews, they are not really just talking to a reporter or an anchor person – they are actually speaking to the Filipino people watching television news in the comfort of their living rooms or listening to radio news updates while driving along Metro Manila’s clogged thoroughfares.
How they behave and conduct themselves during those interviews do not affect the reporter or anchor person. It affects the viewing and listening publics.
For example, that condescending and angry blast made by Education Secretary-designate Armin Luistro regarding media’s “uselessness” in the debate on sex education was felt more by us than by the pack of journalists to whom the remark was thrown. Listeners and viewers must have recalled the feeling of being scolded by a strict principal or schoolmarm when they heard that now-famous Luistro tirade.
We hope Espiritu would advice Luistro that President Noynoy may have been collateral damage in that unfortunate exchange with media. Luistro definitely planted a negative first impression. If that kind of exchange is repeated in the future, the impression is reinforced and becomes “image”. Unless our experience of him through media radically changes soon, the “image” can become “reputation”. And unless he watches it, the “reputation” can become a negative Luistro “brand”.
And that negative Luistro “brand” could take its toll on President Noynoy himself.
Here’s a piece of valuable advice I often give to government and private sector personalities whom I have been privileged to bring through media interview rehearsals. I always underscore that during media interviews on public affairs and news programs, a government official or business executive “can say what he or she feels, but cannot dramatize that feeling”.
It was perfectly alright for Luistro to say that he is “disappointed” with the role that media has so far played on an issue besieging his turf. Said in a civil and professional manner, we could have all understood and shared what he felt.
But that angry and condescending manner in which the remark was hurled at media hit us all. And now, we have a negative impression of him. He could have handled himself better if he knew he was not just speaking to media but to all of us.
Does the principle of “saying how one feels but not dramatizing it work”? I believe so.
One of the best persons I have worked with on practice for media interviews was a former Armed Forces chief of staff who later became part of the diplomatic corps.
He was an firm adherent to the principle. In so doing, he gave the AFP a fresh, new face. For once, we saw a battled-tested general who spoke to us through media interviews without the arrogance and the fierce commanding voice we associate with men in uniform.
Under his watch, the public approval rating for the AFP moved up from the negative zone to a positive 10. That was a first-time feat.
Our cabinet members can surely learn a lot from him.
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