Stealth Branding, or: The Batman Approach
- Image by; dechobek
For most of us, setting out to create and promote our own Brand Identities means at least temporarily having to work a day job for an employer who already has their own. Until you’re ready to end that relationship (preferably on good terms, no need to burn bridges when you’re trying to build a following), you’ll have two brands to maintain; your employer’s and your own.
Dan Schawbel over at Personal Branding Blog has weighed in on this issue, giving us 10 Ways to Get Fired For Building Your Personal Brand. Dan’s got some great advice, and several of his examples seem to have the same moral:
Your Personal Brand and Your Employer’s Brand Should Never Mix.
Whether it’s a difference in ideaology, or an issue of the amount of time you’re spending on your brand instead of your employer’s, or your Brand putting you in direct competition/opposition with your employer, there will always be a reason why it is not a good idea to invite your manager to be your Facebook Fan, or link back to your CEO’s blog from your own.
It becomes so much simpler (and I think, more fun), if you handle it this way… Are you ready for this? …. You. Are. Batman.
You heard me. Batman. You are mild-mannered Bruce Wayne by day, responsible head of Wayne Enterprises. You manage your employees, you return value to your stockholders. You are a model citizen of the corporate world. But at night, you strap on your cape and cowl, and you fight for your ideals and your morals, making Gotham City a better place to live.
Okay, so I’m a huge nerd. But, I’m also serious. Until you’re ready for your Brand to become your full-time job and source of income, keep it as a secret identity, at least from prying eyes at work who might not like those pictures you just posted to your branded Flickr account.
How do you keep your work and personal Brands separate? Share in the comments.
