Brand Management | Robert Stinnett

I came home from work today to a bunch of boxes piled up at my front door from Amazon. It’s always great to come home and see those brown boxes with the “smile” on them. I can always tell just pulling into the driveway that its another delivery from Amazon just by recognizing that brown box with the smile. It’s a great example of how Amazon’s brand has turned into sort of a cultural icon – there probably isn’t a person reading this that wouldn’t get excited about seeing one of those boxes on their own front porch.

Of course, I already knew what was inside the boxes which is why I wanted to be vain and talk about myself. You see, I realize that like a lot of companies my personal brand is tarnished. I don’t believe in my own brand – so why should someone else?

Let me explain…

I’m a YOUNG 35, but I feel my life has been pretty boring and routine. My day job is in IT, which I enjoy, but really isn’t what I want to do in life. I’m fat (yeah, I said it) and need to get in shape. I wear boring clothes. My idea of fun is watching the History Channel.

If I was a brand, the company would be bankrupt by now!

Lately I’ve been preaching the social media gospel where I work at CARFAX. I think my co-workers are ready to put cotton in their ears if they hear me yap on about how the old ways aren’t going to cut it anymore and we have get involved in the social networking sphere. Luckily, they agree, and we have a very visionary CEO who agrees not to mention a Vice President who shares the same vision. Never let it be said that CARFAX is a company that doesn’t have great leadership. I can honestly say not only do we have a rocking product that helps consumers make informed choices about their next car purchase, but we have at least two of the strongest leaders I have had the privilege of working for.

So here I am, talking about social media this… blah blah. Social networking.. blah blah. Brand and marketing.. blah blah. When I realized I wasn’t practicing what I preach.

With any brand, even in the social sphere, you have to present it properly. Nobody is going to be an evangel of your brand if you don’t believe in it yourself. The tweets and Facebook peeps of the world aren’t going to fall in love with your brand if your brand is nowhere to be found, or looks like a 3rd grader is in charge of it.

So, the question became, what the heck do I do about my personal brand – you know, Robert Stinnett.

Step #1 is to lose the darn weight – what I like to call presenting the brand. I’m happy to say I’m down about 18lbs since January 1st and got a lot more to go. However, this 35 year old guy is tired of being fat and is fixing that.

Step #2 is to be myself – or build the brand. I want my brand to be one where people look at me, or what I do and think to themselves “cool”. No more lifeless, bland, dull clothing. It’s time to put some red hot chili pepper into my brand!

Step #3 is to promote the brand. This one I’m proud to say I’m already doing through my blog, tweets, Facebook, Bebo and getting involved in the online and offline communities that I have an interest in (SEO, Marketing, Automobiles and Non-Profit work).

I hope in a few months I can come back and report back some great metrics for my personal brand – heck, at least some sort of uptick in the response rate if nothing else!

So, for those that read this far – would you like to know what was in the boxes? Well remember I said it was time to get rid of the dull clothing and start being myself? I picked up two pairs of C1RCA sk8 shoes from Amazon. Now I can hear some of you out there now — “Now I’ve seen it all, this 35 year old guy thinks he can skate board and dress like a 18 year old!” Unfortunately, no I have no intention of trying to skate board anywhere (well who knows—never say never!); and who says you have to be a teenage sk8r to wear these shoes? I may not be C1RCA’s target audience, but I’m pretty sure they don’t mind me plopping down the money to buy their shoes!