In This Issue
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Brenda's step-by-step personal branding system to take charge of your career. Earn more , do more and be more at work
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"One of the most comprehensive books on succeeding at job interviewing I have read." Los Angeles Times
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Master your personal brand to get the job you love - right out of college
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Brenda and other well-known speakers inspire and motive you to live your purpose
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Where in The World is Brenda Now??
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Author, Speaker, Trainer and Coach Brenda Bence travels extensively to present her unique approach to corporate and personal branding at conferences, conventions, & corporations all across the globe... |
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If you'd like Brenda to speak or train at an upcoming event, conference, or meeting, please
e-mail her at:
Brenda@BrendaBence.com
Here's where Brenda has engagements scheduled in the next few months: | |
2012
March 19-23: Bangkok
March 26-29: Singapore
March 31-April 3:
Hong Kong
April 17-20: Bangkok
April 23-27: Tokyo
May 3-16: Lincoln, NE (U.S.)
June 4-8: Mumbai
June 11-15: Bangkok
July 16-20: Bangkok
Brenda is now booking additional engagements for 2012.
Write to Brenda if you would like her to speak to, train, or coach your team. |
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Get a Deal If I'm Working Near You!
Save money by sharing expenses with my other clients. If you see I'm going to be at a location near you in the future, feel free to contact me so that we can explore what I could do to help build your team's leadership personal brands and help make a stronger Corporate Brand/Personal Brand Connection™. I look forward to hearing from you!
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Contact Us
Brand Development Associates International
Singapore Contact Information
Phone: +65-6322-1491
Fax: +65-6322-1493
6 Battery Road #31-01
Raffles Place
Singapore 049909
U.S. Contact Information
Phone: +1(312) 242-1830
Fax: +1(312) 277-9211
7477 West Lake Mead Blvd
Suite 170
Las Vegas, NV 89128
E-mail: Brenda@BrendaBence.com
Website: www.BrendaBence.com
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Greetings!,
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If you hoisted a mug of green beer on Saturday night in honor of St. Paddy's Day, you may be interested in this month's newsletter article about St. Patrick - the man - and the origins of the world-wide celebration built around this saint's "personal brand." We'll also talk about your very own corporate and personal "Brand Triangle" (yes, you have one!) and how to use it to make sure you've got the brand you want to have.
Maybe you're in the market for a job? If so, you'll learn some startling statistics about Facebook and just how powerfully it can impact your brand vis-a-vis potential employers. For the college grad in your life, I'll help debunk the myth that students coming out of university today are at a disadvantage when it comes to looking for employment. Oh, and be sure to check out who won our January "Power of 3" Brand Competition - congrats to the winners!
Here's to YOU™ ... and luck of the Irish to ya!
Brenda Bence
Brenda@BrendaBence.com
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How's Your "Brand Triangle™" Doing?
You may not know what a "Brand Triangle™" is, but I guarantee you already have one. The Brand Triangle, a model I created, is an approach for how to think about your brand, whether you're focused on growing a brand for a company, a product, or a service, or whether you're building your own individual personal brand. While it may not sound quite as exciting as a "romantic triangle," if you don't get your Brand Triangle right, your brand may very well end up in the Bermuda Triangle - disappearing into thin air, never to be heard from again. | |
What is a "Brand Triangle™" Anyway?
The Brand Triangle is a simple but effective way of finding out how well your brand is doing from three different angles (every pun intended). As the visual here shows, it compares (a) the brand you believe you have now, with (b) the brand you want (your desired brand), with (c) your brand as others see it.
If a corporate or personal brand is a great success, you can bet that all three points of its triangle are exactly the same.
Why is that important? Because unless you're absolutely certain about your brand's current and ongoing health, you won't be able to reap the benefits of building a strong brand. In fact, you could be coming down with a bad case of "brand denial."
Are You Floating Down the River of 'Brand Denial?'
I've worked with many companies and individuals over the years, helping them to build their brands, and I've run across many who were under the mistaken impression that their brand was just fine or at least doing better than it actually was. This is what I call "brand denial," a syndrome that can keep your brand from growing or even surviving. If you think you may have brand denial, don't feel bad - it's a bit like the common cold; almost everybody comes down with it at some point.
But brand denial needs quick medicine, and the Brand Triangle™ is one of the best diagnostic tools to help. Luckily, there are some easy, quick - and inexpensive - ways to find out exactly how your brand is doing.
Company Brand Strategies
If you're building a company, product, or service brand:
- Do an inexpensive online survey, asking your customers pointed questions about what they think of your brand. Online survey services like SurveyMonkey.com make it easy, low-cost, and even fun - you can watch the tallies come in one at a time. (Click here to learn about the "Five Words Exercise" for personal branding - it works for companies, too!)
- Conduct low-cost, in-person focus groups with key clients to find out what you're doing well and what could be improved. This doesn't have to be fancy. Just get a small group of your most trusted customers together, and take them out for lunch or dinner with the express intention of talking about their impressions - the good, the bad, and the ugly of your brand.
- Make sure your customers/clients have easy ways to complain. This doesn't cost a thing, and it will tell you very quickly - and no holds barred - which aspects of your brand you need to improve.
Personal Brand Strategies
If you're working on clarifying your personal brand, either inside or outside of a company, try the "Five Words Exercise."
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Congratulations! Announcing January's Winners
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A high-five is in order for the three winners of January's "Power of Three" e-newsletter Brand Challenge: Carole Lewis, Anita Roehling, and Sammy Liu. Congratulations!
Each has received a copy of my latest book, Smarter Branding Without Breaking the Bank.
Thanks for participating!
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St Patrick's "Personal Brand"
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On Saturday, March 17, millions of people around the world donned green and instantly became Irish as St. Patrick's Day was celebrated across the planet. Since there are very few world-wide celebrations named after only one person, I was curious to learn more about St. Patrick, the man, and what he did to create such a noteworthy 'personal brand' for himself. What I discovered was an intriguing life story that dates back to the 5th century and involves kidnapping, slavery, perseverance, diligence, and faith. St. Patrick - who (surprise!) was not actually born in Ireland - became a prominent religious figure there. I wonder what St. Patrick would think today if he saw beer and rivers running green in his honor!?
To find out more about St. Patrick, the man, and the origin of the holiday, read this interesting article.
P.S. Guess in what country the first St. Paddy's Day parade was held? Hint: It wasn't Ireland... Click here to find out
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Nomination - "Top Brand Guru of 2012"
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I feel honored and humbled to have been nominated as a Top Brand Guru of 2012! If you want to find out more, or if you're interested in voting, visit http://www.BrandGurus.net.
Thank you!
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Does Your Facebook Profile Need an 'About-Face?'
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A couple of years ago, when our main Asian office was still based in Bangkok, we were looking to hire two college interns to spend their winter school break holidays working for us. The chance to escape blustery winter weather and spend a few weeks working in balmy Bangkok apparently appealed to many, and we ended up with 75 applicants for only two internships. (We'd like to think the college students were really only interested in working for us, but we're far more realistic than that!)
Anyway, out of the 75 applications, we narrowed it down to five on our short list. On paper, they were all stellar, and my personal favorite resume was from one college senior (we'll call him "Jim") who seemed full of promise. Always excited to talk with bright young people, I looked forward to my interview with him.
But that interview never happened. Why?
Jim's Facebook photos were so ... well, embarrassing, that his application immediately went to the "thank-you-for-applying-but-no" pile. Photo one: Jim, shirtless, in a "muscle man" pose, wearing a baseball cap and holding a beer bottle. Photo two: Jim passionately kissing his girlfriend at a party.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm no prude. It's fine to do all of those things (especially the passionate kissing part!). But, when that is the key visual on your Facebook page, what kind of brand does that communicate to others? And if I hired Jim, and our clients wanted to check out our staff members, do I want those visuals to represent our company brand? Not really.
So, even though Jim was a potentially great candidate for what would have been a fun job, he fell off the list.
Putting Your Best Facebook Forward
The truth is that Facebook has been a liability for quite a few people lately. The news has covered stories of people getting fired or even arrested because of what they shared on their Facebook profiles. So, unless you know exactly how to take advantage of Facebook's privacy settings (and even then, it's risky), you could set yourself up for a rude awakening - especially if you're looking for a job.
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It's That Time of the Year Again! College Graduation Approaches
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It's that time of the year again - with graduation approaching, college seniors are busy cramming for finals, placing rental orders for caps and gowns... and worrying about what they're going to do after they leave university. According to the job placement firm, Adecco, only 40% of 2011 graduates were able to find a full-time job in their chosen profession. While the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) anticipates those numbers to increase by about 10% in 2012, that still means that more than 50% of this year's college grads will be leaving their alma maters without the job they want -- or without a job at all.
In today's economy, soon-to-be graduates need every possible piece of ammunition in their arsenal to make a lasting impression on employers and get selected from a sea of other candidates, many who have more experience. Personal branding helps grads get crystal clear on who they are, who they want to be, and what they have to offer the marketplace. If there's a college student in your life, consider award-winning How YOU™ Are Like Shampoo for College Graduates as a unique graduation gift. Filled with hundreds of previously-unshared interview secrets from corporate recruiters at dozens of the world's top companies, this is a resource that can help the college senior in your life not only get "a" job right out of college, but to land a job they love!
P.S. Think college grads are at a disadvantage when it comes to looking for jobs? I don't! Read why here.
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Digital Developments!
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Now, you can keep my latest book, Smarter Branding Without Breaking the Bank, at your fingertips no matter where you are! That's because, in addition to the paperback version of Smarter Branding, the book has also recently been published in three digital formats - PDF, EPub, and Mobi.
Click here to find out more! |
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We'll also keep you posted on the upcoming launch of our accompanying Fast Track to Smarter Branding - The Ultimate Package, which we will offer at a discount to newsletter subscribers before we release it at full price to the public.
We appreciate your ongoing support and loyalty, so we'll always make sure you get the best deals and early releases.
Stay tuned! |
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