personal brands

For the last six months or so, I have been immersing myself in the study of brands – that holy grail of marketing. Philosophically, psychologically and sociologically, they fascinate me in and of themselves. Branding and PR spring from the same desire to articulate our values so that our publics can understand who we are. An effective PR campaign and a strong brand accomplish the same goal: a personal relationship between us and our public which is beneficial for both parties.

In my branding work at Service Canada, I am focused on presenting a clearly articulated set of values, so that our employees both understand and embrace our mission. I am recruiting an army of thousands of Service Canada staff, and beginning a conversation with them about what it means to be the face of the Government of Canada. I am working with our College to develop branding training for managers, and incorporating our branding messages into our orientation and training curriculums.

I am having the time of my life.

As a PR practitioner, I’ve always felt my most alive when in evangelical mode. I suppose that’s part of what I love about teaching: it’s the gentle art of instruction and persuasion, culminating in that moment of connection where practitioner and public connect. Message received, understood, and action taken. Ahhhhhhh….

So what does that say about me? As I ask participants in my branding workshop, what is my own personal brand? What promises do I make to the people who choose to engage with me? For those of us who have worked as consultants, this is easier to define. It’s part of our business value proposition. There are certain things my clients can always expect of me, and this is part of my personal brand:
- vision
- integrity
- discretion
- sound judgement
- enthusiasm
and always a smile.

But ask a bureaucrat to identify their personal brand and you may momentarily see a look of puzzlement cross their face. It is so easy to become a cog in a machine, and lose any sense of connection with where the ship is actually going. Personal accountability is shared over such a large and diverse area, it really doesn’t seem to stick to anyone. And that is where the great divide arises between those who come in to the office to do a job and those for whom it is a calling. I truly felt called to Service Canada – with a mandate to change how people see government, I know this is my once-in-a-career chance to help redefine "public service" for the coming generations.

I just have to keep nurturing the patience I need to navigate the process. Oh, dear lord, the process. I am grateful daily for those of my colleagues who stand between me and the more ridiculous aspects of The System. Without them, I might succumb to the process, and lose sight of the vision which brought me here in the first place.