I'm the Google Glass guy at work now. Everyone knows me as that one fella who walks around with that thing on his face -- everyone from the gang in accreditation to the entire admissions team to the President and the CEO of the college. What can Google Glass teach us about personal branding?
As a Glass Explorer and one of only about 10,000 people picked by Google to wear their new Glass wearable technology, I originally purchased them to get in on the ground level of a whole new app store. My goal was to wear them around as much as I could to better anticipate the future use cases of consumers for a completely new market. I didn't think of the affect Glass would have on my brand.
At first, there were quite a few people who told me I looked futuristic, silly, or even creepy. Those voices got to me during the early days of being a Glass Explorer to the point of considering not wearing them to work or in public anymore. But then something game-changing happened.
A Moment With My CEO That Changed Everything
One morning I was sitting in a public area updating with a colleague when our CEO sat down next to us, wanting to learn more about Glass. I gave him a demo and he marveled at how futuristic they were.
He went on to share that he told all his friends that he knew a guy at work who had Google Glass and that they were all very impressed that their pal had such a visionary working for him. I'd like to think my work speaks for itself, but I'm not too proud to get a Glass-related boost when I can get one.
Great Brands Maximize the Experience
As with any great consumer brand, great personal brands should seek to maximize the experience of a few key personas, such as clients, customers, and CEOs.
If having Glass makes me a visionary to one very important person, it can more than make up for the handful of those who are uncomfortable with the technology and associated societal implications of Glass. The same is true with strengths, personality traits, and many other aspects of your personal brand, too.
What aspects of your personal brand are most appealing to your key customers? Do you find that some of your strongest traits and characteristics are often subject to the attention of others but embraced by those you serve the most?