The winning candidate in the 2008 Presidential race, Barack Obama, took his singular brand all the way to the White House while executing his brand strategy with impeccable consistency. He outmaneuvered his competition and secured the top job in the country while laying out a coherent, confident and deftly articulated personal brand, affixing that to his campaign.
John McCain, on the other hand, began his campaign with an iconic brand, but lacked a systematic approach in concept and delivery. Even if you posit that McCain's personal brand of "maverick" was distinctive, it was not sustainable enough without a well-developed, consistent message and 21st-century technology blueprint. So, what does branding success have to do with reaching your career and job-search goals?
Rich analogies from Election 2008 are worth serious consideration if you must tackle job and career realities with a sobering urgency. Howard Fineman of Newsweek wrote in an election-day column for MSNBC.com entitled "The 'Obama Way': Seven Steps to Success" that "businessmen and politicians will reverently study the campaign for years to come as a model of innovative branding and an example for digital sales strategies."
Some suggested takeaways from President-elect Obama's campaign and brand execution:
- Begin your job-search campaign, career transition or turnaround by identifying your personal brand.
- Despite a tough, competitive environment, spend the necessary time to define and understand your personal values and career interests.
- Don't overlook the need for a comprehensive brand communication plan as you organize your search. I'll write more on this in another post to help you avoid a resume mistake that is unfortunately widespread.
- Work towards authenticity. Your audience in all it's diversity will know if you're the "real thing."
- Break out of the mindset that because you're an executive and feel that you must protect your brand, then you should avoid social networking tools altogether. There are plenty of business leaders and CEOs who use Facebook and other sites to communicate their personal brands.
After all, we can now analyze how the newest, top Chief Executive Officer built his following, earned brand devotion and achieved what was deemed an improbable career goal as he began his campaign.
Phyllis,
Great observations. I completely agree with you with respect to the Obama campaign's consistent and effective use of brand management. I was in a small town in New Hampshire (a swing state) at the beginning of election day and noted several strategies that I think can also be transferrable to the job search:
1. Visibility. One technique the Obama campaign used was to place flyers saying "Vote Obama Today" on cars throughout the area. The flyers could then be hung from rear view mirrors when the car was parked.
Similar strategy for career visibility for entry to mid-level job seekers: Personal Branding cards that you can order through 15secondpitch.com
2. Rapid Acknowledgement: I was standing next to an Obama campaign volunteer at a party. Prior to his acceptance speech, she received a text from then Senator Obama saying "I wanted to thank you before making my acceptance speech."
Job search strategy: When you've made career headway, let others who've helped you along the way know as well. Gratitude is contagious. And with that, thanks for all the advice you have shared with me in my work with emerging professionals.
All the Best,
Chandlee Bryan
Posted by: Chandlee Bryan | November 10, 2008 at 12:55 PM