Art of Branding

My mother always said, “Beauty is only skin deep” and “Don’t judge a book by its cover” when I would fret over my looks.

Yet, the reality is, we judge people by the way they look every day.

When the hearings for Elena Kagan’s nomination start on Monday, June 28th, I doubt whether her looks will come up in the questioning, but her looks already have been commented upon in the media. (See Deborah L Rohode’s article on Kagan and her looks in The Daily Beast.)

As Rhode points out, “Looks are one of the last frontiers of acceptable bigotry.”
And looks are definitely an area where” the diversion of attention from achievment to appearance is more common.”

Yet, I can’t buy into Rhode’s thesis in the artifice and her new book, The Beauty bias, that we need to eliminate the beauty bias. She advises: “We have always known that it hurts to be beautiful, and that it hurts even more not to be beautiful. But few of us realize how much. Although our prejudice runs deep, we can do more to reduce its most unjust and unnecessary forms.

Impossible, I say. That’s like trying to change human nature.

While a mother loves all of her children, studies show the more attractive ones are favored. And study after study points out that we are all susceptible to the “beauty premium” and that looks have a halo effect. We think more attractive people are smarter, more productive, even kinder than unattractive people.

That’s why we have to acknowledge that the beauty premium exists, and package ourselves to advantage. Oprah has a weight issue like many of us but still packages herself attractively. And octogenarian Betty White is red hot on TV right now showing that you don’t have to be young either to be attractive.

We all can package ourselves to advantage. And it sure beats trying to change human nature.

Just when I was going to brand the 2011 election cycle as the year of the female candidate, I’m reduced to writing about hair.

Dee Dee Myers famously said about her experience as White House Press Secretary for President Clinton that “people don’t hear a word you say until they decide whether they like your hair or not”

Of course, Dee Dee was talking about a lady’s hair. (For a man’s hair style to register on the radar screen it has to be really out there like Donald Trump’s hair.)

Which brings to mind Carly Fiorina’s offhand comment about Barbara Boxer’s hair yesterday caught on an open mike. Carly is the Republican candidate for the US Senate and Boxer is the Democratic incumbent in California and both are revved up for battle in the general election.

My fear? That the great wins women have made in the primaries are already becoming a cat fight.

Asked about the incident by Greta Van Susteren, Fiorina said, “I was quoting a friend of mine. My goodness, my hair’s been talked about by a million people, you know? It sort of goes with the territory.” Fiorina then brought up her battle with cancer, adding, “Especially when you don’t have any. As you remember, I started out with none.”

Of course, Fiorina’s comments in a larger context aren’t a big deal. We all make gaffes particularly when we think we’re just talking to a trusted aide and don’t realize the mike is on. And Fiorina did brand herself as strong and courageous in my book when she began her campaign with absolutely no hair after battling cander.

But in another, more damaging way for women, her words reinforce popular stereotypes about women, namely that we’re catty and tear each other down behind the scenes.

How come so many executive women don’t have a strong business network and most men do? Whether it’s from years of playing together in team sports, guys understand the value of a big team of helpers and use it to their advantage, that’s why they call it the “Old Boys Network.”

Here are 5 networking mistakes women make:

1. Favoring a small group of supporters over a larger, more superficial group.

It’s in our DNA to favor deep relationships studies show. But in the world of work, a small group of intense relationships is not as powerful as a large group of superficial connections.

The more people you know and who know you – even superficially – the better. It’s often these “soft links” – people that you don’t know well that lead to opportunity.

2. Not trading in the networking economy.

Networking is an economy – an economy of favors – one that men know well and women are just learning about. The networking trade works like this: I do you a favor and there is an unspoken understanding that if an opportunity arises you will return the favor. Favor givers are attracted to those who reciprocate and punish those who take a favor and don’t reciprocate. For an economy to thrive, there has to be active trade back and forth. Be an active trader in the networking economy.

3. Having mainly women in your network.

An all female network is a weak network. Since more men are in positions of power, make sure you have a good mix of genders in your network, too.

4. No follow up.

It’s one thing to go to a networking event, and quite another to leave with new connections who will become a part of your ongoing network. Make sure you’re not just collecting business cards. Follow up afterwards with an email note and build a connection.

5. Episodic networking syndrome.

A lot of women use networking as a job search tool. And it is. So when their jobs look dicey, they start networking. Then, they go off on their merry way until the next job dislocation. It’s sort of like yo-yo dieting. About the second or third time you do this, your network starts to feel used.

Successful networkers take a long-term rather than short-term view. Be one of them.

Link to California Women’s Conference where this articles appears:

By Catherine Kaputa

Searching for a job in a bad economy is not high on anyone’s to-do list. To be successful, you need to use special tactics and strategies – you need to brand yourself. Branding is all about standing out and getting traction in a competitive environment.

Here are 5 ways to market Brand You for a successful job hunt:

1.    Target your customers
Adopt the marketing mindset by determining who your “customers” are. They might be hiring managers, influential people in your network, senior executives at your old company, etc. Then, rather than focusing on your needs (finding a job pronto), ask yourself these three questions:

• What are your customers looking for?
• What reaction do you want to get from them?
• How can you get that reaction?

Then work backwards:

• What is the best way to appeal to them?
• What accomplishments and experiences should you emphasize?
• What should you de-emphasize or eliminate?
• What specific actions can you take to get the reaction you want?

2.    Position your brand differently
When it comes to creating your brand, find the best positioning for yourself – something that you can stand for that is different, relevant and adds value. You want to solve a pain point in the marketplace. Remember, in terms of branding, the most important aspect is how you influence others’ perceptions. Position yourself and your attributes so that they sing for a specific job. Think of your resume as an “ad” for Brand You. Tell a compelling, relevant story with the resume, beginning with the profile at the top of the page. Everything should work together to position you and tell a cohesive brand story for you and the job you are exploring.

3.    Have a compelling “elevator speech”
The elevator speech is a must that many people overlook. Hence, when they are in the job interview or at a networking event, they stumble through explaining who they are and why that is important. The elevator speech is short. (That’s why it’s called an “elevator speech.”) It should be your sixty-second personal commercial. It’s your personal introduction that is colloquial, conversational and memorable. That’s why you’ll want to use a sound bite or analogy or anecdote to set yourself apart. In essence, an elevator speech should convey the key highlights of what you have done and how you did it. It should also imply that there’s more you can do, specifically for that customer.

4.    Be consistent at every touch point
Brands try to take advantage of every touch point so that everything works together when a customer comes into contact with the brand – the product itself, the advertising, the PR, the in-store experience – the total customer experience with the brand. Likewise, you should make sure your brand conveys a consistent image and message at every touch point:  your appearance, your resume, your phone messages, your emails, your follow-up letters, your business card. (If you’re unemployed, make sure you create a personal business card. Nix to writing your contact information on a scrap of paper or your old business card.)

5.    Seek “celebrity” endorsements
You may not know any real celebrities (I don’t either), but you no doubt know another type of “celebrity,” such as the CEO, President or SVP of a company where you worked, or a senior executive who could vouch for you. Ask them to provide a short sentence or two about your ability and character and use it as a third-party endorsement. You can use the quote in an addendum to your resume or in cover letters. You can also invite these “celebrities” to recommend you on LinkedIn. (You may want to make it easy by offering to draft the short testimonial so they can do the final editing.)

In following these 5 steps, you have the chance to weather the economic storm and come out of it with the job of your dreams.

Catherine Kaputa is a nationally known speaker, author, and self-branding guru. Her new book, The Female Brand, Using the Female Mindset to Succeed in Business came out in July. Her previous book, U R a Brand: How Smart People Brand Themselves for Business Success, was winner of the Ben Franklin Award for Best Career Book of 2007 and a bronze IPPY award. (The book is being reissued in paperback as You Are a Brand.) Kaputa is founder ofSelfBrand LLC, a NYC-based personal branding company.

More from Catherine Kaputa visit www.selfbrand.com

Brand yourself. Catherine Kaputa, author of The Female Brand , says “creating an identifiable package” for yourself can help you snag that corner office. Her blog taps well-known women (like Oprah and Sarah Palin) to explore her branding tips in action – like being different and embracing change.

Janet Napolitano, our head of Homeland Security, had a solid reputation as a female leader, even spoken of as a Democratic presidential candidate in the future.

That is until she uttered the words, “the system worked” in reacting the attempted Christmas day terrorist attack on Flight 253.

Though a little late in coming, President Obama demonstrated his leadership chops by saying with a tip of the hat to Harry Truman, “the buck stops here” and there was “a systemic failure.”

From a branding perspective, when a tragedy strikes a brand, a company or a country, as a leader you have to take responsibility and you have to present a plan to turn things around. And, most importantly, you have to utter words that convince people that you are up to the job.

People don’t want to hear that “the system worked” even if it did. Because if the system worked we need a new system that can be more effective in catching terrorists. What did work was the brave people on Flight 253 who took charge to thwart the world-be terrorist.

Napolitano further hurt our credibility as our leader of Homeland Security after President’s address yesterday. When asked what surprised her in her role as director of Homeland Security, Napolitano replied that she was most surprised “by the determination of Al-Queda.”

Are you surprised their determination? After 9/11, after the CIA massacre at Khost, after…?

The morale of this study is the importance of political savvy in personal branding. When you’re a leader, you have to realize that everything you say and do will be watched, especially when there’s a big mess-up. Your words can brand you as a leader or not up to the job.

CATHERINE KAPUTA ON REBRANDING YOURSELF   January 3, 2010

For many years a corporate advertising fly-flier on Madison Avenue, Kaputa has repositioned herself as “a cross between a brand manager and an executive coach”, writing about and teaching “personal branding”.

“It’s about looking at yourself as a brand in a commercial market place, packaging yourself with a visual and verbal identity distinct from others,” and developing a game plan for Brand You,” she enthuses. Her ideas have found favour in a particularly tough job market. “There are more and more people unemployed, worrying about becoming unemployed, feeling under-employed, or wishing to become entrepreneurs, and my strategies and techniques give them identity, visibility and edge. This isn’t just self-promotion, but about your CV telling your brand story and seeing your self-brand as a strategic and creative commercial project. This is particularly important for home-workers. When you’re working remotely, as more and more are, it’s essential to maximise Brand You.”

Kaputa writes, lectures, heads workshops and does individual coaching. She particularly focuses on women. “Some women say, ‘Why talk about such things in the business arena? There shouldn’t be any difference.’ I’m talking about the reality of the workplace, where male hubris has often won out over female humility when it comes to promotion. Whether to women’s groups in Fortune 500 companies or to my female readers, I emphasise the strengths women have in relationship building and communication, and how they can use those assets to help build their personal brands in the job market.” Kaputa will be bringing herself, her self-brand and her self-branding messages to the UK later this year. JH

ADVICE Come up with a unique signature phrase that you can use in every conversation. Think of Sir Alan Sugar and the success of “You’re Fired!”, which symbolises him being a tough business leader. Although you may not want to be known for saying that right now.

IN A NUTSHELL Learn to brand yourself

before others brand you in a way that you don’t like.

The Female Brand is published in the UK this summer. Kaputa blogs at www.selfbrand.com and tweets at twitter.com/catherinekaputa

Canadian Business Magazine: Winners & Losers 2009: Big winner – women
It wasn’t called a ‘he-cession’ for nothing: why more women kept their jobs.
By Lianne George

“Clearly, something needs to change,” a disgusted Howard Archer, chief European and U.K. economist at IHS Global Insight, told reporters back in February, commenting on the cabal of battle-weary British bank chiefs called to testify before parliament’s Treasury Select Committee. “You can argue that the men have made a right mess of it, and now the ladies should have a go.”
It’s been a popular sentiment this year. Take Iceland. Since the island nation’s devastating economic meltdown, it’s the ladies who have been directing clean-up — chief among them, the country’s first female prime minster, Johanna Sigurdardottir, who vowed to exercise “prudence and responsibility” in rebuilding the country’s financial system, where her male predecessors did not. Two more women, Elín Sigfúsdóttir and Birna Einarsdóttir, were recruited to head two newly nationalized banks.
Meanwhile, around the world, a seismic gender shift in the job market has taken hold. In Canada, a staggering 71% of the roughly 400,000 jobs lost since October 2008 belonged to men — while employment rates among women remained virtually unchanged. Reports from the U.S., Britain and elsewhere tell the same story — prompting commentators the world over to joke, a little cloyingly, that the Great Recession was really more of a he-cession.
One theory put forward to explain the job-loss divide is that women are simply cheaper. Even at the dawn of 2010, women still make, on average, just 70% of what their male colleagues do. This long tradition of being “shamefully underpaid,” may be suddenly, amazingly, paying off, says Catherine Kaputa, a Wall Street veteran and author of The Female Brand: Using the Female Mindset To Succeed in Business. “Everyone’s looking for value these days,” she recently told the London Evening Standard. “When the cost-cutters go over the compensation figures, women look like a bargain.”
Of course, there are much larger factors at work — chiefly, male dominance of certain cyclical industries. More than half of the Canadian jobs lost between October 2008 and October 2009 were in manufacturing and construction, sectors that are overwhelmingly occupied by men.
Still, it stands to reason that a greater ratio of women in the workplace means more opportunities for them to step into leadership roles, a boon for proponents of gender equity everywhere. But it’s not just about fairness. If the latest research is any indication, the economic benefits of having more women leaders are enormous.
Earlier this year, Michel Ferrary, a professor of management at France’s Ceram Business School, published a headline-grabbing paper outlining his discovery that the French companies that best weathered the financial tsunami all had one thing in common: a large proportion of female managers.
Ferrary studied companies from the CAC 40 stock index and found that the more women there were in a company’s management, the less the company’s share price fell in 2008.
Among the dozens of examples he cites, Ferrary pointed out that Hermès, the only large company on the exchange whose share price rose (up 17%), has the CAC 40’s second-largest female management team (55%). Among French banks, Ferrary compares BNP Paribas, whose share price fell by a relatively modest 39% in 2008, to Credit Agricole, whose share price tanked (down 62%). Almost 40% of BNP Paribas’s managers are women, he notes. Credit Agricole’s team, however, consists of only 16% women.
Coincidence? Ferrary thinks not. “Feminization of management seems to be a protection against financial crisis,” he said. “Several gender studies have pointed out that women behave and manage in a different way than men. They tend to avoid risk and to focus more on long-term perspective. A larger proportion of female managers balances the risk-taking behaviour of their male colleagues.”
Of course, it will take a lot more than one research paper to bridge the gender gap in the corridors of power. Still, some observers see the Great Recession as a turning point. In a piece in Foreign Policy last summer, conservative commentator Reihan Salam argued the he-cession signals the end of thousands of years of male dominance in global affairs. Because of the economic crisis, he wrote, “more people realize that the aggressive, risk-seeking behavior that has enabled men to entrench their power — the cult of macho — has now proven destructive.” True or not, what better time to test the theory.

For more: visit www.selfbrand.com

As First Lady of California, Maria Shriver has played a pivotal role in championing the role of women in the workforce. She chairs the state’s yearly conference on women, an event that attracts over 10,000 women each year. Now, she has spearheaded an important research survey on American women and their impact on business and society – at a major tipping point in American business.

In a report titled, A Women’s Nation Changes Everything, Shriver in conjunction with the Center for American Progress, looks at workingwomen now that women are the majority of the work force. The report examines how women are transforming not only family life but influencing work life. The report documents the challenges women face and the impact on society, family life and business with the influx of women in the workforce.

Recognizing that women now make up more than half of the work force is just the first step, the report points out. The next step is figuring out how we need to transform our institutions and adjust our policies and practices due to this transformation.

Here are some of the key findings:

It’s not easy for women
• Women say they feel increasingly isolated, stressed and misunderstood.
• A majority of women have no control over the time they start and stop their workday, no ability to control the location they work from, and no ability to reduce the hours they work.

Families are negotiating everything
• An overwhelming majority of both men and women say they are sitting down at their kitchen table to coordinate the family’s schedules, duties and responsibilities, including childcare and elder are at least 2 or 3 times a week.

Things are in flux
• Men and women say they are still adjusting their assumptions to women’s role in the workforce
• For some, women as primary breadwinners is old news, especially Latinos and African Americans.

Faith-based institutions and spirituality help women cope
• With all the change and insecurity, women told the pollsters that they rely on faith-based institutions and spirituality to help them get though.

Women are now in a position to bring about change
• As we move into this phase the report is calling A Women’s Nation, women can turn their pivotal role as wage earners, as consumers, as bosses, as opinion shapers, as equal partners into a potent force for change.

• Our policy landscape remains stuck in the past where the typical family as a married-for-life couple where the mom stays home and raises the children and the dad is the primary breadwinner. The report suggests that we need to address this and develop more family friendly work benefits and institutions.

Here’s a link to the full report. Let me hear your thoughts.

It’s not an oxymoron; you can be happy and successful and a woman.

Marcus Buckingham, author of First, Break All the Rules, has just completed a research study that he titled, “The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness.” The distressing finding: over the last 40 years, “women’s happiness has trended downward as compared to men’s despite the gradual increases in power and prosperity.”

Yet there are women who seem to have it all, to be happy and successful. Here are some of the tips from Buckingham’s research and the research that I did for my book, The Female Brand:

Focus on moments not goals

Rather than one, three or five year career plans, successful women snatch and focus on successful moments what Buckingham calls “strong moments” These are positive moments that make you feel good. And the moments can cover a myriad of business and personal moments: closing a big sale with a highly desirable prospect, writing a perfectly worded email or memo, mentoring a junior employee who reminds you of yourself just out of college, or helping your son or daughter prepare for a tough exam. Bring these moments up in your mind as a regular part of your mental preparation at work.

Accept who you are

One interviewer even revealed, “It’s hard to admit, but I don’t like playing with my kids. My daughter would come up to me and say ‘Mom, you play the mommy, and I’ll play the baby’ and I would think ‘Not again. I am the mommy, you are the baby.’ The moments I love with my kids are when I’m teaching them something, helping them learn, but I’m bored silly by playing another game of dress up. I got my life back on track only when I rejected the idea of being the ‘perfect’ mother, and accepted the reality of which moments energized me and which didn’t.”

Accepting who you are will empower you since you will put your energy toward your passions not trying to be whom you think others expect.

Strive for imbalance.

We’ve heard so much about balance, but the women in the Buckingham research and my own don’t talk much about balance. One women even told me, “I’ve been completely unbalanced my whole career.” Most successful women realize that balance is impossible to achieve, and we have to be unbalanced in the way that suits our needs and interests.  As some women pointed out, even if they could achieve it, balance might not be fulfilling. “When you are balanced, you are holding your breath. Balance is the wrong life goal.”

Let me hear your thoughts on melding happiness and business success.