27th Day

Coping with Branding

I had to open Google reader, after all, in order to better understand, through other blogger’s posts, – mainly Ruminations of an Online Instructor, Kevin’s Meandering Mind, Spinning a Learning Web – what “brand” and “branding” were all about.

First, I thought it was just about marketing strategy, even after reading two posts suggested by Michele Martin. Then, I realized that branding is also ” about image and individuality “, not only directly related “with money making.”

Finally, I recognized that educator’s and student’s amateur blogging, while being fundamentally different from professional blogging, particularly in what concerns the duty to be exempt from commercial purposes, does not remain in a platonic realm either; on the contrary, whenever you publish a post or a comment, you are sending a subliminal message about who you are and what you aim.

Once having become aware of this more subtle “wave-length” of on-line communication, the will to consciously reiterate it or correct it seemed to be a sensible and logical attitude.

1. From a professional perspective: how does something I can do well and I’m ready to do expresses itself through the comments I posted?

1.1. Talking about students and the School environement shows I’m a teacher; and I hope it may allow to feel that I love teaching, that I’m deeply engaged in Teaching.

1.2. When choosing a French member of Calaméo to post a comment, I remembered the times I’ve been in France to translate at International youth meetings; actually I can translate French both written and spoken and I deeply enjoy it.

2. From a more strictly personal standpoint: what I think I may be communicating about my personal brand through my comments”?

2.1. I would be glad if my comments make the general impression that their author is someone interested in learning through conversation, grateful for the support she is being given, and just in search of her own “voice”.

2.2. As a matter of fact, just at the beginning of this challenge, I’ve posted a comment that I would like to see erased by the blogger, because the idea I’ve tried to express was not yet sufficiently clear in my mind and the whole paragraph sounded strange and obscure in the end. I hope this really does not go with my brand.

3. We have also been asked about identifying someone’s brand through his comments; I could say, for instance, that through the comments of Sue Waters I identify a specific message, beyond its technical excellence, about reliability and truthfulness.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *