Marketing 101

I am in the people business. My job is to hire and motivate talent to maximize peak performance. When I am at a book store, I will eventually gravitate to the business management section. I like to look at these books, I do not like to read them. I will always find one directed to women. One of the first topics will nearly always be about "branding" oneself. Of course, in the corporate world, we all know that branding is everything. I watched a documentary on "branding" and watched children pick a stick of celery over a candy bar because it was wrapped with a recognized cartoon character. Such is life in the modern world.

I have just returned from an annual conference with my company. I congratulated myself on my ability to present my "brand" to important people within the organization. Why these books think that this is a challenge for women is beyond me. To me, we should be experts. In fact, business is easier than some of the other "brands" we are pitching in our lives. At least at work, you only need to present yourself as competent and engaged, there is no need to share any authentic feeling. In fact, it is discouraged. At the end of the day, you represent the company "brand" and individuality is not what they are looking for. This is a very safe environment for me.

Back in the day, when you went to buy shampoo, you could pick Suave, Prell, White Rain, etc. There would be one bottle for each "brand" of shampoo. Now, if you want to confuse a man, tell him exactly what type of shampoo with in a specific brand that you want. He will stare at the shelf in bewilderment. Does she want Suave for fine hair? Suave with dandruff control? Suave for oily hair, and the list goes on. I feel like a similar product. I have one "brand" but a large assortment of specific functions that I perform with in the "brand". I see myself lined up on the shelf, competing for valuable retail real estate. To appeal to my customers, I am packaged attractively. There is WW the professional, WW the mother, WW the wife, WW (recent past) the church and spiritual leader, WW the daughter and sister, and the list continues. I present these brands each and every day. Where is the original formula? I do not see it on the shelf anywhere. Did it get lost? Did the demand for the original product diminish and hence it became obsolete?

I am afraid that if I find the bottle with the original formula and I were to tear open the pretty packaging, that the contents will have been overmarketed and that I would be disappointed by the amount and quality of the product. More frightening still, is that it would have no contents whatsoever. That my authentic self has become obsolete because the market share has shifted to all the other products under my brand. This is my journey to find the original formula.