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I serendipitously came across an article on Techcrunch (after the article we posted earlier about professional images) that shows a very prominent tech blogger in a potentially brand-damaging position. Below I give you exhibit A and B.
This is Robert Scoble of the famous Scobleizer Blog. Apparently there was a big party in London (that I wasn’t invited to!) run by a few entrepreneurs over there that seemed like it was a big hit. As you can see from the pictures, Robert seemed to be a little out of it and just enjoying himself which I personally have no problem with. Everyone is entitled to do whatever they want and share it with whom ever is willing to listen. The point of this post is to demonstrate how to deal with a “personal branding gone wrong” incident and still maintain your dignity - and your job.
So what can we learn from Mr. Scoble?
1. Embrace criticism and join in the conversation:
If you read the original article on TechCrunch and scrolled down to see the comments, you would see Scoble sprinkled in there a few times. His personal brand is obvious through the way that he handles himself. Obviously, it would be hard to spin this if an employer came upon it, but what’s done is done so you need to deal with it.
2. Damage control. Don’t make it worse than it has to be:
Something like this is going to make a buzz and some controversy. A lot of the comments on the article were not that friendly, some down right obnoxious and mean. Why add fuel to the fire? If you were to argue with someone, especially online, it can be an uphill battle and sometimes even a lost cause. Scoble pokes at himself here to avoid unnecessary arguments.
3. Maintain your cool and keep true to your personal brand.
Moving forward, this will all blow over. But it is vital he does not break character. Not to say that he is playing a part, but even in compromising times, he kept true to his brand. In times of need, urgency and scrutiny, people have a tendency to turn into something that they’re not and make something small a lot bigger than it needs to be.
The lesson to be learned by this is to not put yourself in a comprising position like this. He is one of the few people that can get away with this because he has worked hard to be where he is and has a sterling reputation. A picture is worth a thousand words, so don’t give anyone an opportunity to put words in your mouth.
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Comments
07.16.09
I was surprised that someone took the time to publish these photos. Anyone who has ever met Robert Scoble knows that the man likes to party. He doesn't hide it, so what's the big deal?
I definitely admire how well he handles his criticisms. Building a personal brand for yourself is about more than sharing your knowledge and your professionalism, it's about being human. Maybe we all shouldn't be as zany as Scoble, but he can definitely teach us a thing or two about cutting loose and having fun.
07.16.09
I too agree with Ryan. He likes to party, he enjoys drinks and he is true to who he is as an adult. He is allowed to party, it doesn't detract from his personal brand and work ethic.
I think it's important to be careful about what you post on the Internet. It's public and out there for anyone to see. However, I always think if there are pictures of me enjoying drinks with my friends (there are) I have nothing to hide. If someone is offended by those photos, I wouldn't be working in a place or get along with those kind of organizations/places anyway. My personal brand is my personal brand and I do my best to reflect my company, however, I make sure that it is in NO way associated with my company.
With that being said, a balance seems to be well put and I like how Scoble responded true to himself and didn't hide or pretend like it didn't happen...
Good post, good thoughts!
07.16.09
Thank you very much for your comments, I'm glad you enjoyed my post.
When I read the original article on TechCrunch (who are obviously friends with him!) and the comments that people made, I had to defend him. This was a perfect example of what can happen when photos like this get posted and I had to use it to show everyone that this is a what can happen.
Fortunately for him, he did not lose his job and this will most likely blow over in a few days. If this happened to anyone else though, they might not be as lucky.
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