I was reading an interesting article in Libération the other day about self-branding, particularly among journalists. In the competitive world of media, you need to turn yourself into a brand in order to stand out. Books, Twitter, Facebook, blog posts and even this column are all examples of personal branding.
It's not surprising that media people understand the benefits of a strong brand. But what about other kinds of professionals? For instance, lately I've been trying to find somebody to renovate our new apartment – one of those people who call themselves entrepreneurs. And I'm astonished by their complete lack of brand identity.
Most of them don't have websites. They rarely answer their phones. In fact they think the fax is a modern form of communication. Their idea of customer service is non-existent: one entrepreneur I contacted took ten days simply to send me an estimate (devis). And forget any attempts to create a brand name: it's always Monsieur Unpronounceable.
The renovations sector is ripe for modernisation. Imagine a company with a strong brand name and branches all over France. They would guarantee polite, swift and efficient service and a high level of craftsmanship. My bet is that they would become the Apple of home decorating in no time. And Monsieur Unpronounceable would be forced to clean up his act.
