Is your personal brand consistent?

People get confused when I talk about consistency of brand and credibility gaps when it isn’t consistent. This morning on BBC Breakfast I saw an example of undermining a brand and thought I would share so that hopefully the point can be more easily emphasised.

The BBC were reporting about timber and the fact that only 43% of the timber we use in the UK is grown in the UK, the rest is imported.. There is a campaign to encourage more use of the timber that is grown in the UK. Great report, really interesting.

They introduced a representative from Grow in UK who was clearly an expert in his field and really passionate about the issue. The interview was sent in a joinery workshop, great setting.

However unfortunately, the representative from Grow in UK had chosen to wear a brightly coloured branded Stihl jacket. Stihl are a German manufacturer of chainsaws. They do have offices and full representation in the UK but the company is German based and a privately owned German company.

This would have gone unnoticed and of no consequence as part of the BBC interview but unfortunately the branded jacket from Stihl was brightly coloured and very noticeable. The point is that your appearance should always be appropriate for the situation so that they are not remarked on or the one thing that could attract attention away from the main issue being discussed. When you are consistent with your personal branding it is your skills talents and expertise that come across immediately, you really do not want to distract clients from your important message.

Unfortunately you had an expert passionately talking about using timber grown in the UK but presenting his points dressed in a German product, a very noticeable one at that.

Just really wanted to make the point that unless you are in my industry or an industry based on what you are actually wearing you do not want to be remembered for your clothes, you want to stand out be memorable and get noticed because of the expert you are!