Why journalists must see themselves as brands.
Talk with journalism undergraduate students at Derby University on March 28, 2014.
5-10 years from now most journalists will be working for themselves and not a single employer and so building their 'brand' is vital to their success.
There are fewer 'traditional' entry-level jobs and the career path appears unclear but the opportunities are there and boundless. I give some examples of UK journalists who have taken career paths that they could not have foreseen, many of which have been digital-only. They talk about their individual brands and how they have developed them.
5. Post Industrial Journalism –
Adapting to the present
“the first step in their careers will not be to tie
their reputation to an established media
institution, as they might have in the past, but
to create their own reputation.”
• Fewer entry level jobs
• Less predictable
• Career paths less clear
Go out and make a name for yourself!
http://ijnet.org/stories/why-journalists-need-brand-themselves
9. Anyone can be a publisher
• Publishers move to aggregation and curation
• New publishers and new roles
• Journalists work for many and develop niches
in a knowledge-based economy
• Journalist as a brand becomes important
10. Brands within brands
• Political blogger – Nate Silver
"They weren't coming for the rest of the Times;
they came for him."
11. Journalists need new skills
• Storytelling, law, shorthand etc
But also...
• Multimedia
• Data
• Social
And small business skills...
• Sell yourself
• Contract yourself
• Independent trader
12. You as a brand
1. Understand your brand
2. Communicate your brand
3. Develop your brand
13. Six levels of meaning – Kotler (2001)
1. Attributes – good engineering, quality
2. Benefits – feeling of safety, importance
3. Values – prestige, high performance
4. Culture – creative, efficient
5. Personality – e.g. fun or austere
6. User – the brand suggests the kind of
consumer who uses or buys the product
http://www.slideshare.net/cadella49/lecture-6-product-brand-strategy
14. Building a personal brand
• Exceptional
• Valuable
• Consistent
• AUTHENTIC
http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/journalists-must-build-a-personal-brand-10-tips/
15. AUTHENTICITY
• Be Human
• Be Honest
• Be Aware
• Be Everywhere
• Show Your Work
http://ryansholin.com/2009/06/29/five-keys-to-authenticity/
16. You might want to...
• Search for yourself on Google
– By name
– By email address
• Check your social accounts
– Biog
– Posts
– Associates
• Forum posts
The traditional journalism career path is less clear or available. Need to differentiate yourself from your cohort and other journalists
In 5-10 years most journalists will be working for themselves and not for a single employer. They will be guns for hire
Who owns their own name domain?Having a website that reflects your professional identity is your digital calling card. Your online presence should show who you are, your interests and background, and showcase your best professional work. Or to put it another way, your personal brand as a journalist.
Having a website that reflects your professional identity is your digital calling card. Your online presence should show who you are, your interests and background, and showcase your best professional work. Or to put it another way, your personal brand as a journalist.
Clay Shirky, Emily Bell and C.W. Anderson ‘Post Industrial Journalism – Adapting to the present’There are fewer entry-level jobs — the jobs that used to serve as unofficial proving grounds and apprenticeships — in metropolitan dailies and local TV than there used to be. Like film school graduates, they will have to go out into the world and create a name for themselves. It's a far less predictable environment and the career paths are less clear.http://ijnet.org/stories/why-journalists-need-brand-themselves
Taken non-traditional career paths and have fast-tracked to influential media positions
No need to own an expensive press any more. The economics of publishing have changed forever.individual journalists, funded by a mix of sources, offering expert coverage to many places.expert in a knowledge-based economy
individual journalists, funded by a mix of sources, offering expert coverage to many places.expert in a knowledge-based economy
Journalists as brands is nothing new.New York Times editor Jill Abramson says that half the people coming to the newspaper's website in the runup to the election were searching for Nate Silver, the political forecasting whiz who writes the blog FiveThirtyEight. Now set up the blog as a service on its own.Never too late. BBC’s economics editor Peston not known until he started breaking news on Twitter. Now a media name which opens opportunities for him
individual journalists, funded by a mix of sources, offering expert coverage to many places.expert in a knowledge-based economy
Attributes: A brand brings to mind certain attributes. Mercedes suggests expensive, well-built, well-engineered, durable, high-prestige automobiles.Benefits: Attributes must be translated into functional and emotional benefits. The attribute “durable” could translate into the functional benefit “I won’t have to buy another car for several years.” The attribute “expensive” translates into the emotional benefit “The car makes me feel important and admired.”Values: The brand also says something about the producer’s values. Mercedes stands for high performance, safety and prestige.Culture: The brand may represent a certain culture. organized, efficient, high quality.Personality: The brand can project a certain personality. Mercedes may suggest a no-nonsense [person, for example].User (Primary Target): The brand suggests the kind of consumer who buys or uses the product.
