It’s been a while since I posted something on my blog and the reason for that is that I’ve been working on post graduate diploma project for my management consulting program at Grenoble Graduate School of Business. A couple of days left on that and then I’ll be back in full throttle. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been contemplating different things topics I would like to share with you. I usually note down all the different ideas I have for my blog on a scrap book that I keep with me wherever I go – looking at that list now, it seems as though I will be busy all throughout September and October – this is my subtle way of saying I’ll make it up!
Nevertheless, I have wanted to write about this topic for quite some time now and I could use a break – so here it goes!
Why are avatars so important and how do they serve your personal brand? I’ll start off by explaining what the word avatar means. According to Wikipedia, an avatar is a “computer user’s representation of himself/herself or alter ego whether in the form of a three-dimensional model used in computer games, a two-dimensional icon (picture) or a one-dimensional username used on Internet forums and other communities …” For the purpose of this post, I’m interested in discussing the latter two, with emphasis on the visual avatar.
So an avatar represents us! It is how we want people to associate with our name. It is the perception of our brand. I would go so far as to say, you are one with your avatar. This morning, I logged on to twitter, let me rephrase that, I pressed the spacebar on my keyboard to wake my pc up but I was already (and always) logged in everywhere; anyway, my friend, Mark, on twitter, who goes by the name of @MrWordsWorth, sent me a message telling me that he has gone back to his old avatar. I told him I can relate that particular avatar to him much more than the he had on for the past month or so. On a similar note, Kate changed her handler from @KateTheRunner to @KateDavids and changed her visual avatar to a cartoon character. So what’s my point exactly … well as I insinuated to Mark today, we tend to associate your brand with different attributes, your name, your picture, your style … as trivial as some things might appear, they are part of your brand image. Wilson & Blumenthal talk about the difference between brand image and brand identity in their book, Managing Brand You. In short they define brand identity as the set of attributes you would like to associate with your brand and project onto other, in other words, what you would like to stand for; whereas, the brand image is the perception of your brand by the intended audience
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My advice for you is to choose the elements of your brand wisely and carefully, and stick to them. We are creatures of habit – think about it, how many times did you scroll down in your twitter list of mentions to find a certain someone, but you forgot their handler and you were looking for their icon? Does that make you a horrible person – how could you forget their name – no it just makes you human. Pictures tend to stick – I’m not sure of the scientific explanation behind that and I’ll leave that to the pros – but all I know is that they do for one reason or another! When I meet people face to face after having made their acquaintance online, the first thing they do is replicate the hand gesture I have in my avatar and smile.
@MrWordsWorth, or Mark, is a creative, prolific Marketing & Communications writer/editor who has this sarcastic tone, which is amicable. His avatar, as you can see from the picture, is a Muppet, and for some reason I just find that is fits his character perfectly – in other words it serves his brand image.
Certainly, nothing is carved in stone, and you can always try until you find the avatar that suits you best, but when you do, try to stick to it. One more thing, if you happen to change it, be it your handler or pic, do let you friends know. When Kate changed her handler, I kept on using her previous one since it was also stored in my Hootsuite application. It wasn’t until she sent me a message informing me of the change that I realized it had happened. So do let others know, when and if you do! I know you would tell everyone if you had changed your number or your email. This is as important!
Here’s a list of things to keep in mind when it comes to your avatar:
- Make sure your handler and pic reflect your brand attributes
- If you change either, make sure to let others know
- Try to use the same handler and pic across all social media platforms – it helps strengthen the rapport people have with your brand
- Sign up to DISQUS (a comment system and moderation tool for sites) – it allows the comments you post on different sites to be associated to your brand (use the same pic for your DISQUS profile)
So what does your avatar say about you? Does it reflect your brand image? Think About It!
In answer to this post, Superavatar.com has developed my toon avatar. Thank You superavatar.com for this kind gesture!
I wanted to share that with you my toon avatar and ask you for your thoughts given the discussion on this post. Share your thoughts.
Here’s a new update to this post (September 7, 2010) : @katedavids and myself developed a survey to explore the difference between identity and perception of avatars. We’d love your thoughts! Link to survey.
Great points! So if it’s a Muppet so be it. Need to engage my DISQUS account. Thanks.
Glad you liked the post Chuck. Your avatar tells a lot about – it’s screams out sincerity. By the way, i had a look at your blog, i loved the diversity and the sense of giving – http://chuckgoetschel.com
I love the blog post, John, as usual! It makes total sense, tool. Considering that most of my Twitter followers don’t actually know me, they just know my Twitter avatar. I’ve gotten some compliments on it, so I think I will keep it, but I see an argument for a real picture. The change in handle, though, was absolutely necessary.
Dearest Kate,
I can always count on you to keep the conversation going and ever so exciting 🙂 thank you! So here it goes … When i referred to you in my blog, I was highlighting more the change in your handler than in your pic – i’m not insinuating at all that your avatar should be a real picture, in fact when i spoke about @MrWordsWorth, his avatar, the one i grew fond of and thought reflects his character, is actually a Muppet.
All I’m trying to say is make sure that the avatar you choose reflects your identity, and denotes the image you want to be perceived by others. If you feel that your current avatar serves that purpose than you are definitely on the right track!
Oh, definitely, I understood! I was just tossing out that there is, perhaps, a whole other discussion that could be had. I’m thinking here of the debate about logo tweeters who tweet as “company” without a personal name or photo. I’m actually not sure if I will keep my cartoon logo due to this debate and the arguments on either side (and how they affect my own perception of my little cartoon girl).
But I know you weren’t suggesting I change! It was just a little aside, perhaps out of place. But really, I am just honored you chose to use me an as example!
Great points, John. I’ve actually found myself continually returning to this theme/idea. So much of a brand is in the details, and yet we usually don’t feel the need to think rationally and objectively about all the aspects of our personal brand. Posts like this are great to get us back on track with optimizing our brand presence, especially online.
However, (and since you asked to start a debate ), i would also add that I don’t believe a brand needs to be static. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about just letting loose my creative impulses on my personal brand (avatar, bios, ‘abouts’, even styles) just to see what response I would get. I’m not always the same person professionally, and I think a brand should reflect that. What do you think? Is it too much to be changing the details of your personal brand to more accurately reflect your dynamic flows?
Excellent point as usual my dear Eric – expected nothing less! The whole idea of personal branding is being authentic and transparent about you are – and we are certainly not static unless we’re bots, which we’re not! Having said that, I’m all for reflecting the changes in your brand attributes, be it our avatar, bios, etc … but change in who we are doesn’t happen over night … they are results of experience and much more … unless you are suddenly enlightened! Our attributes should reflect that gradual change if we are to remain true to who we are …
on that note, @Maltaee made an interesting comment on Twitter when i asked him if he’s for or against the idea – his reply was, and i quote “Not against that but you need to change your avatar every few years so people can know that you became older :P” – so i guess sometimes change is necessary 🙂
thanks for keeping this alive buddy!
Hi John:
I’m not a mind expert but people tend to get comfortable with the familiar, including avatars & Twitter handles, so be gentle. I was thinking about adding a new avatar this week, but most people have been used to the current one for months and so decided to keep it. With all the “noise” on line, simplicity & consistency resonates with people when it comes to branding. While it’s good to keep things fresh, it is important to consider how drastic the change(s) are and if they make sense. This applies to any brand.
non of us are experts here … we all try to learn from what’s happening around us on a daily basis – having said that, i think what you said re reducing or cutting through the noise by being consistent and simple makes a lot of sense from a marketing perspective. we can always keep things fresh but we have to keep our brand attributes intact! thank you for voicing your valuable opinion dear Anna!
Hey John,
This is a great discussion topic.
I recently changed my avatar picture, from one of myself…to another of myself. I just felt that I had a better smile in the new picture.
My preference is to use a full name anywhere where my personal brand is to be recognized. I just find that it’s easier for someone to recognize who I am on whichever social media platform they may land if I use my real name. On that note, I also made sure to keep the same avatar picture for all of these platforms so as not to cause any confusion. Does Nike use a different logo on running shoes vs. cleats? No.
As far as what is used for your avatar image, I don’t think it really matters as long as you are consistent. In @KateDavids case, her real picture is used in her Twitter background, so if she wants to use a cartoon image for her profile picture, why not.
I think you just have to ask yourself a few questions:
Does my avatar name reflect who I am or what I want my audience to perceive?
Does my avatar image reflect who I am or what I want my audience to perceive?
Am I consistent with my avatar across all platforms in which people can find me?
Am I causing any confusion (losing clients/missing out on connections) due to inconsistency or changing it too often?
What does a real business brand do with their name and image?
Hey Bryan,
You certainly make a very good analogy – Nike’s swish is everywhere, and we recognize it as soon as we see it. We have come to associate it with the brand and all it stands for! The same should apply to our personal brand to build trust and avoid confusion as you pointed it out in your reflective questions.
thank you for your valuable input.
Great blog post, John! I really enjoyed reading it!
I don’t think people realize how important avatars are/can be … I am often confused by twiends who often change their pictures and/or their ‘handles’. I am guilty of changing my picture from time to time and I have never thought of letting people know I changed it! I will definitely do that in the future.
On a slightly different note, I relate better to businesses that use people in their avatars instead of logos. It adds a human note.
Looking forward to reading through your notebook of ideas 🙂
LEDIA a portmanteau of Leah & Media – how ingenious is that? great comment – I particularly like the suggestion that companies should use people in their avatars instead of logos – I think a collage of the two, sort of like a face with a logo in the corner – this way if you have multiple people interacting on behalf of the brand, you can spot them easily.
as for my scrap book of ideas, you’ll be the first to know 🙂
thanks again for sharing
Very good post John. The DISQUS part is new – good information! Particularly liked the point that an avatar is supposed to reflect “your brand attributes”. We’ve released are latest cartoon style avatars on those lines – more reflective of a person’s personality than his exact face. Can have a look at that style on our homepage – http://www.superavatar.com ; might find it interesting in the present context.
Regards
SuperAvatar.com
Hey thanks for sharing, i loved the site – they actually look quite good – i will certainly spread the word!
this post is very usefull thx!
Thanks to @adrianchira for tweeting your blog link. I like your blog a lot. Been thinking about avatars and included questions about this in a Twitter survey to be conducted on Friday, Sept. 3rd at Jamaica’s 2nd Tweet Up being hosted by @JamaicaPegasus Hotel.
In working toward a book about youths online, the matter of identity is clearly an important aspect. Your blog made me recognize the importance of the descriptive bio as well. These provide fertile ground for focus group discussions to come. Thanks.
By the way, I prefer the real you to the toon. It’s more engaging & personable.
MF
Good post. My avatar is the same across the web except for my personal Facebook page, which at this point may as well be a fan page because I have four times as many “friends” as I do “fans.” lol
I keep the image consistent so it’s easy for people to remember, follow and recognize me.
Great post, John! Not sure how I missed this when it was first published, but I appreciate you pointing it out in reply to my comment about @karimacatherine’s new avatar.
I really like the way Facebook points out when your “friends/likes/fans” change their avatar and wish that Twitter would be able to do something similar (although I’m not sure how…maybe a Tweetdeck column with avatar changes?). I find that when my time is limited, I scan the twitter stream for “familar faces” whose info I know I will find interesting and I’d hate to miss a great Tweet from someone just because I didn’t recognize their new avatar.
Absolutely – Personally I can relate to the updates I have on my Blackberry Messenger contact list – it has the same feature – but given the sheer volume of people we follow on twitter, it might be difficult to replicate the model, although i do like your application approach …
I used to be the brand manager of Regilait (granulated powdered milk). We wanted to change the whole packaging, even the product name … we had to make sure we don’t alienate the customers, so we guided them through our marketing communication to make sure we don’t lose them. The same should apply for our personal brand!