“The reactions I’ve experienced confirm
that it is a part of my personal brand.”

A Scent of Brand

Patchouli is my signature fragrance, it’s been my personal aromatherapy since I was a teenager. Visceral, exotic…not sure I can explain the magic it plays on me when I wear it. Of all the essential oil concoctions I’ve invented over the years, this distinctive scent is, at its base, ME. Ask anyone who knows me to shut their eyes, sniff an open vial of patchouli oil and say what comes to mind; I guarantee my name comes up every time.

There are some interesting studies on the science of smell and its link to memory, and I have first-hand experience proving the theories. More times than I could possibly count, a total stranger has stood next to me and asked, “Are you wearing patchouli?” The question isn’t as amusing as the way in which it is often asked, posed in a dreamy voice extending the last two syllables like this: “…patCH- OUUUUUU-LIII? [insert long sigh].”

A Brand Ascent

Sometimes their eyes will close while they smile and breathe deeply as they conjure up a wonderful memory of the scent. These strangers are often compelled to tell me exactly what their remembered visions entail. All ages approach me, yet boomers are usually the dreamiest, reminiscing of old loves, music, and recreational activities from days gone by. It takes a strong emotional connection to share memories—conjured from just a scent—with a complete stranger.

Run down a list of memory-evoked sensory experiences—songs, visual images, flavors—our sense of smell is the strongest link to memory. I never set out to draw attention with my fragrance, but the uniqueness it provides and the reactions I’ve experienced confirm that it is a part of my personal brand.

It all boils down to what “important stuff” echoes back about your personal or organization’s brand. It takes talent and creativity to pull together a branding strategy that gives you an identity worth remembering. Rarely is it as easy as finding a fragrance you enjoy.

Image: Divyanshs

Savoir faire:
A polished sureness in social settings

Indelible or invisible?

You know the adage about first impressions. People are always making quick assessments of you or your brand based on how you look, what you say, and what you do. Eyebrows may raise, ears may perk up, or you may be completely ignored. Even a non-reaction is a reaction. Unless you’re surveying your audience on a regular basis, you may not even realize the impressions you’re making, or consider their impact, good or bad.

An impressive following

Think about how this applies on Twitter—how you form impressions and make snap judgments about who you do or don’t follow. It usually starts with them following you, or recommendations from those you trust. How often do you check out the Tweeter before you follow them—their content, name, URL, bio, and, yes, their background image?

Care enough to do a background check

A small online poll provided these nuggets of information about who checks out backgrounds:

• 50% of respondents said they view background pages often, 28% said sometimes, for a total of 78% who view background pages.

• 73% of respondents use a Twitter app such as TweetDeck, Seesmic, or HooteSuite that normally precludes them from viewing an individual’s Twitter background image.

• Based on the total number of respondents who said they view background pages often or sometimes, 75% leave an app to do so.

• The remainder, slightly more than 24%, view Tweets—and backgrounds—in web view mode.

One respondent’s comment underscores the numbers:

“I use Seesmic Desktop and occasionally Seesmic Web. Still prefer to look at Twitter Web when evaluating followers and potential follows.”

Although the sample size was small and the poll was simple, it underscores the importance of a web background as the first step to a strong online brand in Twitter. That brand is the first and sometimes only impression potential followers get. That split second impression could impact the next rung of your success, no matter how you personally define it.

Image: alainelorza