Blogger’s Disclaimer: These are my thoughts. I may be ridiculous, I may be brilliant, (it has yet to be determined), but I’m on the road to figuring it all out, and this post is part of that. So I ask that you read this post as though you and I were having a conversation, a casual discussion of a current topic. Thank you in advance. And please do leave your thoughts below in the comments section!

Sitting on a Yaletown patio, (Starbucks), thinking about biz. Notice, I’m wearing a collared shirt, which is obviously very professional and pretty much makes me a bonafide business woman, (insert touch of sarcasm). (A Tommy Hilfiger collared shirt. From Winners. Love Winners.)

Today I’m thinking about perceived value, and how you can create that in the way you establish your own personal brand. Recently BC Business published a blog post on their site about perceived value, from blogger Tommy Humphreys, author of The Shift Key, and it made me re-think my strategy in terms of how I position myself as I build my career. Being a blogger, or a “fashion blogger,” as I’m often introduced as, (I prefer: “fashion, lifestyle and PR blogger,” but no biggie ; )), it can be tricky deciding who and what I should and should not align myself with. This is true with every single brand, and I think every organization really has to think and do their homework to make sure that when they do choose to partner with another brand, that their ideals, goals and values line up. If they don’t, the brand value can be damaged. What I’m aiming for, in terms of brand perception, and this is a lofty goal here, so get ready, is to be perceived as a luxury brand, like a Chanel, or YSL blogger. I don’t say this because I literally have hopes to work with such luxury brands, (though, wouldn’t that be a fierce job!), but I mean it in the sense that I hope for my brand to hold serious cred in the minds of those in my industry. Take Chanel for instance, we all want a piece of it. We love Chanel for the craftsmanship, the quality, the sense that it is special and limited in quantity and of course the fact that it is indeed, very top shelf. (I’ve got Chanel on the brain as I am currently wearing the CC sandals.) The ideal situation for a blogger is to be taken seriously, to be understood and of course, to be wanted. What I’m trying to get at, is when you are building a brand, and trying to create a strong, positive perception around that brand, how do you know when an opportunity to work with a company is a good or bad choice for you? I’ve asked around and put together a short list of check points that should align when such a relationship is considered: 

1. Values: Is there a shared set of values? Think community involvement, philanthropy, treatment of employees, quality of life and quality of work.

2. Goals: Are you working towards common goals? When thinking about a brand partnership, consider what kind of relationship you’d like to create with the potential partner, is it short-term or long-term? And does the potential partner want to create short or long-term relationships with their clients? (The obvious answer is of course long-term, but many companies do not operate this way. As I’m sure you’ve noticed when you didn’t receive good customer service at that restaurant you visited recently when they forgot your food and then it was cold. Just an example.) Do their financial goals match with yours in terms of budgets and what kind of money each part of the budget is worth. Example: Is having an influential host at your event worth paying for? (Answer: Probably. It pays, literally, to have a job well done.)

3. Mission: What are you working towards? Does this potential partnership aid in growing your biz/brand? Do both brands hope to make a difference in society through their work?

4. Target Market: So important! Are you and your potential partner selling to the same market? This is an easy one to figure out, and it’s a deal breaker. If your markets align, then fabulous, if not, what is the point of such a relationship? If you want to be the Chanel of your industry, align with companies who also strive to be at the very top of their game, with brands of value. 

I shall now take my own advice and (try to) apply it to my own decisions. Tell me what you think.

- SS

And what I wore while I wrote this business-themed post: Tommy Hilfiger striped collared short, white denim Trina Turk shorts, Chanel platform sandals, rose gold fossil watch, vintage bling, H&M sunnies and a tan leather Makowsky bag. Laptop by Apple. Just another day at the office!