Jason Miletsky and the Brand-ed Experience

I'm pleased to announce that marketing superstar, Jason Miletsky, is talking with me about lending his voice to Brand-ed.

Part of creating the tone of the book is threading the voices of successful and savvy marketers and educators
around the question, Can a "Branding Experience" improve public education. Jason has graciously agreed to consider being part of the conversation. THANK YOU, Jason!

Miletsky is a successful author and CEO of Mango! Marketing, a marketing, PR and social media communications agency. He has authored a new book on getting yourself noticed and raising your personal profile using online and offline techniques.

My message of personal branding and marketing for school leaders fits with Jason's view of developing networks, another subject close to my heart for educators!

“People don’t realize how many opportunities they have, every day, all the time, to market themselves,” said Miletsky. “Whether you’re on the job hunt, looking for new clients, selling a product or service, trying to grab a bit of fame – even if you’re just looking for a date, it all comes down to marketing yourself better." It's my belief that school leaders need to hear that message and to act upon these principles to build an authentic LEADERSHIP BRAND that leads to improved culture, performance and resources for schools. Just ask my co-author Eric Sheninger, whose leadership brand is going to be featured today again on the CBS news at 5pm in NYC!

Thinking Leadership Brand in the School Brand Experience

Once upon a short time ago there was an internet of web 1.0 which was pretty much a one way street of communication through static websites. Many of today's school leaders, were around for the birth of this technology in the nineties. Our fellow educator colleagues of today, those of the Gen X or Y generation, were students in the time web1.0 was born.

It hasn’t taken long for the internet to become participatory and to throw a generational range of career professionals together in its constantly churning wake. The interactive, “two way street” quality of web 2.0, may not have to house a generational divide. Web 2.0 can serve as a rallying point for educators of all generations who want to create connected communities of learning.


That’s what makes the Brand-ed philosophy a broadband for success. Generations of school leaders can now have rich and connected conversations about 2.0 on the many platforms on the 2.0 scene. Long time leaders and their younger colleagues .. who could have been their students... are now experiencing similar demands from the rapidly changing world of communicaton and technology. The marketplace for effective school leadership wants return,no matter how long a leader has been in place!

So, let's talk about how our rapidly changing world can advance learning through a "brand experience" approach to education. Today educators from baby boomers to Gen Y are planning the course for a whole new millennial generation And those students understand brand experience, and can thrive in environments that build relationships to make that experience positive. School leaders' participation in the web 2.0 world ,personally and professionally ,connects school communities to new opportunities for excellence.

Part of that change lies within a leader who takes on the view of "Leadership Branding". This could be a breakout move toward a brand experience when a leader uses web 2.0 to establish, not so much of a personal brand, but a professional Leadership Brand. A Leadership Brand communicates in an outward fashion about the leader...but also welcomes inbound connection to others...the two way street for school excellence may start with a professional's 2.0 Leadership Brand!

Celebratory Branding for School Leaders

After watching what seemed to be the longest Oscar Show I've ever seen, I was struck by branded thinking about how educators perceive going in a brand-ed direction. I'm developing thoughts about why educators might struggle with the idea of branding, especially since the concept has roots in the development of a Personal Brand.

Tom Peter's coined this phrase, Personal Brand, long ago and Dan Schawbel, "Me 2.0", author and personal brand expert has powered thinking and process toward achieving this goal as a means of developing value individually and for an organization. I think that where educators might get stuck. First, Tom Peters might look too business-like for most educators, though the leaders of school reform may have welcomed his thinking. Second, educators are more often the sort of people who are attracted to community, perhaps team processes, and find themselves often identifying with a group, rather than pursuing individual recognition.

Personal branding might look too egocentric for educators. They don't want to be seen as self promoting, As I saw last night with millions of others, most educators don't want to be "Thanking the Academy" for their achievements, then going into work to try to advance the greater good for a whole community. Seems contradictory to them perhaps.

But I believe that we can use personal branding to advance what is good for our schools, if we keep asking the question, "What's in it for the kids, what's in it for my school?" as we develop ourselves, our growth, and share our brand. I'm thinking CELEBRATORY...not CELEBRITY when it comes to building an educational personal brand that improves the entire school brand of the organization. Keep asking yourself as an educator," How can I celebrate the power that I have, define it, mine it and then shine it on the world so that my community is enhanced?" With that in mind, educators can brand through Celebratory endeavors that improve the culture of their community. They are not grandstanding celebrities of education, and it's not so much about ME but about getting to WE in a new energized way through unique communicating value.

Just this past week, my colleague, Eric Sheninger, participated in a further learning and personal branding professional development experience. PD can do that for educators, as it further defines their brand. And what he has done is open a blog that raises his personal educational brand, and enhances his community effort for his school. CELEBRATORY work...bravo Eric!


Define, mine and shine your personal branding light in education and be that celebratory leader.