@Mark – While breaking might be inevitable and none of us are perfect, we need to strive for consistency, especially when it comes to our own values.

@George – Just make sure your guest posts stick to the standards and guidelines you set and things should be fine

@Jermayn – Yes unfortunately sometimes the image and reality do not meet

@Mark – Managing expectations can be tricky but we all have to do it, sometimes people get so into “selling” that delivery is not thought about until too late

@Mike – Nobody in particular, just a trend I see. It’s not just in blogs, we see in some people in other parts of life find some success and change. Just seems to be a pattern of human nature and I guess not much we can do about it

Hmmm….got any particular dot com mogul in mind there, Chris?

I certainly can empathize with what you have said in this post. The 5 Brand values you have mentioned are something my business partner and I embrace though we still have plenty of room for improvement.

With blogs and forums becoming evermore popular its easy for your failings in maintaining promises projected via your brand to be thrown back in your face and that of many others as well. I believe the key to avoiding this is good communication with courteous and timely responses. Thereby managing the expectations of the people your communicating with and reducing the risk off a public dishing.

Have a good one

Mark

It is a good point about people using the services of “known” products/ services rather than the best deal. I like the analogy of McDonalds that its like you dream of eating the Big Mac until you actually do and then you just dream of going to the toilet as quick as possible….

I have opened my blog up to guest bloggers and have been overwhelmed with the response. I am happy with the slightly new direction this is taking my blog, but I don’t want it to interfere with what my readers expect (blog posts written by me). So I am NOT going to get lazy and take a break from blogging, like I am tempted to do.

All the best,
George

Okay, it’s a little graphic. Sorry. But, ‘branding’ to me somehow connotes a superficial approach, as if you can control how you present yourself, or control much of anything at all… I like Slade’s comment about being out of control of your ‘brand.’

Frankly, I think inconsistency, as in ‘breaking promises’ is inevitable, no matter how hard one tries. The question for me is, where are the priority promises- the ones I given highest attention to? Otherwise, I can go crazy… And, how do I deal with the situation once a promise gets broken? That’s where the real strength of one’s character and one’s ‘brand’ (gotta find another word) comes through.

Thanks for another thoughtful one…

You need to pick an identity and consistently act and support that position.

Yup, in life as well as business

@Slade – Heh, yes I think you are right

It may start with what you think you want to give them, but it continues — grows and flourishes — because you fulfill what they ask of you.

Chris, I dug the Wild West witticism “all hat and no cattle.” You earn the hat by tending the cattle.
: )