Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Why is Anderson Cooper struggling to survive on daytime television? Aside from competing against Ellen DeGeneres and Dr. Oz, is there another reason he is having trouble? Some speculate that it's because he's looking for his voice. I feel that its more likely because we as viewers are expecting him to do something that he has never really done before. Cooper is a celebrity—and this is why he is hosting his show. However, his celebrity status is tightly connected to his journalistic branding style and not for his ability to interact with guests in less serious, and more casual situations. TV personality Nancy Grace may have ventured into Dancing with the Stars in a publicity attempt to make her appear more likeable and less antagonistic while creating some public appeal, but it was difficult to see the hard-core prosecutor as someone having fun on the dance floor.

Expert consultants thrive while focusing on niche areas. Once brought in, and particularly after establishing a trusting relationship with their clients, they are asked to help resolve numerous situations outside of their expert area. The consultant is in the process of becoming a "celebrity," so to speak, to his client: a trusted collaborator.

Having a highly valued brand is not inconsistent with becoming a celebrity. It's just a matter of timing. Most celebrities had a brand in the beginning of their careers and, over time, grew to become gurus in their field, adored in many ways, attracting many people to them beyond their focused brand. Thus, they branched out from branding into celebrity status.

While keeping a brand is important—you wouldn't imagine Oprah running a Jerry Springer-like show—experts with star power who continue to focus on their area of expertise even when people think of them as celebrities, may cloud opportunities beyond what they originally imagined. In a way, by continuing to be only a brand, that person will limit their own path to achieve celebrity status.

How about you? Are you in the process of designing your brand at the beginning of your career? Are you a well-established brand? Are you a celebrity? Are you both?

For more videos on effective branding and entrepreneurship, check out the Dr. Gaby Cora YouTube Channel.