David Armano, Critical Mass
Chicago New Media Summit : Monday, September 15th, 2008 : 9:30 am : Personal Branding
The Talk: "The hallmark of any great brand is authenticity -- just ask Harley-Davidson, Coke or Apple, especially when all of these brands lost their way and learned from it. Same thing applies to Brand You. In every tweak of a template, upload and keystroke, you have an opportunity to be authentic or disingenuous. Know what makes you special and unique, and tap into those qualities as you build your personal brand online. Most people can spot a fake when they see one, so remember that being genuine is more important that presenting yourself in an artificially glossy manner. It used to be important for bloggers to "find their voice" -- now it's relevant to all of us."
Bio: David Armano is both an active practitioner and thought leader in the worlds of experience design and digital marketing. Author of the popular Logic + Emotion blog, he has been invited to speak at events hosted by organizations such as Google, Microsoft, O’Reilly and Ad Age. David currently works for Critical Mass, a veteran digital agency focused on the creation of extraordinary experiences. He also writes industry perspectives for Ad Age, BusinessWeek and is best known for his distinct brand of visual thinking, which can be found both on the Web and in presentations all over the world.
On CNMS: I believe in the power of people and the meaningful interactions we have with each other as well as brands. My hope is that the Chicago New Media Summit sparks an ongoing conversation about how these things matter, both to our city and the broader gloal community.
On David: “It takes most bloggers at least a year to get noticed. It took David Armano two months. His blog, Logic & Emotion (http://darmano.typepad.com), can be a difficult read for those not familiar with topics like "social media'' and "interactive technologies.'' But the marketing community eats it up.”
~Crain’s Chicago Business