My five year old calls avatars “stamps”. He changes his stamp frequently (his account on the PC). Although he thinks grown-ups aren’t allowed to change their avatars. He has the freedom to be a car, or skateboard, or star for the day – but adults, well he thinks our digital identities are so….static.
My stamp collection is increasing in size and variety. My brand is no longer static. I seem to change it the most on Twitter, my most active social network, followed by Facebook. Sometimes I change it in response to a frivolous experimental collaborative theme (like @chinposin) or a more compelling social call to action (@peavatar)
What does this mean for a company’s brand? Think about the Google homepage logo, always changing. Does your personal brand remain static? Or are you constantly transforming and evolving? Do you cling to a safe, acceptable and trusted online identity or do you look at new ways to communicate and express yourself?
If I have a relationship with you, we converse, you share your original thoughts, information and ideas (that’s your product ) then I find it completely acceptable for you to modify and update the packaging. What you say and do online etches a more permanent profile into the minds of others.
Visual representation of ourselves becomes a decoration, a declaration, an interaction. Do you have a “stamp” collection?
When did we stop being as clever as kids?
Anyway, I’m one of those people who stuck to my avatar/photo for a long, long time. I was afraid that changing that will confuse people about my brand. When people started commenting about how my photo doesn’t reflect who I was anymore (when they meet me in person), I decided it was time to change.
Now, I’ve just been changing, shifting, whenever I felt like it.
Does it affect my brand? Maybe. Maybe not. We’ll see how it goes.
hi Shai! thanks for commenting. I also felt that I needed only ONE avatar for a consistent brand – I guess that is how we have traditionally viewed branding.
But as you say, I see you change and shift your image around and I think it’s GREAT! It’s like seeing different facets on a diamond glinting
– multidimensional branding instead of flat and static 1.0
This kind of reminded me of perfume. I seem to wear different perfumes for different occasions. Where my Mom only wore Chanel no. 5. That was her scent, always recognizable. I have a few scents. Mommy scent, Wife scent, and girls night out scent. And they all represent me.
So I think it makes sense to have avatars that represent you differently for different purposes.
Yikes, this comment was confusing. Sorry!
Hi Julie – not confusing at all!
Exactly like a scent! Thanks for stopping by.