I recently watched a piece on 20/20 about an Internet site called Seeking Arrangement that positions itself as a “money dating site” where singles can find wealthy money daters for “mutually beneficial relationships”. Hmm…I don’t think I need to check Wikipedia to realize that this is code for prostitution.
But Brandon Wade, creator and CEO of the site says that money dating is not the same as prostitution. “Money dating is a way for daters to screen potential partners on the basis of their financial compatibility”. Huh? Whatever window dressing you apply, it’s prostitution. Women, mostly “twenty-something” students, single moms, and struggling actresses, are offering sex and companionship for money and in return, the older men who are wealthy enough to pay them their $1,500K and up monthly stipends get the illusion that someone more than half their age actually worships them.
But I have to give Mr. Wade credit because it looks like he has created quite a powerful brand. For the men (referred to as the “sugar daddies”), the brand represents wealth, power, and sex; for the women (the sugar babies), the brand represents financial security. And these are perhaps the most powerful brand attributes there are.
So by now you are probably wondering what the career lesson is here. I think the takeaway is that every product and every person needs a powerful brand and people to support, embrace, and even evangelize that brand. The personal attributes of the brand need to appeal to the base needs of your audience. So for the job seeker, the career brand must convey immediate value to the employer and satisfy the core needs and emotions of the hiring authority. And it must support your passion for what you do. There is no doubt that Mr. Wade has achieved this on his site. How could you re-brand yourself to achieve your own professional, mutually beneficial relationship with an employer?
The challenge is that people don’t hire ‘brands’ they hire people. If your ‘brand’ is not who you are and what you have done (as evidenced through standard CV and interviews) then all the ‘brand-building’ in the world won’t find you a job. The last thing I want to see is someone who is trying to sell-me through buzz words, what ever happened to being authentic?
Will,
You are right. Authenticity is key. And while the Seeking Arrangement brand doesn’t feel authentic to me, I think it does feel authentic to the people using the service. So I think a lot of authenticity has to do with a feeling and a perception. For job seekers, they absolutely need to be authentic in the eyes of the employer, but a lot can be said for the packaging and how that packaging can contribute to their brand.