As we interact in the real world, we recognize each other by our faces, and then we remember the other person’s name (sometimes). We see someone and say “There’s Joe from accounting”, or “there’s Mary, my advertising guru”.
We do the same on Twitter. We recognize the avatar, or person’s picture, and then look at the post.
As I surf Twitterdom with Tweetdeck, I come across photos of folks that I follow. Their photo (or avatar) generates emotional and psychological responses: “oh, she talks about tech and security”, or “oh, she’s a celeb and I like her”, or “I like his insights on business”.
But when one of my favorites changes their avatar, we run the risk that I won’t recognize them, and thus there is a hiccup in the relationship.
If I follow lots of people and I’m busy, I may lose touch with that person or brand permanently.
If you are trying to establish/reinforce a personal brand (even a corporate brand for that matter), think carefully about the avatar that you choose and whether you need to change it. Wanting to change it is not a good reason.
Think about Coca-Cola. Coke is one of the most successful brands in history and has been around since 1886. Look at the words “Coca-Cola” and the visual representation of them since then. Not much has changed, and for good reason.
Are you maintaining a consistent recognizable online brand?
Mayra Talunas
/ October 8, 2010Excellent point. It’s all about a consistent, recognizable brand (the Gap’s current logo uproar is a good example). I will heed your advice.