Maninder – I think Apple’s logo is brilliant and simple, but it has the advantage of being an obvious choice! As far as marketing, they have certainly taken the industry by storm, years after many assumed they had nothing to offer. Creating attractive and easy-to-use products has certainly served them well! Thanks for commenting!

Dennis – You’re right – there are a lot of nice, simple logos. Time will tell if this is a good move for Starbucks.

Reggie – Thanks for your note! My hope in writing this post is to get people thinking about what they are offering and to start focusing on the question, “Am I a generic candidate?” What it actually means could be different for each reader, but your thoughts are certainly relevant. Minimal content, not telling a compelling story, not focusing on what the employer wants – no picture…Yes, those are great examples of “generic.”

Interesting that it seems geared toward companies, while being clearly about individuals! The point is that there are many similarities between companies and job seekers, and many job seekers overlook opportunities to see themselves as their own “brand.” They therefore miss opportunities to market themselves properly.

In any case, the blog is intended to share an idea and to get people thinking about it. I’m glad it did that for you. When I work with individuals, we address all of the specifics, and I often write posts that are more actionable in terms of “do this in order to achieve that.” This wasn’t one of those posts! (You’ll note I indicate to stay tuned for more on the subject. We can’t put everything in one post!

For a few ideas regarding specifics, go to the search box on this blog and type “value proposition” (no quotes). There are a number of posts there that will help get you thinking about ideas. Maybe I’ll link to a few in the post when I have some free time!

Glad you thought it was a great, although muddled, read!

Your analogy of the new Starbucks logo to being “generic” in the job market could be a very relevant and fitting example if you explain what you actually mean to the readers. Give us a little more than the analogy, so that we can fully connect with what you’re saying. I enjoyed the article, but was left waiting for you to explain what you actually meant by it. No offense is meant from my end. I just wanted to share my perspective on a potentially good, very relevant article.

Reading back over it makes it sound more geared towards companies, even though you’re clearly referring to individuals. The communication of your info just gets sort of muddled. But like I said, great read! Thanks!

Craig – I’m not sure about the lady, either. Reuters says she’s “Starbucks’ representation of a female siren — a half-human mythical temptress who led sailors to their deaths.” Hmmm…let me run and get some coffee first! 🙂

I do think they are having some problems thinking about how to branch out beyond their coffee roots, but I don’t think dropping their name altogether is the best approach to trying new things. I agree – being true to who you are is key for careerists. The trick is always figuring out exactly what that means, and how to evolve it effectively when it is time! That is a whole new blog post for another day. Thanks for your comment!

stay adventurous, Craig