Hey Mike! Marketing Is Also About the Make-Up
Yesterday, I received an email from a reader, Mike, who asked why I would put a picture on my blog that displays me as dark-haired, fit and trim when – in reality – I’m graying and overweight. Ironically, the picture you see on my blog is me about 5 years ago. I’ve gained a few pounds and my hair is more gray, but it’s me there.
On my about page, you’ll find a picture of me meeting Seth Godin. The picture in my header has me in the same suit as the suit I’m wearing in the picture with Seth. It’s my favorite suit and I still wear it. I’ve never had it tailored, but I do find my belly is leaning over my belt much more than it ever has.
In the last month I’ve been motivated to drop some pounds and have dropped 10 pounds. In all honesty, I could stand to lose 100 pounds. I’m definitely obese – the results of a lifestyle of no exercise and too much food.
Anyways, I was startled by Mike’s email but felt compelled to answer it. The purpose of my picture in my header is not to find the most horrid picture I can find and post it there to scare away people. It’s a picture that I like. I am, in fact, recognizable in the picture (it’s not THAT long ago) and people come up to me every so often to let me know that they read my blog.
The picture is doing its job… it’s putting a welcoming face to my blog and showing folks that there’s a real person behind it.
Have you ever seen Pamela Anderson without make-up? Does anyone go up to Pamela and tell her that she’s ‘lying’ to people because she looks so much better with pounds of make-up on? Of course not! And her only skill is to look good.
My job isn’t to be a male model or actor. My job is to work within the marketing and technology fields and share that information with my blog’s readers. If you think I’m somehow doing anyone a disservice or being dishonest by taking a nice corporate glamor shot of myself and posting it in my header… get a life.
Mike, you must be the same guy that sends his hamburger back because it doesn’t look like the commercial. Have you written Tom Cruise yet to let him know he should look as short as he is in his movies? Next time you decide to contact me through my contact form, man up and use a real email address. I wrote the email address you passed me and it bounced.
PS: I’m not wearing any make-up in the header picture. 
