Marriage – The female brand dilemma
I have spent nearly the last two years in the beginning stages of building my career. Considering my chosen profession, public relations, involves the process of branding, this is a topic I often find myself contemplating. How do I want the brand of Natalie Wires to be represented?
In my daily job, for obvious reasons, I am at the bottom of the totem pole. But the process of branding my name and identity is entirely in my control. If done correctly, it could become my greatest asset. But, I need to start now before the buzz around me gets out of my control. I already have Facebook and LinkedIn pages where I display my personal and professional selves, a Twitter account where I give snapshots of my daily life, and this blog that need to be built.
And the greatest challenge in getting the blog up and running has been the naming process.
I can’t help but think that if I were male, this process would be much less complicated. I would build a brand around my name in hopes that some day it might be worth something. That my thoughts, my experiences and my work might amount to some value.
This past summer, my sister and two of my best friends got married and went through the process of changing e-mail accounts, updating Facebook pages and everything else that goes into switching their names and identities to match their husbands. I cannot help but think about the repercussions of marriage on a woman’s brand. Chances are likely that at some point in my life, my name will change. My brand will change. Knowing this, is it wise for me to brand my profiles with my last name? What other options do I have?
When I think of getting married, my initial desire is to take his name. To combine our individual lives to make one cohesive family. My mom hyphenated her name, and although she is Mrs. Wires in every sense of the word, she has often expressed difficulty in having a different last name then the rest of our family. Simple logistics of filling out paperwork, tax forms and customs sheets on airplanes becomes a bigger hassle.
But it is my name, and I need to use it now. I need to build it now. I am fortunate that my name and my career have an almost serendipitous connection to the word wire.
Therefore, I present to you blogosphere – Natalie’s Wire, a collection of news, opinions and editorial according to me.
UPDATE: A coworker sent me this article today after reading my post. It’s an Oprah.com piece by Faith Salie that appeared on CNN last Thursday and has to deal with this issue of women losing their identities when they change their name. I particularly like the following questions Salie asks:
- Would you want to lay down seven grand to buy a wedding dress from Vera Becker? (Vera Wang?)
- How about listen to a song from Mariah Cannon, Jennifer Anthony or Barbra Brolin? (Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Barbra Streisand)
- Read a cover story on Angie Pitt? (Angelina Jolie)
- Netflix an old film with Elizabeth Hilton Wilding Todd Fisher Burton Warner Fortensky? (Elizabeth Taylor, natch)
- Or get your nightly news from Katie Monahan? (Katie Couric)
Thanks for sending it my way, Bryan.
I mostly agree, but the points could easily be stated in a clearer fashion, that’s all I was saying. No prob here bro, I’m not that much of a stickler….
Hi great website yea nice job Thank you for your help!
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This is a very well-thought out first post. Fortunately, for women today in the US, we do have choices about our names when we marry. I believe it’s a difficult choice; a family name is a large part of our identity. It’s all about options and our right to do what we believe to be right for ourselves and our life situation.
I’m looking forward to hearing more from you!
Well said Natalie! I love the title of your blog! When we had the in-laws over for dinner yesterday, my father in-law asked me if it was hard to change my name. Going from Gfrerer to Lentz was easy for me for obvious reasons, but I told him about your blog. Age and profession definitly play a crucial role in that decision.
Keep me updated with your latest and greatest!
Great post, Natalie! Very interesting topic!
Love the first post. So true!
I think this is totally awesome and a testament to your winsome nature. The unplanned good fortune you write of will no doubt continue to lead you and follow you and be a blessing for you. Nicely done.
Nicely done! Great blog and wonderfully-appropriate first post.
It is sooo true that the hardest part for me was losing the “Allison Wires” brand. I have built this brand over the last 27 years and everyone knows what they get with Allison Wires. What do they get with Allison Matthies? No one has even heard of her! Great first blog.
Absolutely, Allison! And the later in life you get married the more people, both personally and professionally, are familiar with your brand. Although, on the flip side, if you were not happy with how you had developed your maiden-name brand, I guess it could provide you with a bit of a chance to start fresh. Not sure if it totally works that way though.