A random thought on my mind over the last week or so has been centered around why women are forced to give up the personal brand equity they have built into their names when they get married. I may be too innovative, or something, but I kind of think this is pseudo-ludacris in todays world.
In a month, one of my best girl friends, who also happens to be a very close work associate (we’ve worked together for close to 4 years), is getting married. Soon after, she’ll take her new husbands name, and be forced to embark on a personal PR/marketing campaign to inform the business world of her new brand.
She’s very talented, always dependable, a veritable work horse. People trust her brand, and know where to find her. Soon, they’ll have to learn to trust a new brand. A brand that was built by someone else.
It’s timely that in my previous post I was discussing my great friends John and Malgosia, the couple behind Nuvvo, and authors of a great blog called Married-Inc. As I was going through their blog archives, I stumbled across a great post on just this topic from Malgosia. She hate’s being referred to as Mrs. [Insert Husbands Name Here] (though she doesn’t mind the name change as much). And, I absolutely agree.
Why should a woman be forced to take the name of her husband and eliminate her own personal brand equity in favor of her husbands personal brand? What if she’s got a great blog? Where do married domain names go to die at this juncture? Do you change the domain? Change your blog? Change your brand? Should personal brand equity advisors exist, that compare the equity built into both brands and the implications of combining them? An interesting thought.
This bothers me. And, I’m interested in every woman’s opinion on this. Do you feel the same way? Is it ok just to accept the status quo, the “old fashioned” way to do things? Do you not have a right to your own personal brand without the shadow of your husbands?
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