Branding for Dummies

Jen McCown (half of Midnight DBA) has declared this the first Un-SQL Friday, stating that it will be "a completely intermittant blog party about something SQL-adjacent." (and definitely not to be confused with Adam Machanic's T-SQL Tuesday).



I briefly considered the idea and decided that I have a different take than most of the people whose blogs I read, since I don't really consider that I have a brand, other than being yet *another* Andy - that is, I am not (in no particular order):

* Andrew Kelly (Blog/Twitter) - Performance Tuner Extraordinaire
* Andy Leonard (Blog/Twitter) - Mr. SSIS
* Andy Warren  (Blog/Twitter) - Hey, he's SQLAndy!

I apologize to any other SQL Server-related Andy's/Andrew's out there that I have omitted. {-:

As I have discussed in a previous blog, I didn't join Twitter until recently when I needed it for an online event (a SSWUG VConference) and when I did it was rather rushed - I didn't *consider* a brand.  I was just looking for a name that was relatively identifiable and easy to spell (and after several attempts I was surprised that @DBA_ANDY was available!)

My blogging career is even shorter, and when I created this blog I put a little more thought into something that seemed like it could be a brand - something that wasn't already taken and would make me stand out, and I arrived at NebraSQL - a play on words that could eventually become well-known (although definitely not as cool as being the SQL Rockstar or the Midnight DBA's)

I think there are two key points here, and they are both equally important:

(1) Your brand has to identify you - it has to relate to what you do/how you do it/where you do it/etc.  A great brand to illustrate this is SQLSkills (and if you don't know who Paul & Kimberly & co. are, I am surprised you're reading my little blog!)  SQLSkills is *the* training/consulting company for providing SQL Server knowledge, often training Microsoft employees on their own products.

(2) Equally importantly - your brand has to be unique (at least relatively so) - when you create a brand,you can't step on someone else's!  Especially if you believe you will be advancing your brand into any kind of sales/products/etc., you can not start print NebraSQL letterhead only to find out that Joe Nebra in Portland, OR, already owns NebraSQL.com for his consulting business.

For me and myself, I don't ever foresee myself becoming the next SQLSkills - but you never know!

Considering Upgrading my Certs

I am an MCITP - DBA for SQL 2005, and haven't really considered my certs for some time.  After all the recent talk about how Microsoft is changing their MCM program (BrentO here and Microsoft here) I am planning to take the upgrade exam (70-453) for my MCITP - DBA in the very near future...but the piece that makes me ponder is the MCM requirement to also be an MCITP - DBD (developer).

I have always considered myself a DBA, and while I do ETL work in SSIS and routinely troubleshoot vendor code (and created TSQL code like stored procs in my past life) I am not a .NET developer.

Reading the specs for the MCITP - DBD there is an awful lot of CLR and .NET tucked inside there...at first glance it appears like it's not for me.

Sigh.  I guess I will be satisifed with being an MCITP.