I was listening to CNN at lunch on Thursday, and politicians and business people along the coast of Mississippi and Alabama were trying to get the word out that their beaches hadn't been affected by the horrific oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

They've noticed that tourism has dropped off because people hear about the disaster, and they think it includes all the beaches in the area. The local folks are mounting a campaign to spread the word that they are still open for business, and some have enlisted publicists to help.

It made me think about what we do at work. Our group knows what we do, but it many not be known throughout the company. We try to be our own publicists. We do knowledge shares with groups. We participate in brainstorming sessions for new technology. We write articles about work efforts and new technology for the company newsletter. We also do updates for corporate status reports. Our management team also makes sure that our groups are represented in departmental and corporate efforts.

Some people don't feel like they have to market what they do to their coworkers, but I think in business today that it is part of your job to make sure others are aware of your strengths. You need to have a 20-second commercial ready when someone asks what you do. It's not, "I'm Heather, and I work in IT." It should be, "I'm Heather, and I write user guides and training materials for all our software. I do specialized training..."

Think about how you think of yourself and your role. Could you use a marketing make-over?

Happy Memorial Day weekend! Enjoy the start of summer, but most importantly, remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country.