Abstract
The idea of a “personal brand” is crucial to understand how to build a strong reputation as a professional. Personal branding is not just for marketing and products, it is important for individuals to consider how to gain the interest of others. This chapter establishes personal branding as a strong tool for a professional to use both personally and professionally. Topics covered in this chapter include the definition of personal brand, how to establish personal brand, how to maintain a personal brand, the benefits of personal branding, the challenges of personal branding, and strategies to be successful when working on your personal brand. The chapter will conclude by exploring how diversity can impact our own personal brand, and key terms.
Branding is your chance to leave a mark on the world, and that mark can be positive or negative. Will you leave them wanting more, or leave them running out the door?
TopWhat Is A Personal Brand?
Brands are everywhere. Branding is everywhere. As Peters (1997) writes:
That cross-trainer you’re wearing — one look at the distinctive swoosh on the side tells everyone who’s got you branded. That coffee travel mug you’re carrying — ah, you’re a Starbucks woman! Your T-shirt with the distinctive Champion “C” on the sleeve, the blue jeans with the prominent Levi’s rivets, the watch with the hey-this-certifies-I-made-it icon on the face, your fountain pen with the maker’s symbol crafted into the end … You’re branded, branded, branded, branded. (p. 1).
We recognize brands based on symbols, descriptions, and words. Personal branding is similar to product branding in that various aspects come together to engage in marketing. Instead of marketing a product, personal branding involves marketing yourself. A personal brand is a way to get recognition and showcase who you are, professionally and otherwise, to the public. This allows for a lot of diversity from one individual’s brand to the next. It is a chance to leave a mark on the world, and whether it is a positive or negative mark is up to you. A strong personal brand can help a professional rise to success if done effectively. “Within an economy dominated by competition and extreme changes in technology and communication, every professional, small business owner, freelancer or even student has to create a good reputation and a management of professional presentation in order to achieve financial objectives and professional recognition” (LUPŞA-TĂTARU, 2019, p. 16).
Personal brand is a term that was coined by Tom Peters in 1997, and it has since expanded and become a common term for professionals. Personal brand has recently been defined as “a widely-recognized and largely-uniform perception or impression of an individual based on their experience, expertise, competencies, actions and/or achievements within a community, industry, or the marketplace at large” (Personal Brand, 2022, p. 1). Our brand conveys a strong message to others, and it is comprised of many different things. No matter what industry we are in, no matter where we live, we are all in charge of our own personal brand and we must seize the opportunity to vigorously market ourselves as we would a product or service (Peters, 1997). Keep in mind that the term personal brand is different from the term personal branding. The personal brand is the objective, and personal branding is the strategy to achieve the objective, also defined as “the conscious and intentional effort to create and influence public perception of an individual by positioning them as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility, and differentiating themselves from the competition, to ultimately advance their career, increase their circle of influence, and have a larger impact” (Personal Brand, 2022, p. 1).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Networking: Connecting with others professionally in order to build strong connections.
SWOT Analysis: Exploration of strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T).
Impression Management: The goal-directed conscious or unconscious attempt to influence the perceptions of other people about a person, object, or event by regulating and controlling information in social interaction.
Consistency: An agreement or harmony of parts or features to one another or as a whole.
Personal Branding: The conscious and intentional effort to create and influence public perception of an individual by positioning them as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility, and differentiating themselves from the competition, to ultimately advance their career, increase their circle of influence, and have a larger impact.
Communication: Sharing meaning between two or more people.
Personal Brand: A widely recognized and largely uniform perception or impression of an individual based on their experience, expertise, competencies, actions and/or achievements within a community, industry, or the marketplace at large.
Positive Affirmations: Positive words or phrases that you say to yourself repeatedly to have them come to fruition.
Authenticity: An individual living life according to what they believe, feel, and value instead of living for others.