Personal branding is an individual and a collective effort contributing significantly to a company’s marketing success. Companies can create a more authentic, engaging, and compelling brand narrative by navigating and leveraging personal brands of their talents.
Personal branding is a strategic process where individuals within a company deliberately establish and promote their unique identity. The goal is to enhance the overall image, humanize the brand, build trust, and foster connections between the company and its audience.
The reputation of a company or a person is not built overnight. It’s a long-term process, and it’s about being consistent. It’s about showing up, not just when you want something but all the time, to learn, to be aware of others and what’s going on in the market, but most importantly, when you can help and then, most importantly, follow through, be the connector, be the support and be the person you would want those in your network to be and show leadership by example.
Maintaining consistency between the personal brands of employees and the overall brand image is crucial. This is achieved through clear brand guidelines for both corporate and personal branding. However, authenticity is equally important, and companies should encourage employees to be genuine in their communications.
A lot goes into personal branding and associating it with a corporate brand. Oftentimes, it’s important to make sure that you’re considering your values and how you’re looking at the industry at large, as well as your corporate prerogative and their mission and vision.
Aligned values enable both the company and its employees to navigate uncertainties effectively, fostering resilience and a sense of collective purpose.
When employees authentically align their personal brand with the company’s brand, it reinforces a consistent and coherent narrative. This alignment is evident in both online and offline interactions, creating a seamless and compelling story that resonates with clients, customers, and colleagues.
Employees can act as brand ambassadors, sharing company content, showcasing expertise, and engaging with the audience. Companies can support this by providing training, recognizing and rewarding advocacy efforts, and fostering a culture that encourages personal development.
Employee advocacy is a cost-effective marketing approach that often leverages a wider reach. Collectively, company employees might have a broader network than the brand’s official social media accounts, which elevates existing branding efforts and potential expansions.
People want to connect with people, even when they are building a relationship with a brand.
Situations are going to come up where there might be a misalignment between the company’s brand, values, and preferred messaging and the opinions and beliefs of an employee. It’s just human nature. Every individual is brought up and exists in a unique environment that might not align with the company’s vision.
The important thing to keep in mind during such misalignments is that the people you hired always bring something to the company. That’s why you hired them. And it is also really important that you give people the latitude to be themselves. So before jumping to the conclusion that different is bad, explore the meaning and context to see if the perception is reality or not.
Now, it is also true that it’s absolutely within a company’s right just to separate the two. The employees must know that they are entirely entitled to represent themselves however they see fit, but they cannot do that under the company’s flagship in case the visions don’t align. One of the ways to draw this clear definition is to include disclaimer statements in the text.
And in case the brand misalignment escalates to the level of an HR issue, honesty is the best policy. It’s crucial to communicate what exactly went wrong and gain as much perspective as possible before deciding on the next step.
You are your network. The friends, colleagues, and connections you have can shape what you stand for and what you like. Therefore, a mindful approach to networking plays a crucial role in personal branding.
The alignment of personal and company values, mission, and vision is not just a theoretical exercise but a practical strategy for success. It creates a harmonious symphony where the strengths of individuals and organizations complement each other. When employees authentically live out the company’s values, a powerful narrative emerges, contributing to a strong and resonant brand that stands the test of time.
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Darcy is a lifelong learner and loves building innovative products. Having had the lead for introducing Hybrid Wheat in NA and later developing an award-winning AgTech insurance product are some examples of what Darcy brings to WS. He aims to deepen our work in new and disruptive technologies of our customers and support how WS can transform the Ag Marketing landscape worldwide. Connect with Darcy on LinkedIn.
