It seems that everybody is a brand today, intended or not. The emergence of social media platforms, instant access to information, and global connectivity all contribute to the phenomena of individual branding.
Prior to this ubiquitous communication and connectivity branding was considered a corporate activity that was purposeful and planned. Companies used public relations and advertising to create and control brand images. They launched PR campaigns and leveraged paid media to make sure their messages were consistent and frequent.
Now consider branding in the context of today’s connectivity. Focus is on what’s trending on Twitter or what’s gone viral on YouTube. These contribute as much if not more to branding than traditional means. Traditional media often ends up being the followers. They often re-tweet the latest trends and air the viral video on their broadcasts and websites.
This new environment enables individuals to build their own brand on a level that goes beyond what used to be thought of as one’s reputation or persona. The difference today is in the scope of exposure and connectivity, and permanence. If it’s out there digitally, it’s out there forever.
Today an individual’s brand can be global in scope. A simple blog post or tweet or video can go around the world in almost an instant. If the content is strong, popular, influential, liked or just contagious, the reach can be huge.
I think there are two elements that are important in this new branding arena — be mindful of who you are, and align your actions with your brand message, creating the desired brand reality.
To effectively brand yourself you need to know who you are; this means having a good relationship with yourself. Knowing your true self requires self-awareness — understanding your personal values and your actions that shape who you are today.
Your self-knowledge is non-judgmental, with awareness on both a cognitive level and an emotional level. This is not to say we don’t know our faults, strengths, and attitudes; it’s about awareness.
This sense of mindfulness is fundamental to building your personal brand. Mindfulness enables you to be authentic. You can be transparent and open with who you are, what you value, and what you offer.
This brings us to alignment, the second element of branding. Alignment of actions with your true self enables people to perceive you as you truly are, and that’s what brands are all about — perception.
Let’s consider the process of looking for a job and how branding can help, or hurt the process. Tom Friedman in his latest New York Times column wrote about getting hired at Google, Fortune Magazine’s No.1 Best Place to Work.
He cited an interview with Laszlo Bock, senior vice president of people operations about the characteristics Google looks for in candidates. The top five characteristics are cognitive ability, leadership, humility, ownership, and curiosity/desire to learn.
As mentioned earlier the social platforms and interconnectivity enable anyone to purposefully (or inadvertently) develop a brand. I’m sure Google, in screening candidates, looks at the person’s digital footprint. From these screens of digital footprints Google can assess to some degree the presence of the characteristics they desire.
Ask yourself a question. Does my digital footprint represent my true self? Is there alignment between who I am and what I say and do online?
Your clarity of voice and alignment of that voice with your actions is valuable for you and your company (or prospective company).
You are able to make moves that are right for you. You are mindful of who you are, and what you do and say reflects that awareness.
From the company’s point of view they can understand you. This understanding helps them make decisions that are right for them (and for you).
Branding has evolved from being strictly purposeful to both purposeful and organic. Know yourself and align what you say and do with who you are. The goal is to create a more consistent perception. Clarity, consistency and authenticity — they increase our chances of being seen as we desire.
Ken Cook is the managing director of Peer to Peer Advisors and co-author of How to WHO: Selling Personified, a book and program for building business through relationships. Learn more at www.howtowho.com.
