Do Personal Brands Exist?

I get the feeling that people want to "manipulate" their personal brand by making themselves out to be the best & brightest- nothing wrong with putting it out there, but if you can't back it up than its useless and will just make you look foolish. Obviously some sort of "personal brand" exists because people have made careers of defining it, but I think it's about putting the your best foot forward and proving that you are right for a particular industry/career. Like you said, it should be what is natural and what people remember about you, but this should be achieved by results that back it up.

I think it's much easier for people to be "the brand they want to be" on social networking sites, but they lose all authenticity. They garner trust, but lose it just as quickly when they are found out to be a fraud.

I think you're right about people defining it, and thats why its a big topic as of late. You have to be able to back up what you spout off.

Good topic, Lauren.

I think "personal branding" as a buzzword came about as a result of so many people looking for work combined with the rise of social media. When you don't have a job, you want to show that you are capable, smart, and deserving of a job, but also a human that people would want to work with everyday.

Social media allowed people to build on their professional image with a more public personal image. In other words, on Twitter, we are able to share links and discuss both professional and personal topics. We are able to explore and show more about what WE are interested in, not just your organization's.

Take for example Rebecca Denison. She is an intern with Edelman and puts that first, but is also able to show her own interest in PR measurement and talk about her love of the Red Sox in her personal Twitter account and blog.

In other words, it's a combination and a balance of both personal and professional.

I definitely think that a "personal brand" is something that is natural and what people remember about you. It's about being yourself, but also keeping your professional organization in the forefront.

Thanks and I'm looking forward to reading more comments!

Tom
@TomOKeefe1

Tom I think you bring up a great point in regards to personal branding and the job search. I didn't blog until after I was employed (luckily) but I think that when I was looking for a job that perhaps a personal blog could have helped. It may have set me apart.

But I think there needs to a balance so that its not all "me me me'. Whether that be a balance between professional and personal (while employed) or having a blog with a lot of contributors that add the the blogs value.

Lauren, I think you do a great job with both. You show us your personality and what you're about and also introduce to other PR pros via your blog.

Another great post.

-Christina (@stina6001)

Wow, thanks! It's not really something I think about, but why not share the stage? People are so wrapped up in themselves - maybe SM gives them an excuse? - that they aren't thinking of how they can get others out there. That is a big way to make a name for yourself - contribute, engage and learn. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

What I don't get is the use of the word personal. Branding has never been personal or about a specific person. You can brand yourself, but I think it starts being blurred with the whole "SM expert" deal. Which is a word I dislike in a space so new. I think that SM provides a way to talk about multiple entities, because as professionals, a large part of who we are is where we work - especially those who make it a career, not just a job.

In my opinion, and I'm only speaking for myself, I don't believe in the "personal brand" hype. Why are you blogging? Why are you online? Look at your actions and I'd be willing most of them have to do with advancing yourself professionally. Outside of grabbing a beer after work (although that may be for professional reasons as well) or hanging out with your buddies, everything you do is to brand yourself in the professional sense. It doesn't necessarily have to be for your work purposes - maybe it's as an advocate.

At the end of the day, what does your "personal brand" even mean? Does it mean you prefer Apple over Dell? Is it about personal preferences? Your work, your talk, every thing you do is about your professional brand. Maybe it's me, but I don't believe in the whole "personal branding" talk

Agreed. I may talk about my love for the Packers and shoes, but I also blog solely about public relations and social media. This is a place for me to engage and learn about my chosen profession. However, just like in-person networking, you have to find the common ground first - which is where your interests come in.

Isn't "personal brand" is just the new slang for "reputation"...? People have always worried about their reputation or aligning themselves with people and things that will help them to uphold the reputation they desire - it just seems to me that we're calling it something different in the SM sphere :)

That said, there is so much that can affect your corporate reputation/brand and how that plays out in what your personal reputation/brand is.

If a person is a rock band (who are typically viewed as "bad boys") then people will probably view that person in that light even if they have been happily married for 25 years and have two kids on honor roll and have never done a drug in their life.

Or if you wore sweatpants every day in a corporate space people might think you are lazy even if you are the most brilliant and diligent person there.

There are so many factors - I think my problem with the idea of a "personal brand" is that people can manufacture these brands themselves - they're not always earned...where as in things like consumer goods brand reputation is typically earned.

Does that make sense?

I think people that use SM, especially PR pros, love buzz words. Some believe that by talking about the "hot" topics, they will be viewed with higher regard. My thing? Make what you talk about the hot issue. Don't wait for someone else. Question and learn.

Great points. A reputation is earned. It's something that is compiled of how you present yourself and how others perceive you and the work that you do. A personal brand is taught. It's what I tell you I am and what I put together to show you I am. I think it's the difference between your references (reputation) and your portfolio (personal brand).

That's a really great piont, Cassie!

I guess the two things aren't really the same but can be equally important.

I like the contrast between resume/portfolio & references - that really puts it in perspective!!

They definitely have some similarities and I would say that your personal brand attributes to your reputation and vice versa.

I loved your comment because I had the same gut reaction and it made me step back and think. Thanks for bringing it up.

I think we've coined a term for what is simply personal values, interests, preferences, etc. My personal brand might therefore include the roles I play (mine being mother, employee, writer, volunteer, runner, indie music fan, etc.), the things I consume/purchase, and the values I have. These are aspects of my life that are normal to me, but that work together to make me, well--me! We all have them.

I think the term 'personal brand' has stemmed out of the social media world, because now everyone thinks they can be a brand. We all have a free platform on which to speak, produce content, and yes--to job search. A lot of people want to have some mini-celeb status, others just genuinely love to connect and communicate. It's as big a mix of intent as it is a mix of people.

I don't particularly think a personal brand exists, or more correctly, existed in the past. But now it does because we've labeled it. Labels can be good or bad, but once we've latched on, then a thing becomes a something rather than just an abstract set of facts.

Look at the condition of attention deficit disorder. Twenty years it didn't exist. Ten years ago it was a huge buzz term, and now it's a real condition. People seek out labels for phenomena, and I think 'personal branding' is simply another of these things.

Bryna- Exactly. Our personal interests and preferences shape who we are - and that should definitely come across naturally.

Why do you think everyone thinks they can be a brand? That's such an odd thought to me.

I think personal branding is very VERY real and can prove to be quite essential as an effective means for bringing in new business. First of all - I got my current job because of my continuous efforts to brand myself as knowledgeable and passionate about learning social media. No - I Didn't Litter My Profiles with "Social Media Expert" But I did participate in conversations, I voiced my opinion, I started a blog, a social media event. I made an effort to get my name out there as someone who talked about social media intelligently - even if people disagree with me or if I'm wrong on an issue, the point wasn't to be correct - it was to showcase my interest & passion in a growing industry and it payed off.

Secondly, my personal brand is now associated, rather inexorably, with my professional brand, and consequently, my place of employment. Yes, managing this delicate balance is currently an issue for many organizations, but if it's done properly, individual employees with strong personal brands can be a driving force for innovation and positioning their company as one of authority and thought leadership - thus helping attract and secure potential new business opportunities.

If I'm going to hire a business - I want one whose employees' passion, enthusiasm, intelligence, and willingness to learn is clear and visible. so why would any brand NOT want to show off those positive aspects and support the Personal Branding of their employees?

But instead of pushing yourself out there only, shouldn't your thoughts and ideas naturally be spread by others? If you are smart and engaging, others will talk about you. I think you come across as more knowledgeable when others are shouting about you- not when it's the other way around.

The professional brand, in the workplace, should ALWAYS come first.

Great post Lauren.

I feel like personal branding can benefit the professional organization that you work for.

If you create a strong personal brand, that showcases your intelligence, openness and connectivity, it brings credibility to the company that hired you. If you do truly brand yourself as "one of the best and brightest" (as Sheema aptly points out) by association, the company you work for hires the best and brightest.

It can actually be a recruitment tool for brands looking to hire top u30 professionals.

I like your point about it being a recruitment tool - and setting the company a part from others. You find innovative people who strengthen the professional brand by what they bring to the table.

I definitely agree with you about the spotlight. As PR professionals, we represent our companies, not ourselves. Sure all of us have personalities and a life outside of work, but essentially we should aim to represent and advance the brand of our company. Not really our own "brand." When I think of a personal brand, I basically think of one's personality. I think of their values, goals, interests, passions and desires. Sometimes our interests and passions overlap with our careers, but other times they don't. I believe that a person should not change or act a certain way to fit a specific "personal brand" or uphold an image. People want to build relationships and interact with genuine individuals :)

I think you're right on target when you say personal brand is your personality. I think it's how you use that personality to strengthen the professional brand that counts.

Genuine types are the ones that will get far in SM. Eventually, the people who push out a fake brand will be found out.

I think that it all comes down to something really simple: being a person. Some people forget that when they set out on their personal branding mission. People have opinions and beliefs; people make mistakes as well as successes; people have stories and lives outside of business.

But the best people take the time to listen to everyone else's stories, to learn about other people's opinions, and to learn from the hits and misses of others. That's what PR is, right?

Why is it that some folks have such a hard time just being themselves? They worry so much about how they are being projected that they never stop to think about it.

I think you're right on the nose, TJ.

I believe that personal branding is very important. In fact, look at the "About" section of your website. You have branded yourself as a marketing and PR professional within the first sentence. Your companies information comes second to that. Would you not be a marketing and PR professional if your company did not allow you? Your personal brand establishes who you are, not what your job title or career defines you as.

In this digital age, it is important for everyone to evaluate their personal brand, monitor and control it. I know that when I go into meetings with other individuals, I will look them up on LinkedIn or Google to get a better understanding of the person. If they brand themselves, they have the ability to influence my perception before I ever meet them.

I agree that corporate brands need to be put first over the personal brand. Job satisfaction is most likely higher when corporate and personal brands reflect each other.

True, but I'm not sure if I would consider that just personal brand. Again, I don't think you can have a "personal" one without taking the professional into account.

I don't even think about branding myself, to be honest. I let the work speak for itself - and my level of engagement. That's what I meant by natural.

Really good points M.

Interestingly enough, I believe you have created your personal brand. Your work, knowledge, and interaction has grown your personal brand organically. I know more about your LAF brand and #u30pro work than I do about the company you work for. You brand has been established.

Which kind of proves that personal brand should be a natural progression and people learning about you, right?

I totally see where you are coming from. I think branding can really come down to the person and how they approach it. I'm more likely to listen to someone who occasionally shouts then the person who shoves it down my throat 24/7.