INTHEBLACK December - January 2022 - Magazine - Page 53
Above: A mural of former First Lady of the US Michelle Obama,
who has built a strong personal brand based on authenticity.
is made up of ] all the elements that come
up, such as LinkedIn and other social
media,” says Ford. “But that’s only for
people who don’t know you. Those who
know you base it on every interaction
you’ve had, what other people say about
you and what you yourself have put on the
record. That all goes into a melting pot.”
A personal brand is similar to a
reputation, although the latter is more
concerned with what an individual has
done in the past. A personal brand, on
the other hand, can be moulded for the
future, and, contrary to what some may
assume, personal branding is not about
self-promotion.
“Saying things like, ‘Buy my book’ or
‘Use my business’ is advertising, which
creates short-term revenue opportunities,
but isn’t lasting,” explains Ford. “Building
a brand is a long-term vehicle for success,
and it can take years to build.”
VALUES AND BRANDING
A personal brand is similar to a corporate
brand, a concept with which most people
are far more familiar.
When Zac McCall, account director
at branding agency Percept, sits down
with a corporate client, he gets as much
information about the company as
he possibly can. He begins by asking
questions about the company’s history,
and then moves onto the service offering
and future ambitions.
“The difference with personal
branding and branding a business is
that with the latter, you’re developing
a set of values for a group of people,
rather than a single person. The two
are linked in that the leader of the
company would want to espouse similar
values in terms of their leadership and
attitude as part of their personal brand,”
he explains.
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Being You
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How Leadership
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53
DEC 2022
JAN 2023
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