Manage your own goal-oriented personal brand before others do it for you - whether you like it or not!
By Rozina Aziz
Kuala Lumpur, 21 May 2019
I attended a dinner last week with a small group of individuals – each accomplished in his or her chosen field. The elegant yet intimate setting created an ambience that was perfect for an evening of provocative yet playful conversation. What’s more, all eight of us loved nothing more than a friendly debate over a sumptuous meal, and it wasn’t long into the first course that the conversation started to heat up just a notch.
For a gathering made up predominantly of Malaysians, it was inevitable that the dinner quickly turned into a round-table discussion on Pakatan Harapan’s report card a year after winning the historical General Elections on May 9. In an effort to keep the peace, the corporate lawyer (ironically the peacekeeper amongst us) steered the diners away from the thorny subject of politics. The subsequent exchanges on Apple share prices falling, Huawei driving the development of 5G technology in Southeast Asia and subsequently facing the Android ban turned to brands on both a winning and losing streak.
Soon enough, the dinner conversation went on to Founders or Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) who are the faces of their brands and those who remain discreetly in the background. Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Richard Branson are synonymous with the companies and brands they founded and run. Closer to home, we have Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Dato’ Seri Meer Sadik Habib, Datin Vivy Yusof, Dato' Siti Nurhaliza, Neelofar and Benjamin Yong, to count but a few. The group debated the virtues and downside of having strong personal brands at the helm of companies.
The Debate Surrounding Personal Branding
A question was posed to the lively group around the table - did anyone around the table deem themselves to be a personal brand? The debate surrounding personal branding – a subject in which I have always been interested – never ceases to amuse and amaze me.
It was not a surprise to me that quite a number of the guests didn’t believe in developing a personal brand for themselves. One guest laughed it off, saying she was no Coco Chanel while her husband added that Sundar Pichai, while regarded as one of the best CEOs around, is not a brand in the way that is Microsoft. He conceded that in cases like actor-entrepreneur Neelofar, the brand carried her name (with a slight twist!) and was therefore an extension of her. Another chimed in that this was an exception to the rule.
Homegrown Personal Brands
I offered my opinion that individuals can indeed be personal brands in their own right. I didn’t have to look further than a few individuals I knew professionally at first but whom I now count as friends.
Azran Osman Rani went from being a CEO to founding his own company, Naluri, which embodies his personal brand values – ambition, tenacity, an obsession for fitness and the passion to push beyond the norm to achieve the impossible. His speedy recovery following a horrific cycling accident demonstrated his will and drive to overcome what seems insurmountable to the rest of us and making his goal a reality.
Then there is Prashant Kumar – a dear and respected friend - who made his name in media during his days leading IPG Media Brands in Asia Pacific. He went on to found Entropia, an integrated marketing services agency which has since won major accounts, esteemed awards and a solid reputation in just three years.
For the urban health enthusiast, Raja Jesrina Arshad’s name is synonymous with PurelyB, the company she founded to empower people to lead a sustainable, healthy lifestyle across Asia. Her portal, available in English and Chinese, connects brands to customers and offers relevant content on health and wellness as well as e-commerce offerings. The brand values of PurelyB stems from her own mantra – the resolve to live and eat purely and have a positive impact on one’s long term health.
Each of these individuals may not necessarily be known to the mass market. But they don’t need to be. What is important is for them to be widely recognised among their respective target segments. Fitness fanatics for Azran, brand owners and marketing practitioners for Prashant and health and wellness enthusiasts for Raja Jesrina.
The Power of the Brand
Before we discuss personal branding, let us first explore the meaning and value of a brand, often associated with companies and organisations. A brand is a collection of unique identifiers – name, term, design, symbol, sign, word, sound, smell and other features – employed in creating an idea or image that identify a product and differentiates it from its competitors.
Over time, with repeated exposure to and experiences with the brand, the idea or image starts to evoke feelings – both rational and emotional – associated with a level of credibility, trust, quality and satisfaction in the mind of the consumer. By standing for certain benefits and values which are consistently conveyed through various channels, the brand cuts through the harried and busy minds of the consumer to stand out against similar offerings in a crowded market place.
Personally, never has the trust of a brand been so critical to me than when I was in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, back in July 2011. I travelled there as part of a news team to cover the independence of the world’s youngest country, born following the signing of an agreement marking the end of a civil war with its northern neighbour, Sudan.
While I was excited to witness and report on this historical moment, I have always had an unadventurous stomach. I still remember the joy I felt when I spotted the instantly recognisable cans of Coca Cola (which I drink only sparingly back home) served at the café of the small hotel where we stayed. The red and white packaging combined with that all-too-familiar Coca Cola brand printed in all its cursive glory gave me the comfort afforded by goodwill and trust.
I rejoiced as I sipped the cola with the assurance that my stomach will not be thrown into chaos in this unfamiliar territory. Such is the power of the brand, the trust that I had in it and the relief I felt at seeing something I knew I could drink without any worry.
The Undeniable Value of the Brand
The value of a brand can no longer be denied. Brands are big business and not merely the product of creative labour as many non-believers often argue. The world’s top 10 brands are valued at over US$820 billion combined:
1. Apple Technology US$182.8 billion
2. Google Technology US$132.1 billion
3. Microsoft Technology US$104.9 billion
4. Facebook Technology US$94.8 billion
5. Amazon Technology US$70.9 billion
6. Coca Cola Beverages US$57.3 billion
7. Samsung Telecommunication US$47.6 billion
8. Disney Leisure US$47.5 billion
9. Toyota Automotive US$44.7 billion
10. AT&T Telecommunication US$41.9 billion
Source: https://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/#tab:rank, 21 May 2019
Stand Out with Personal Branding
If a brand can help tell products apart for what they stand for and the promise that they can deliver in a busy market place, then personal branding can do the same for individuals within the same field or in a similar capacity.
While an individual typically has no logo, symbol, tagline or jingle to set him or her apart from the crowd, through years of observed values, behaviours, spoken and written words, achievements, successes, failures and other recurring characteristics, the “consumer” (or “target audience” in the case of an individual) form an image that is uniquely linked to the person. The principles of branding apply even to this individual at a personal level.
Politicians, not just corporate leaders and businessmen, are also brands in their own right. Whichever end of the political spectrum to which we belong, we have starkly different opinions of Barack Obama against Donald Trump, Theresa May against Jeremy Corbin or Nigel Farage, and here at home, Dato Seri Najib Razak against Tun Mahathir Mohamad, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman against Khairy Jamaluddin. It is no different from our relative perceptions of Barisan Nasional against Pakatan Harapan which are parties instead of individuals.
These opinions are formed over a period of time. Public opinions can change and they do so regardless of whether the personal brand owner wants them to or not. The change can occur thanks to recent words communicated, behaviours demonstrated, actions taken and events that unfolded. In this age of hyper social connectedness, we must not forget the viral power of social media to amplify messages and magnify and accelerate the impact a thousand times over, if not more.
This is why individuals whose future are determined by public opinion go through great lengths to manage and protect their brand to the best of their ability. Many hire their own teams of experienced perception management specialists. Images and messages are carefully crafted and communicated. Plans are put in place in the event of crises as preparedness is crucial for these individuals to counter negative publicity arising from events outside their control.
Business leaders with strong personal branding can impart their positive values to the culture of the businesses they run. These leaders attract and retain top talent as well as the best partners in their industries. These are the core foundations to give them advantage in achieving their missions. For politicians, they can win elections and gain power on the strength of their personal brand and the value of their brand promise.
Personal branding is crucial for us to stand out and differentiate ourselves in the crowd. What we do make us who we are and how we project that to others makes us memorable. With strong personal branding we can win big in the field of our choice.
But I Am Not Famous
Just like my dinner companions, I have come across many individuals who raise the white flag and surrender their own fate to the unknown. They argue that they are not famous and therefore personal branding is not for them. They argue that personal branding is not relevant to them.
In a world that is increasingly worried about data privacy, most of us still succumb to the temptations of social media. Even if we do not partake in selfies and posting of pictures or comments that may not be taken as intended, we all know someone – an overzealous, if somewhat insensitive, friend, family member or co-worker – who do the deed with or without our knowledge or permission. Our lives are out for all to see, often across multiple digital and social platforms, to the delight of voyeurs.
Personal branding and our reputation can and do affect us. It matters when we are looking for a life partner, a new job or a promotion. It matters if we want to be regarded as a subject matter expert or figure of authority in our chosen field. It matters when we want to start our own business or expand an existing one.
The Truth About Personal Branding
As cliché would have it, no man or woman is an island. We live alongside people connected through a global web of personal, family and professional connections. They observe us over the course of our lifetime or relationships, form perceptions of us and go on to pass those along to their own connections. Before you know it even people you have never met or spoken to have an opinion of you!
These opinions do not always bear a resemblance to what you think of yourself. Unless those perceptions are managed, they will form a foundation of collective perceptions that ultimately become your reputation. Your reputation defines your personal brand.
Our personal brand can help or impede us from achieving our mission in our professional and personal lives. If you have a positive personal brand, people will want to be associated with you, hire you, promote you, work for you, do business with you and seek your professional advice and help. On a personal level, people will want to spend time with you and be part of your life in a meaningful way.
Cases In Point
If you are still not convinced, let me share a few examples of individuals who are adversely affected by their personal brands (and there are many more!):
1. You join a new company and find it hard to get the cooperation of your team. You are results-focused and demand a lot from others. The team feels you are not listening to them and forcing them to implement plans which have not worked before. They had not heard of you until you joined the company and are not aware of the remarkable experience that got you hired. Soon you are not delivering on projects and your boss calls you in for that dreaded conversation.
2. You have been with the company for 10 years. With such experience, your job is a breeze and you are contented. The company is undergoing digital transformation and your younger coworkers regularly talk to the boss as well as colleagues in the human resources, business and digital divisions on what jobs will be created and what skills will be required in the future. They discuss their development plan with the boss and upgrade their skills in preparation for the “new world”. When the digital transformation process is completed, you job is all but obsolete.
3. You have worked hard on a high-profile project that generated big results and feel you deserve a promotion. Unknown to your boss you have taken the initiative to expand your skills by signing up for online courses and workshops at your own expense and on your personal time. You get passed over in favour of a co-worker who delivered smaller results but regularly volunteers for assignments to help the team, attends training conducted by the company and gets invited to speak at events due to the network of contacts she worked hard to build. She regularly updates the boss on her assignments and progress.
4. After five years with the company, you have achieved spectacular results and are ready for a change. You approach a recruiter who secure a few interviews for highly-coveted jobs. While the interviews go well and your work achievements are impressive, you are passed over for other candidates deemed as subject matter experts due to their high profile as regular speakers at industry events, contributors for industry publications and social media influence generated by their professional blog posts and video channels.
5. You graduated with an impressive degree from a reputable university and are eager to start work and make your professional mark. You are breaming with confidence and attend interviews with little preparation. On a few occasions you are not suitably dressed. You lose out to candidates who take the trouble to do thorough research into the companies, the job requirements and its culture. The candidates impress the interviewers with their questions and answers as well as significant internship experience gained while waiting to secure their first job.
6. You start a fashion business confident that with your vast experience and knowledge as a senior consultant with a major global company you will succeed. While fashion is not your passion, you feel that you are well poised for success in the business world. Unfortunately, your customers do not trust your brand as you do not even dress the part. Your lack of affinity for fashion also shows up in your marketing materials and your website belongs more in the finance industry than the fashion world. You do not attend fashion events or network with top fashion designers or editors.
7. You hope to meet that special someone. A close family friend arranges an introduction to a person who shares your values, aspirations, interests and family background. You look forward to the date but at the final hour it is unexpectedly called off. Your friend finds out that family members had made the obligatory checks and discovered unsavoury things about you from trusted friends and on social media.
Own Your Personal Brand
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos famously said, “Your personal brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” The simple truth is perceptions are formed of us whether we like it or not.
Personal brands are not established overnight. Every day, how we speak, act, behave and interact with others contribute towards our brand. The commitment and values that we demonstrate, not to mention the promises that we keep or renege on also have an effect on our reputation. Also important are our achievements and failures, our strengths and our weaknesses.
Due to the complex networks that connect us with the people in our professional and personal lives, the public perceptions of us as individuals are not always synchronised with the messages we want to convey about ourselves.
Sports icon Magic Johnson shared what kept him awake at night. “I worry about brand control. My brand is huge now. I want to make sure I don’t dilute the brand. I don’t make major mistakes that hurt (my) brand.”
While we are not all sports icons with multimillion-dollar contracts and businesses, our personal brand too will affect us – in both positive and negative ways. A strong personal brand will go a long way to help us achieve the success we crave.
While we cannot always control what people say about us, we must take ownership of our own life and ensure that we take the necessary steps to demonstrate the best version of our self and to do so in a mindful and consistent manner.
We must take action to be the CEO of our own personal brand. Why wait when we can start today? I can’t think of a good reason.
Growing Our Personal Brand
In growing our personal brand, we must first know what we want to achieve – our personal mission. Then we must take conscious steps to develop the brand to take us to where we want to be.
We do need to look back and take stock of our current brand in order to understand our core strengths as well as crucial weaknesses that would hinder or impede us from achieving our mission. Once we develop a deep understanding, we need to look forward.
We cannot design our personal brand for today. We must work towards developing a personal brand for where we aim to be. Without dreams, we will not strive towards our goals and there is a high probability that success will elude us. Once we envision that final destination, we are better positioned to take the necessary steps to form the building blocks for success.
In developing our brand, it is important to always be authentic. Building a valuable personal brand requires a marathon and not just a sprint. We cannot sustain the long haul unless we remain true to ourselves. Even Oscar-winning actors cannot keep playing their movie role continuously. Putting up a façade and pretending you are somebody else will not work in the long run.
In my future articles, I will write more on how to build the personal brand. The starting point is to understand the meaning of personal branding, its relevance to us and the importance of owning and managing our own brand to pave the way to personal and professional success.
Rozina Aziz is the former Chief Marketing Officer/Vice President, Analytics, Customer Experience and Management of Astro’s Go Shop TV home shopping and e-commerce business. She left a 30-year corporate career that cut across disciplines and industries to become Co-Founder and CEO/Chief Transformation Officer of Metamorfosa, a boutique consultancy that provides transformative enrichment and consultancy services tailored to the needs of the client. She believes in the power of transformation in people, brand, companies and organisations.
Rozina is also a certified coach and trainer. She is an economic graduate from Cambridge University, United Kingdom and an alumnus of the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Programme.
Rozina can be contacted at rozina@metamorfosa.biz.
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