Why is personal branding useful?

Whether to facilitate a reorientation or a career evolution, to increase the chances of success of a start-up or to reinforce the image and recognition of a company or a brand, personal branding is becoming an essential tool.

As with corporate branding, personal branding consists of defining oneself as a person in the professional environment (what inspires and motivates us, our skills and values, what we bring to others) and then enhancing the most promising aspects of who we are by defining what we say and by choosing the media for our expressions (social networks, conferences, participation in round tables, etc.)

Challenges for the individual

In the case of a reorientation or career development, personal branding will help the person to position and profile themselves better. In most cases, the positive or negative impressions we have of someone depend on how likeable or competent they are. Conveying a friendly impression is generally more advantageous than a  competent impression, even in the professional environment, because it is vital for people’s survival to recognize whether a person is trustworthy or not. And the higher up the hierarchy one goes, the more the notion of likeability takes precedence over pure competence.

Challenges for the company

Companies are increasingly disembodied. Yet trust increases the more an institution or company is embodied, and our level of trust is directly related to the nature of the relationship we have with it. Companies therefore have every interest in humanizing their messages through figureheads. Ensuring that the brand and its values are personified at the highest level is fundamental. When leaders are visible and carry a personal discourse that also reflects the values of their company, the company’s image is strengthened.

Challenges for start-ups

The challenge is very similar for a start-up. Because investors know that the majority of start-ups will disappear in the first few years and that it is very difficult to estimate the financial value at this stage, the personality of the person who is carrying the project, rather than his or her skills, is favoured. And the less advanced the project, the more important the founder’s personality is.

Being in tune with your company

For the past ten years or so, CEOs have been taking a stand in the heart of societal debates. This form of activism is likely to increase because people expect companies to contribute to improving their living conditions, the society in which they live and the environment. However, the benefits and risks of taking a strong stand must be carefully weighed. In any case, the statements must remain consistent with the company’s positioning and values and legitimate with its activities. This is why, once again, personal branding may be necessary to avoid misunderstandings or mistakes.

Being in tune with yourself

Personal branding is not about showing off, adorning yourself with artifice to parade in a court of pretenders. Well-understood and mastered personal branding is based on accurate self-knowledge and recognition and requires both integrity and the avoidance of false modesty.

And if talking about ourselves, about what is essential in our professional life contributes to our personal progress, gives strength to our ideas and our values, it  also allows us to value the people with whom we work and connect with them on a deeper level.