Last weekend, I had a wonderful experience conducting an online workshop for a few coaches, consultants, and trainers. The elite group of highly experienced professionals have been positively impacting many lives. As a brand stylist and brand designer, I was there to help them understand how they can showcase their brilliance online and attract ideal clients.
Ah! when it comes to branding, I have so much to say! Well, as usual, it was an interactive session. There was one coach who came up with the question, “So tell me, should my brand name be an entity or my name?” .
That was an interesting question. I have seen many clients who are personal brands being confused about it. So, I decided to explain a few aspects that go into determining one’s brand name.
Sharing with you some of the essential aspects I discussed.
If the outcome of a company is dependent on the efforts of the entire team, it is best to go for Enterprise Branding or Corporate Branding. Having said that, if you are a start-up, remember your credibility as a founder sets the pace for your business in the initial years. So, my recommendation is to have a page dedicated to the founder which has a personal touch. It will help you attract new business or clients and retain past recognition and success while engaging with new clients.
Let me make it simpler for you by demystifying Personal Branding, CEO Branding and Corporate Branding!
Personal Branding and Its Magic
Personal branding is all about marketing a personality as well as their profession as a brand. It conveys a message or a story of what impact you create as a personal brand.
When you opt for personal branding, you bring yourself to the forefront. Highlighting your story or message through your website and social media handles and it helps people who need your services, find you.
An example of personal branding is Oprah Winfrey. She is an author, actress, an American talk show host, television producer and philanthropist. She has successfully been able to engage with people through real stories. Her personal brand is an extension of her personality and is about being genuine and original.
Impacting through Corporate Branding
Corporate branding is about promoting the brand name of a company and providing the company a unique identity. It encompasses a broader scope than product branding.
It can build a long-term reputation for an organization. It creates a connection and allows communication between your company and your consumers. It is about building a relationship between with the products/services and the consumers.
Corporate branding allows you the scope to position your organization beyond you or the Co-Founders. Identifying the right words to express your business offerings enables your customers to understand your brand by its very name and tagline.
Making a Difference with CEO Branding
CEO Branding is a way to enhance the corporate brand where the CEO becomes the face of the corporate brand. It enhances the brand value of the corporate. As mentioned earlier, it can help you garner not just credibility but also new business during the initial days of your business. Further, if a brand fails to build a connection with the audience, CEO branding can be the-go-strategy.
In 2011, when Steve Jobs resigned, the Apple share value fell by 5%. This is a clear indication on how the credibility of the CEO impacts an organization. Even when your business gains some popularity and pace over time, the CEO remains the driving force of the company. Once the CEO reaches a certain point of success in the industry and wants to take the business to its next level, CEO Branding can be considered.
Also, many founders of companies are serial entrepreneurs. So having one platform – the personal identity platform – is a great option. It can showcase diverse work and also enhance their personal brand image. Dr. Vivek Mendonsa, Agnelorajesh Athaide, and Dr.Rekha Chaudhari are some such CEOs, whom we helped in projecting their different work through a single platform.
Choosing Personal Branding over Corporate Branding
Once your personal brand is up, it will speak for you even in your absence. A website on your personal brand will communicate your story, achievements, struggles, victories, ventures, and can even showcase (depending on the objective of CEO Branding) your hobbies, personality, vision, identity, etc. A glance at your website is enough to communicate all about you. CEO branding when done correctly must clearly highlight the personality and the persona of a CEO and help in enhancing their influence.
Finally, going forward, though these tips will help you yet it is the brand discovery, which forms a crucial part in deciding your branding strategy. An in-depth Brand Discovery Session is the way ahead to know what will work best for you.
Reach out to us for a Brand Discovery Session to create a powerful brand for yourself and make your presence felt.
