Personal branding, the process of creating a coherent and consistent outward presentation of personal qualities, is essential not just for businesses and products, but for every single working person. This conclusion, reached by Entrepreneur magazine, holds particular weight for public speakers, as it highlights the crucial operation of personal branding in developing a relationship with the audience – at work and at home. It’s crucial for public speakers to have a strong personal brand; it goes hand in hand with engagement. A good place to start is in the physical signifier of a brand: design and livery.
Most professionals will have their own range of outward facing products that communicate their work. A website, a blog, advertising and personal presentation. All of these items act as a living advert to would be partners or customers. As such, they need to be up to date. No brand is immune from the need for an update. As Dezeen profiled, even the US Army received a Siegel+Gale rejig to help bring them into the modern day.
A good way to promote your brand is through merchandise and clothing. This can be a simple and effective way to get a message across, and merch is always welcomed at speaking events and conferences. High quality and ethical sources of clothing can be obtained from industry veterans like SpectraUSA. With high quality design and consistent livery, you can create a solid design that will live long in the memory.
Physical design is a crucial aspect of building a recognisable personal brand. Behind that comes messaging, both in tone and in execution. Forbes highlights the supreme power of consistent branding through one well-known example - McDonalds “I’m lovin’ it”, which helped turn the company from losing $244m per year to profits in excess of $1bn.
Consistency is crucial. Customers and audiences will be turned off when there are clear conflicts in messaging through the year, both tonally and in terms of its presentation. Finding the right note and striking it consistently is essential.
A consistent core brand is crucial, but a willingness to adapt views and principles is important, too. Progressivism and ethical consumerism are huge areas of interest in the world of business. Leaders and entrepreneurs must be proactive about meeting targets concerning diversity and inclusion, and making a genuine appeal as people who will advocate for the rights of those who have historically been treated unfairly. That message must be reflected in their products and services themselves, and, in the case of public speakers, the methods and philosophies they espouse.
Growing in this way isn’t a compromise on consistency. To the contrary, being open to new viewpoints and ways of working is itself a principle and something that should be a consistent part of personal values. Personal branding is part of a wider strategy for growth and personal development. Capturing the core tenets of a good brand will be hugely beneficial long-term.
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