Brand Management

What is a personal brand? Perhaps the most succinct and descriptive brand definition comes from marketing expert John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing. He defines branding as “the art of becoming knowable, likable and trustable.” That’s how most of us feel likely about companies such as Apple, Disney, BMW and Nike. If we don’t manage our personal brand as diligently as these companies manage their company brand, people will assign a default brand to us. And this may not serve us well.

Always be mindful of your personal brand. Pay attention to how others perceive you and gather input as to how you can improve it. Do you need to spend more time developing a deeper knowledge/expertise in a particular area? Are you leveraging opportunities to showcase your knowledge and its value to your employer? You’ve worked long and hard, sacrificing to build a solid reputation. When you’re out of the room, you know what they’re saying: He’s an innovative marketer. She’s a terrific real estate sales-person. He knows everything about the Estonian export market. But what if you now want to …

People reinvent themselves all the time—to take on a new challenge, shift into more-meaningful work, or change perceptions that have hindered their career progress. Sometimes the changes are major. Sometimes the rebranding is subtle, as for an executive who wants to advance but needs to overcome a negative perception. Taking control of your personal brand may mean the difference between an unfulfilling job and a rewarding career. “We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.”