Feature: Branding
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The company identity can be just as important as its product when it is time for a buyer to make a purchasing decision. Therefore, in the same way as branding a product or a service, the key elements of a personal brand must be applied consistently and congruently across all media. Congruency is consistency, alignment and harmony. Congruency builds credibility. Credibility builds trust, respect and loyalty and is an absolute requirement for all businesses. This convergence of congruency and credibility is the cornerstone of personal brand development and, as a consequence, the basis for a business with a clear vision and mission. With the method I have developed for enabling individuals to identify and build their personal brand – The 4Vs Principle© – all four elements must align as they are interconnected and have an inter dependency.
Values - who you are, what you believe, what
you want and your strategic route to achieving your goals Visuals - your visual impact and the visual impact of your company Vocals - what you say, how you say it and who you say it to Verbals - building your reputation, promoting your personal brand and establishing your expertise through the written word
"Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny" Mahatma Gandhi
Every day there are examples of social media faux pas that have a detrimental impact on society’s view of an individual or an organisation which, unlike a passing conversation, may live on in the internet forever. However, because a digital personal brand involves everything from visual identity to content creation, to digital marketing and PR it must to be rooted in authenticity and honesty and should exactly replicate offline life. Simply, an online personal brand will guide online actions embedded within professional and business goals. As for those gaffes? Are they the fault of social media or rather a true reflection of the individual who Tweeted, Posted, Uploaded etc?
While all four elements are equally essential in developing a strong, engaging and profit Does personal branding have a role in boosting personal brand online as well as today’s digital economy? Certainly. offline it is the fourth V, verbals, that is most closely concerned with leveraging a digital Bottom line is, a well-developed online personal brand. personal brand increases recognition by The fear expressed by many business peers, customers and competitors while owners about the adverse effect online simultaneously giving a company a social activity can have on an organisation is often and, more importantly, a financial boost. well-founded. Kathy Ennis is an expert in visual communication, engagement marketing, brand creation and personal branding. She has designed and delivered coaching, business consultancy, training and learning programmes to a wide variety of individuals and organisations in the UK, Europe and Scandinavia. As a mentor, business consultant and trainer Kathy uses the concepts of brand development and engagement marketing as methods of business creation and growth strategies. See www.kathyennis.co.uk. She is also a Founding Partner of The Business Support Group: www.tbsg.org.uk September 201 4
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