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Sally Hogshead

6 ways your personal brand can go horribly wrong

By Sally Hogshead | August 17, 2011

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(Here I go again, biting the hand that feeds me.)

Yesterday I confessed that although I frequently speak on the topic of personal branding, I’ve always had a secret issue with it:

At best, personal branding is a helpful set of principles for those who need a self-promotional jumpstart, such as a recent college grad, or a salesperson starting a new role.

At worst, personal branding can lead to a manipulated persona.

Personal branding is a good start. But it’s not enough.

One Size Fits None

Many personal branding strategies are one-size-fits-all… which is ironic, since the whole point of a personal brand is to stand out.

Reputations should be founded on more than image.

Relationships should be built on more than making the right impression.

Many of you tweeted and commented with awesomely smart points. Personal branding principles can guide us in many scenarios (for instance, when creating a visual identity for your business card and website). Yet overall the consensus was “personal branding” as a practice can get a bit dodgy.

In some cases, the pursuit of personal branding not only doesn’t help – it can actually be damaging.

Do any of the following 6 pitfalls fit your personal brand?

6. Your personal brand is artificially manufactured, rather than a living, breathing part of your personality.

5. Your personal brand isn’t based on who you are, but rather, what your audience wants you to be.

4. Your personal brand strategies are based on a set of one-size-fits-all techniques. (And as much as we all love simplicity, your personality is one-size-fits-none.)

3. Your personal brand is stagnant, not evolving with your career.

2. Your personal brand is designed to maximize your profit rather than serving your purpose.

Each of these 5 mistakes is a surefire way to build an inauthentic brand (not to mention inauthentic relationships). But here’s the biggest potential mistake:

1. Getting so wrapped up in building a “personal brand” that you forget your own natural personality.

The lesson: Never, ever sacrifice your personality for your personal brand.

If you want to fascinate customers and clients, the answer is to become MORE of the extraordinary person you already are.

How can your own personality fascinate people? I’m working on a new approach, based on the concept of “personality brand.” Instead of focusing on one-size-fits-all ways to make an impression, this new tool will identify and articulate your natural personality strengths.

I’m looking for case studies: How do you reflect your own personality in your brand? The most fascinating examples will be featured in the future here, on my blog.

See comments.

More posts by Sally Hogshead

About Sally Hogshead

Growing up with the last name Hogshead would give anyone an unconventional point of view. Today, after surviving years of harassment on the playground, Sally is a speaker, author, and brand innovation consultant, helping companies develop messages that persuade and captivate. Clients past and present include Nike, MINI Cooper, Aflac, Cole Haan, Target, Coca-Cola and Godiva. Sally’s work and insights have been profiled by The New York Times, NBC, ABC, CBS and MSNBC. She’s been described by the press as “intrepid’ and an “advertising mastermind.” Reality TV show Making It Big named her “Advertising’s Icon” who has “changed the face of North American advertising.” In 2009, she was interviewed twice on NBC’s Today Show. A sought-after speaker, Sally leads keynotes for companies such as Starbucks and Microsoft, as well as innovation sessions around the world.

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