Branding
Branding For The Communication Professional In The Age Of AI
By George Mlaghui
In a mentorship session at the start of this year, one of my mentees asked,“ How does a PR officer get to use his skills on himself and how does he get to take advantage of AI in the process?” My immediate reaction was to reiterate the fact that individuals are brands in their own right, and as such, they need to present themselves accordingly. Upon reflection, though, my response to the question took a slant.
Firstly, as Communicators, we shape client narratives based on facts and audience perception. When it comes to our own personal brands, however, we evolve into both the client and practitioner.
In this increasingly digitally connected age, as Communication professionals, we need to establish personal brands that amplify integrity, expertise, and transparency, as these have become critical trust signals for clients, the press, the general public, and other stakeholders. So, how does a Communication professional achieve this? It all starts with a baseline audit- the Communicator must be willing to audit their personal brand with as much objectivity as possible.
To realize a successful personal brand audit, we need to conduct“ a self-audit before the actual audit.” This exercise will help identify any biases that may dilute the brand audit ' s intent. Some of the most common biases are: the confirmation bias where we seek information or data that confirms our self-perception, the blind-spot bias where we quickly recognise bias in others but not in ourselves, the overconfidence effect where we over estimate our abilities and professional strengths, the affinity bias where we value feedback from like-minded people more, and recency bias where we latch onto recent feedback more than reviews over an extended period of time.
As Communicators, we will also need to collect both quantitative and qualitative data about our personal brands from multiple channels. From a quantitative perspective, analytical tools, search engine results and content performance will help gauge the engagement levels of our personal brands. From a qualitative standpoint, gleaning structured 360-degree feedback from a diverse panel of mentors, peers, both junior and senior colleagues, clients, and even critics, will enable us to gauge personal brand perception.
We should thereafter close the loop by conducting a SWOT analysis on our personal brands, ensuring that nothing is plonked into the quadrants without a data point to back it up. This should enable you to conduct a brand gap analysis, consequently enabling you to redefine your personal brand.
Here comes the other challenge that may allow bias to creep back in- not wanting to interpret the data comprehensively. We need to commit to separating intent from impact. For example, you posted some“ clever-sounding content” online, but there was low engagement or ambiguous comments; the impact was not what was intended. Additionally, we need to identify patterns or clusters of similar feedback to enable us to map out trends that need to be addressed. This will ensure that we land on an accurate baseline – objective benchmarking.
Having established our baseline, there is need to commit to a post-audit action plan with a focus on four areas:( i) what you need to stop doing,( ii) what you need to continue doing,( iii) what you need to start doing, and,( iv) scheduling the next personal brand audit, therefore turning this into a professional hygiene practice. By systemising the process, relying on external data, and building in checks and balances, you transform a subjective self-reflection into an objective strategic analysis.
Secondly, with the advent of AI, Communicators must pivot from being the conventional service providers to thought leaders and AI interpreters- the human bridge for stakeholder engagement. As AI automates routine tasks( media monitoring, drafting, analytics), strategic value shifts to high-level counsel, ethical judgment, and contextual interpretation. As Communicators, we must now provide counsel on AI ' s impact on communications, misinformation defense, and stakeholder ethics positions.
It is important to highlight that a dormant digital footprint or one that is unmanaged is a professional liability. Communicators need to consciously curate their personal brands across all relevant platforms, ensuring that they can control their professional narrative, demonstrate digital fluency, and consequently shape industry conversations. In addition, a digitally robust personal brand, by extension, amplifies and authenticates the brands you represent. Clients hire you not just for your skills, but for the authoritative network and reputation you bring to the assignment.
In a hybrid human-AI environment where trust is fragile and authenticity is prized, the Communication professional ' s personal brand transitions from a career enhancement tool to a core strategic asset. It is the foundation for building trust, exercising influence, and delivering irreplaceably human value.
You are no longer just managing brands; you must strategically become one- a brand that leads, counsels, and influences.
George Mlaghui is the Director of Corporate Communication at Telkom Kenya. You can engage him via email at: GMlaghui @ gmail. com.
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