THE NEXUS
Personal Branding : Being Your Best PR Person
By Walter Chabala
We are all brands . A brand is not just a logo , a business name , the brand colors and the tagline . Your brand is pretty much the essence of who you are , what you do and how you do it . It ’ s how you are perceived , what you offer to the world , the uniqueness of who you are as a person - all rolled into one . So , with all that at stake , question is , how do you protect your brand ?
Question ; at your last industry meet-up , how did you introduce yourself ? Let me guess : Managing Director ? Chief Marketing Officer ? Director , Corporate Communications ? If still not at that level , don ’ t sweat it , remember , growth is the only constant . My point is , while these introductions are not at all wrong , I just want to share something slightly more that would make you win , connect and impressionably last long in your audiences ’ mind . Allow me to share .
Whereas these perfectly introduce you , they put great emphasis on your affiliations such as working for big company X , attending prestigious college Y or Mr ./ Mrs . big person Z . In some quarters , these might appear as a boasting exercise ; an exercise , which will diminish , rather than enhance your market value .
Don ’ t get me wrong , affiliations as well as degrees certainly do matter . I however , feel that these tend to matter more at younger stages in your career . Once you are indoctrinated into a particular corporate culture , your results on the bottom-line reign supreme .
Flaunting your affiliations makes for self-serving rhetoric . It only screams “ look at me ” in the spotlight perspective . That makes for a bad PR strategy . Think about it , our conditioning since childhood continues to make us think that self-promotion is bad and should be avoided at all costs . The net effect of that is that many are quick to equate such as bad PR ; they equate it to bragging .
Whereas that might carry some truth depending on context , I also submit , it ’ s a very competitive world out there and one certainly needs to stand out . So , here ’ s the thing ; I ’ m talking about being the best PR person for yourself and here ’ s how . Here ’ s a personal branding PR strategy that tactfully highlights your selfless accomplishments . That said , still just to add , it ’ s okay to be and state all the Director , Corporate Communications that you are , because again , if you don ’ t you are giving permission for others to define you .
However , more than that , are you able to communicate your results on the bottom line without seeming boastful ? Besides delivering tangible value and outcomes , you have to be able to talk about what you have accomplished in a manner that promotes your personal brand . There is a huge difference between promoting oneself based on meaningful contributions born out of your unique abilities , and the empty calorie self-promotion that adds no value to the audience . Also ranking top of that list is your ability to take the corporate vision and inspiring others to follow that same path . These capabilities , actually override your affiliations .
And remember , good PR is about good storytelling and while at it , make sure your story ticks and sticks . By cutting down on your affiliation branding , you already transcend previously built barriers therefore connecting with the audience on multiple levels .
And just how do you make sure your story is all the above ? make it authentic ; use riveting / invigorating messages … I ’ m talking humor , sarcasm , empirical evidence ; stay focused on the storyline ; and always sum it up with a punch line of the key takeout .
When used effectively , storytelling becomes a major PR asset to build your personal brand . Rather than the boastful affiliation branding , self-promotion is where you naturally get the public ’ s recognition because of the difference you make . Make sure to always invest your time to share your wisdom and talent with your company , colleagues , reports or customers .
That is using PR positively to build your personal brand ; an effective PR strategy based on selfless accomplishment . You build a reputation because of the value you bring and people can clearly see it through your storytelling . In other words , you are what you produce , which means that your PR is tied to a service attitude and corresponding results .
Again , the aim here is not to diminish the value of graduating from an Ivy League school at the top of your class - not all . Rather just putting it in its proper perspective . This means that affiliations can certainly open doors that may have otherwise remained closed . What keeps you there however , and keeps you moving on up , remains your personal brand over time and how you become your best PR person .
Chabala Walter is your seasoned Marketing and Communication practitioner . You can commune with him via email at : Chabalawalter @ gmail . com or on his LinkedIn page : Walter Chabala , MPRSK , AKIM .
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