A personal brand or “What do we have in common with the Kardashian clan, D. Trump and J. Bezos?”

Let’s say that with the exception of a classic human characteristic such as two legs, a head, two arms, a nose, and a mouth, we wouldn’t say at first glance that we could find faster common ground. However, we all have a personal brand. Yes, each of us has it and no, it’s not reserved for celebrities. When we talk about personal brands, we most often associate them with world film, music or art stars, and we also throw politicians into this basket. However, even for us or our personal brands, both important to the company and the business as well as the brands we help, they create thoughtful in outlined marketing strategies. We are a building block that should not be neglected.

The brand of leading and other talented individuals directly influences the success of an organization. Think, for example, of the late Steve Jobs – he was the one who made (and consistently took steps in that direction) a promise that customers would get a premium product by buying Apple products. He was the one who knew how to create such an expectation in the market that put people in line in front of the store. When Jobs announced his resignation as CEO on August 24, 2011, Apple shares fell nearly 3 percent that day, equivalent to about 10 billion dollars in company value. Why? It was to blame for the lack of confidence that Apple would continue as successfully as it did under his leadership.

The human face of a company thus gives the market important signals of what it can expect from the company, the organization. There is already a lot of research proving that the reputation of a director is often a decisive factor in whether stakeholders will invest in the company, whether they will maintain trust when the share price falls or stagnates, or whether they will recommend the company as a good employer. Of course, the faces of a company are not just directors.

** You can read a longer comment on this topic in the 2nd issue of the Super brand magazine.