From the desk of Loy Machedo: Is Personal Branding – A Personal Branding Fad? This is a question everyone asks and wants to know. I understand being asked “What is Personal Branding?”. But they start asking “Is Personal Branding a Fad?” Or as they sarcastically put it “Is Personal Branding A Personal Branding Fad?”

Consider the following examples

Examples of American Presidents

1. Donald Trump
2. Barack Obama
3. George Bush
4. Bill Clinton
5. Ronald Regan

Do you think all of them were the SAME? or did they each have some unique feature, characteristic, voice, mannerism and way of doing things?

Is Personal Branding – A Personal Branding Fad
Then – Consider The Most Famous Olympians:

1. Michael Phelps
2. Usain Bolt
3. Carl Lewis
4. Jesse Owns
5. Nadia Comaneci

Do you think all of them looked, dressed, performed, celebrated, behaved and acted the same? Do you think all of them appealed to the SAME public? Do you think they all got endorsed by the same companies?

Is Personal Branding – A Personal Branding Fad
Then let us look at the most famous Cricketers of the World

1. Sachin Tendulkar
2. Muttiah Muralitharan
3. Wasim Akram
4. Shane Warne
5. Ricky Ponting

Do you think if an Indian Toothpaste Brand “A” made Sachin Tendulkar its brand ambassador versus another Indian Toothpaste Brand “B” making Wasim Akram its brand ambassador – which brand do you think will do well in India?

The one that chose Sachin or the one that chose Wasim?

Let’s move on to Celebrities….

Is Personal Branding – A Personal Branding Fad
Top Female Singer

1. Beyonce
2. Mariah Carey
3. Adele
4. Lady Gaga
5. Taylor Swift

If there is a clothing company that wants to market clothes for normal everyday conservative people – which celebrity do you think they should choose as their Brand Ambassador or spokesperson?

What about these people….

Is Personal Branding – A Personal Branding Fad
Top Male Singers

1. Michael Jackson
2. Elivs Presley
3. Justin Bieber
4. Ray Charles
5. Axl Rose

If you had to choose one celebrity to appeal to a younger demographic to be your spokesperson – which among the following would you opt in to represent your company?

Let us look at the world of boxing…

Is Personal Branding – A Personal Branding Fad
Boxers of the World

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Floyd Mayweather
3. Manny Pacquiao
4. Mike Tyson
5. Roberto Duran

Who among all of them would you feel is appropriate to sell Filipino products to Filipino people?

Is Personal Branding – A Personal Branding Fad
What about Football Players

1. Lionel Messie
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
3. Pele
4. Diego Maradona
5. Zinedine Zidane

If you had to opt for a good-looking beach body to sell fitness supplement – who would be your pick?

Is Personal Branding – A Personal Branding Fad
Athletes of the World

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Football)
2. LeBron James (Basketball)
3. Roger Federer (Tennis)
4. Tiger Woods (Golf)
5. Mike Tyson (Boxing)

And finally – who among all of them do you think would be the best coach for you to recommend as an Individual who can teach family values?

So now…since you have gone through the list, you will notice one thing….

Each individual here had to consistently BE who they were, BEHAVE the way they always did, COMMUNICATED through their words and actions how they appeared to be and LEFT A MARK on people as to what they were or values they represented.

Is Personal Branding – A Personal Branding Fad?

Here is my answer

Personal Branding is NOT a Personal Branding Fad

1. Personal Brand or Personal Branding
2. It is the never-ending process
3. Of establishing yourself in a unique manner
4. In the minds and hearts of your target audience
5. So as to position yourself uniquely from the rest of the competition

It consists of all factors from

• Your Dress
• Your Behavior
• Your Style
• Your Voice
• The experience you give others
• The products you sell
• The Service you offer
• Your Expertise
• Your Price Point

And it is NOT something you can do one day and leave the next day. It is something that has been going on and on and on and on.

If Personal Branding was a FAD, then I doubt celebrities would spend MILLIONS of dollars communicating to the masses what they wanted them to see, hear, feel and believe.

So the next time you hear a tweet from our friendly neighborhood friend Kim Kardashian

or get to hear a motivational message from Tony Robbins

Remember this much – This is an Individual doing his or her best trying to communicate their Personal Brand to you.

It is what makes them memorable to you and make you like them forever.

Loy Machedo