February 2006

he idea of a “personal brand” is something we all understand…at least as it relates to celebrities. Figures such as Madonna, Tom Cruise and Lance Armstrong craft and maintain their brands as enthusiastically as the Coca Colas and the Nikes of the corporate world.

But a personal brand for you and me? Absolutely, says personal branding guru Peter Montoya. The issue, in fact, isn’t whether to create a personal brand, but how to create the most effective one you can, he says.

“Everyone has a personal brand, whether they like it or not,” says Montoya, author of The Brand Called You and The Personal Branding Phenomenon. The goal must be to craft that brand so that it creates a clear and memorable impression about who you are and what you do—whether you are a small business owner, a solo entrepreneur or a corporate executive.

Personal vs. Corporate Brand

A personal brand is "the powerful, clear, positive idea that comes to mind whenever other people think of you," Montoya explains. It's the values, abilities and actions you stand for, or, as he puts it, your personal brand is "who you are, what you do, and what makes you different or how you create value for your target market."

In that sense a personal brand is a little broader than a corporate brand, but it’s not just a synonym for professional marketing. In fact, most personal branding experts say the process of developing a personal brand turns the typical marketing process on its head. Instead of starting with segmenting, targeting, product, price, etc., you start with…you.

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