Personal branding has become a trend and the debate about its importance has increased. Groskop (2008) and Arruda (2003) present their opinions about this issue. Groskop is of the opinion that for people to be successful in the 21st century they need to considers personal branding. Arruda believes that a personal brand differentiates somebody from the rest and creates a demand for that brand.
Arruda (2003) urges that times have changed and unlike in the past. Workers need personal branding that not only distinguishes one, but also “promises value just as a corporate brand does” (Arruda, 2003, p. 58). Moreover, Arruda urges that, it involves understanding of an individual’s unique attributes, passions, values and strengths to differentiate one from the rest and to guide one in making career decisions (2003).
Furthermore, one needs to nurture a personal brand to succeed professionally. Nurturing a winning brand is vital because it enables one to raise confidence, increase visibility, expand in business and understand one’s self better. Therefore, an individual needs to understand him/herself to make an authentic brand. It is also important to know one’s competitors so that stand out. More importantly for a personal brand to be successful, one must know how to communicate it to “the right people” (Arruda, 2003, p. 59).
Arruda posits that once an individual has created a personal brand he or she needs ensure that everything they do aligns with the brand. The brand has to reflect in the way they communicate, dress and interact with other people. He also says that a personal brand must remain relevant in the event of change. A person needs to adapt the necessary changes, and ensure that they remain authentic at the same time (2003, p. 60).
On the other hand, Groskop agrees with Arruda on the importance of personal branding. For an individual to succeed in work today personal branding is necessary. Just like big brands are recognizable so should individuals by their personal branding. To become a brand requires dedication. One has to create an image linger in people’s mind. This is not easy task as one may face rejection. In this era of World Wide Web, people should take advantage and start by creating personal blogs to advertise their personal brands (Groskop, 2008, p. 29). On the other hand, people should remember that they are branded whether they like it or and so the best one can do is to work on their brand image to make it work for them.
Groskop shifts from Arruda’s argument that one can change their brand as time changes. Groskop feels that personal branding becomes a problem to an individual later. People learn to associate a person with a certain brand. Hence, it is difficult to change because one becomes a servant of the brand (Groskop, 2008, p.29). Arruda says that one has to live and breathe the brand (Arruda, 2003, p. 60).
The two articles agree on the importance of creating a personal brand. It is will help people to be successful in their careers. People will always brand others even if they choose not to create a personal brand. Therefore, it is important for an individual to create a personal brand so that he or she can control how the brand reflects about them.
References
Arruda, W 2003, Brand: You, Development TD, p. 58-60.
Groskop, V, 2008, Brand Me! New Statesman. P. 28-29.