You vs. Your Company’s Brand

By Robin Fisher Roffer

Whether it’s Oprah, Richard Branson or Steve Jobs, a CEO’s personal brand is often inextricably tied to their company’s brand (for better or worse)

I’ll bet that when you think of Apple, Steve Jobs pops right into your head. And how can you even begin talking about Berkshire Hathaway without mentioning Warren Buffet? In my mind Ted Turner’s brand will forever be shellacked on the CNN logo. From Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company to John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil, it’s always been this way.

Is it a bad thing for a dynamic leader to be so closely associated with their company’s brand?

Well, that depends on the leader. As Spider-Man once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” So you have to be very disciplined — understanding that your actions will make or break your company and affect everyone who works there. Having said this, I can’t help but think of Rupert Murdock and News Corp. Clearly, his renegade style and opportunistic methods have finally caught up with him and tarnished everything he’s built.

To avoid turning your business into a negative cult of personality, your personal brand has to reflect your highest self in terms of core values, mission and vision. Ultimately, your job is to establish a professional mystic loaded with credibility that exudes authority and creates trust. If done properly, you can create a “halo effect” for all your employees and creative partners.

If you only focus on your company’s brand and not your own personal brand, don’t expect things to go well long term.

Since I established Big Fish in 1992, I have strived to evolve both my company’s brand and my own perception in the marketplace. Below is how I position myself differently from my company today. You’ll notice that the two brand descriptions are exclusive of one another, yet complementary.

My Personal Brand Description

The premiere brand strategist for the digital age and leading reinvention specialist, Robin Fisher Roffer provides the rocket fuel that has ignited the launch pad of dozens of powerhouse brands all over the world.

My Company’s Brand Description

As the only career reinvention experts on the frontlines of business, Big Fish provides tools to help you market yourself for success, so you can connect faster, easier and more meaningfully with your target audience, advance your career, and make more money. From books and online programs to coaching and workshops, we give you the same methodology that’s created some of the world’s most admired brands.

You can see that my experience as a brand strategist lends credibility to my company’s value proposition. It’s an ideal co-branding situation. It’s important that you find these threads and make a through line from yourself to your company so your prospects understand why you are at the helm.

No matter how you spin it, your personal brand has to be authentic and consistent across the board.

When I lived in LA, Big Fish was a bustling advertising agency and I was riding high after the release of my first book, Make A Name For Yourself. Regardless of our success, I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. I remember thinking that one wrong move would bring it all tumbling down. So I became guarded. I remember a friend of mine saying to me, “I don’t want to talk to the book cover now. I want to talk to you.” That was a wake-up call. I realized that it was important to reflect my company’s brand, but also to be myself.

The choice isn’t to develop your personal brand or build your company’s brand. What I’m asserting is that you work diligently to develop both. As agency marketing vet Drew McLellan says, “Rather than fight to separate who you are from what you do — carefully mesh them together to strengthen the argument of why they should hire you over a competitor.”

Your personal brand is like a thumbprint. It is like no other. Applied to your company it is what distinguishes you from the pack.