Personal Branding in a Networked Society

 




Author Gershon outlines the idea of personal branding as she uses the example of Coca-Cola as an example. In order to become and stay successful within an industry like technology (Silicon Valley), a company has to promote itself and create a reputable brand image that can easily be identified by its customers and its target market. Gershon identifies the importance of creating a reputable image through personal branding, as Gershon states "if people now need to manage themselves as though they are businesses, then it isn't that far of a stretch to think that a person can have a marketable image (pg, 26)" This goes hand in hand with Wittel's notion of network sociality as in order to maintain a successfully networked sociality (creating networked and forming connections) you have to create a reputable image for yourself. For example, Apple has been able to consecutively and consistently create new products that their customers love as they upgrade technology and design to fit in with the mainstream and cater to the wants and needs of customers today. I am loyal to Apple because of this and own numerous Apple products, as do all of my family members. The idea of personal branding is seen in regard to how you are able to promote yourself both online and offline, as first impressions today are being made online first then proceed to offline. The idea of social media applications is seen as one of the biggest ways in which individuals brand themselves, as you can choose to post what you want on these applications and can portray yourself in a way that attracts employers and connections. 


Q1: Do you think that personal branding is crucial to succeeding in the society we live in today? 

Q2: What is a specific brand or person (celebrity, entrepreneur, etc) who has been able to grow their image through effective branding and marketing? Why is this brand or person so successful? 

Q3: What is a brand you are loyal to and why? 

Comments

  1. Peter ClancyMarch 25, 2022 at 3:46 PM

    Hey there, very interesting post!
    To answer your first question, I believe that personal branding is pretty important in the world we live in today. Personal branding can help certain people stand out against many other competitors in the same field. I also believe that if you don't self promote your own brand, it would just be less publicity and potential customers for yourself. To answer your second question, I can think of many examples, but I think the Nelk boys are a great example of this. The Nelk Boys leader, Kyle actually was born in my hometown and went to a high school not too far away from me. Through the use of many social media outlets, specifically youtube, they were able to grow a mass following and pursued other ventures that because of their fans, sell out in minutes.

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    Replies
    1. Claire DavidsonMarch 25, 2022 at 9:49 PM

      Hey Peter! Great response.

      I think the Nelk Boys is a great example of personal branding as they have been able to generate a great deal of revenue through their inventions and products that are put into the market as they cater to their mass following and University students- which is a major target audience. I think the use of social media has also drastically increased the Nelk Boys following as their target market is very online and social media oriented and because of this have been able to create products targeted at these individuals and grow their brand and personal branding through it. In relation to YouTubers and online personalities, Tana Mongeau has been able to do a very similar thing as the Nelk Boys as she grew her following from YouTube and was able to create a wine brand that catered to her audience of college and Uni students.

      Great post!

      Delete
  2. Tony FengApril 2, 2022 at 9:41 PM

    Hi Claire, great post!
    I agree that personal branding is very important these days because reputation matters a lot in today’s society. If a brand has a negative reputation it could seriously hurt their profits, which is why there’s always some sort of damage control when a negative story about a brand appears. For a celebrity that I believe has been successful at growing, I think would be Uncle Roger, a person who reviews rice dishes on YouTube. I don’t know much about him or the history of his channel, but his videos suddenly appeared and he’s suddenly a very well known YouTuber. His growth happened when he reviewed a cooking video from the BBC which his reaction video blew up, and his new videos have had the same vibe to them and continue to be popular.
    For your last question, I don’t think there’s any physical brand that I’m loyal to because I just buy whatever’s most convenient or that I like. Though for digital brands, I’m definitely loyal to Google, even though I know there are other search engines out there, I would always use Google and think that Google is the best search engine.

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  3. UnknownApril 19, 2022 at 6:41 AM

    Great post! I think personal branding is crucial in order to succeed, as it is everywhere - Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and even Resumes/Cover Letters. We always think what sets ourselves apart from others in order to be successful? what content will get me the most likes? the most followers? the more collabs? the more job interviews?. We live in a world where we now compete with so much "noise" of other uses/competitors. I think a brand that has grown their image and that I am loyal to is Ralph Lauren, as it has been known for years as being chic, elite, expensive and sophisticated. Wearing Ralph Lauren makes a different statement than wearing Old Navy. - Julia H

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  4. Benhur G.April 19, 2022 at 8:33 PM

    Hi Claire,

    Great post! Personal branding is definitely crucial in the society we live in as people are looking to hire individuals and invest in people. Selling yourself and your own brand can take you much further than your education. Showing people what you are capable of and getting the exposure to the right ears and eyes can take you much further than just going to school and working up the ladder at a company. One person that I have seen completely blow up ever since he started branding and marketing himself all over TikTok is Gary Vee. He is an entrepreneur that has gained an insane following ever since he began marketing himself all over social media. He is known for his antics, the way he speaks, and his beliefs which allow him to become must see tv for many people.

    ReplyDelete

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