It occurred to me as I saw an article about Apple computers that there are some businesses clearly branded to their founders. For example, while I worked for Digital Equipment Corporation, founded by Ken Olsen, the company was not inexorably branded to his personality. However, that is not the case with Steve Jobs. Jobs was the face and personality of Apple. When he was ousted, the company suffered; When he returned. it prospered. Jobs was Apple when he was alive. In fact, he was the face of personal computing. Sure IBM had the PC that outsold Apple, but the PC was a thing – Jobs was the personality behind personal computing.
When the CEO is the personality of the company, there is a bit of magic that is created. Consumers connect with a personality much better than with a company. When you are the personality of the company, your customers will create a very strong, almost cult-like bond that is not easily broken. Consider all the devastating stories about Jobs, like how he avoided taxes on billions of dollars of revenue by using offshore shell companies, or the fact that Chinese working conditions were so poor in his factories that workers committed suicide. He even refused to be philanthropic with his vast wealth. Yet, despite these horrific stories, Steve Jobs remains immortalized in history by his fans.
In politics, the President has that bond with his supporters. Even if they do something stupid, their supporters filter out the bad news and only focus on the good part of the message. As Suzanna Tulien, a branding consultant friend of mine who runs the Brand Ascension Group once told me,:
“Steve you are the brand for your business, and people get emotionally attached to your brand by relating to you.”
It is, therefore, no surprise that when it comes to social media, advisers say over and over that you should be authentic and share your personality with your followers.
Social media maven, Gary Vaynerchuk, speaks freely, and often profanely in his online discourses, which displays his non-conformist personality. Donald Trump is another person who utilizes his brash and vocal personality to connect with his audience. People love this edgy and supremely outspoken founder. For people like Vaynerchuk and Trump, their supports are so solidly bound to them that they can do no wrong. Their fans work tirelessly to convert others too.
Being real and the face of your business can pay real dividends in customer loyalty and their advocacy of your business to others. I make no bones about the fact that I’m a bit anti-establishment when it comes to the business advice I provide. Being a non-conformist is who I am and is a big part of my personal brand.
