Excerpt #2: Balancing Corporate & Personal Brands

The following is the second excerpt from "Walking the Wire: Striking a Balance Between Corporate and Personal Brands" as presented by Mike McDougall at the Ragan Communications / Southwest Airlines conference in October 2011.

This tip may be one of the most important -- seek the true believers.

Whom do you want associated  with your company brand? Employees who already live and breathe it, who support it, who understand it.

Influencers have always existed in organizations, well before the advent of social media. Go “old school” and work with these colleagues who have been honing their personal brands for years. For those who haven't extended their brands into the digital realm, help them make the leap. Remember that we're aiming for a symbiotic relationship -- you have to give to get.

While this technique could have national or international benefits in some cases, don’t overlook the hyper-local approach. Some personal brands can be more effective in a small sphere – for instance, at a particular office or plant location. Find those influencers, and make sure they're acting as ambassadors for the company with the full backing of the communications team.

To read additional insights from the discussion, bookmark the PR Schism or follow our Twitter feed (@McDougallTC). For a copy of the presentation slides, contact us at info@McDougallTC.com.