Some of you may agree with me when we talk about personal branding, it can be somewhat vague. Yes, it is how we would describe a brand that is like any normal entity but a brand and representation that is stuck with us wherever we go nonetheless and it changes with time. Let’s take Keanu Reeves for instance. For many of us, me included – I’m a big fan – would know him since I was in high school from ‘Bill and Ted’ while most of you may know him from ‘John Wick’ but what makes him Keanu Reeves? It’s due to his humbleness and resemblance to Vlad the Impaler or maybe for his ‘Sad Keanu’ memes – well, that works too.
Still not so clear on what I’m saying? Alright, maybe we should go somewhere easier. Try Anna Wintour. Most of us who are into fashion would know her as the famous Vogue Editor-in-Chief; when you hear her name automatically the gear in your head will think, Wintour equals fashion and Vogue but for some, I’m sure it’s because of her trademark pageboy bob haircut and dark sunglasses – and that my friend is a representation of personal branding, our very own trademark that we build single-handedly to make people remember us, be it online or offline.
Photo from Vanity Fair 
Photo from Vogue
Now, as we’re entering a new decade, what can we say about personal branding? Well, to be honest, before I am “sane” enough to know what is personal branding, I couldn’t care less about my appearance – I was a tomboy who simply grabbed a random t-shirt and jeans to go out shopping. I had fun but how about the world of today? Oh yeah, they had fun too but to have that fun, they start building their brands before they even know what that means. I mean, why would you want to look like you’re in your 20s when you just turned 14 for goodness sake! But hey, for what they’re doing to themselves, they deserve to be praised because they sure can teach us a thing or two about personal branding.
They’re so in love with branding. I don’t know what’s worse – the trend of not shaving your armpits for the girls or the drop crotch trend for men. Dude, why would you wear something like that? It’s like your… never mind, forget I said anything. The point here is, Millennials want to be aesthetically pleasing, they want to have that sense of confidence and signature look and they want their voice to be heard wherever they go. Yes, visual is very important in personal branding, so does your personality and character, as this goes hand-in-hand with you and not to forget they are a representation of you. Where we are still struggling to build a solid brand for ourselves, this generation seems to pick it up naturally.
Photo from Nike Women 
Photo from Urbandon
New trend? Come to me baby! Smartphones? Check. Internet? Check. Twitter, Instagram, TikTok? Check. Rain or shine, they are always on the phone and the Internet, making them more aware of which trend should they go for to boost their already visibility. Let’s admit, they just know what’s hot and not! Where some of us are just about to jump into the bandwagon, they are already moving to the next trend – a couple of months back it was all about athleisure and when the somewhat older generations are about to join them, it’s suddenly black is the new black. So, what gives? To say the least, our visibility depends on consistency and how fast can we adapt to the ever-changing digital environment. Just be sure that your branding too should include how you can match the new trend with your very own brand.
You’re you, I’m me. Being in love with fashion but not following the latest trend is a pain in the donkey, ain’t it? I mean, don’t you think that the fashion industry is somewhat trying to standardised everything? From the clothes you wear to the perfect body size and even to set the standards of beauty and happiness. But wow, it must suck for them right now when you have the Millennials who couldn’t give a crap about all that. Yeah, they want to immerse themselves into the latest trend but don’t discard the fact that they too are all about authenticity, self-love and acceptance because it’s them that fight for the plus size to be accepted, to self-love and to embrace the fashion like everyone else. What I’m saying is, don’t ever think that anyone can set the standard for you when it comes to your own set of brand. You’re you. Build and communicate your style to the world by being yourself.
Social media-ly active. What can I say, this is the perfect place to build your brand. If you’re the LinkedIn guy, yeah sure, that works. But have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, LinkedIn and Facebook may not be the only place you can be active on? You have the Millennials who are active on most top social media platforms to build their brands. LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and even YouTube – they don’t rely only on one platform to build their brand and image, no, they rely on these social media in stages and in a sustainable manner. Huh, go figure!
Today, this generation may be experiencing a “not-so-nice” blot from the older generations, but hey, when it comes to this kinda thing, maybe we should give them a chance. I mean they did prove themselves to be the generation that know-it-all, ay? Cheers!
