Can personal brands save big business?

NP Digital asked 200 companies about their employees’ personal brands. If you’re guessing that most companies said, “Huh? what?” you’re probably right. Over 80% of the companies didn’t support their employees’ personal brands.

Only 18 of the companies reported that they both supported employees with personal brands, and those employees were willing to promote the company. 13 of those 18 companies said those personal brands drove sales. That’s a 72% success rate. That’s a crazy high number for any sales or marketing strategy — especially one so simple and inexpensive.

It’s just another reminder that humans are more likely to trust (and buy from) other humans rather than companies. This is why VCs are launching their own newsletters. This is why The Wall Street Journal is hiring a “Talent Coach” for their writers’ personal brands:

“The Talent Coach will equip our journalists with the skills and strategies needed to effectively build their personal brand, engage with audiences, amplify their work and navigate the complexities of various social-media platforms.”

Smart companies will increasingly become collections of personal brands. It’s the publishing house model reborn. It’s not surprising that media companies are among the first to catch on.

The real challenge will be for the 80%+ of companies who seem unwilling to accept reality. They not only need to learn how to support personal brands but also become the kind of company an employee would want to promote. Good luck with that.

This predicament is nothing new. There will always be a top 20% of companies in any industry, willing to adapt to the market and pivot on a dime. This is just another way of identifying them (and possible investing in them). 

At the very least, if you’re working for the 80%, this is an indicator to start planning your exit. It’s not going to get any easier for them from here.