How Does the Founder’s Personal Brand Affect the Overall Company Brand?
“How does the founder's personal brand have an impact on the company brand?”
My answer: How does it NOT have an impact?
If your founder is seen as a subject-matter expert in their industry, if people come back to watch their content and hear their insights, how will this NOT have an impact on your whole company’s brand?
Look at Steve Jobs.
He had a MASSIVE personal brand. Did it affect Apple's brand?
I’d argue it affected Apple’s brand more than anything else they did. He was Apple’s #1 marketing channel, forget about their product ads:
- Steve Jobs holding keynotes
- Steve Jobs doing interviews
- Steve Jobs, the brilliant genius
- Steve Jobs, the college dropout
There are even movies made about him!
It’s definitely an extreme example. But it shows the impact a founder's brand can have.
If your founder is high profile and known as a subject matter expert in their niche by posting insightful and valuable content, people will get curious:
Who is this person? What do they do?
All of this will trickle down to your company's awareness, positioning, and reputation.
The founder is the face of the company.
Building their personal brand as a thought leader in their niche will elevate your whole branding and marketing efforts.