Identifying you! : a personal branding analysis

Abstract

The following paper looks at exploring the perception towards the model that is utilised to assist in creating an identity for Personal Branding, the Aaker’s Brand Identity Planning Model, and the importance of determining and creating a Personal Brand Identity in the modern day. The Brand Identity Planning Model was created to help in creating a Brand Identity for a corporation and to give it components that are relatable for the intended target audience. Due to the efficacy of creating identities for organisations it has been used for the purpose of crafting the Brand Identity of an Individual with some components making or determining attributes that have no relation to an individual and their Personal Brand. Thus, a research paper that was conducted in a constructivist approach looked at determining the opinion and perception surrounding the efficacy of using the Brand Identity Planning Model. A Mixed Methods approach was taken, throughout 2015, so as to understand the opinions and attitudes towards using the Aaker’s Brand Identity Planning Model, the importance of Personal Branding and the ways in which a Personal Brand can be created to have efficient results. This research was gained through personal interviews with branding experts, who had previously dealt with building a Brand Identity, either for a large corporation or an individual, and through semi-structured interviews with students from the Honours and 3rd Year Students from Vega, School of Brand Leadership, Pretoria campus, as they make use of the current model to build and create Brand Identities for corporations and individuals alike. The key research findings were analysed and interpreted to form recommendations to assist in identifying the opinion and then crafting recommendations on a modified model for Personal Branding. This new bestpractise model will result in a more effective and sustainable Personal Brand being communicated.