Personal or Corporate Branding and Authenticity

Personal or Corporate Branding and Authenticity One loud voice and millions of unheard voices is a fair analysis of years gone by but social media is changing everything from the political landscape to corporate social responsibility. Transparency and accountability; genuine, authentic and legitimate; these are the attributes that social media has unearthed and placed at the forefront in the success of your business, professional career or political aspirations. The availability of shared information is extensive and the spotlight must shine on a verifiable, engaging personal or corporate brand. A brand displaying an openness to communication, engagement and the testimonials to further secure credibility. A successful brand is not achieved simply by a well worded mission statement, it requires actions and accomplishments that will back it up. A Divah.com post, Social Media as Corporate Whistleblower follows up on a Tim Hortons corporate social responsibility initiative with 3BL Media which appears to be all talk and no action. We can be assured that the increase in available online information and the social media spotlight will show the credibility or lack of credibility for all initiatives. How Much is Superior Service Worth to Customers?, by Kimberly Weisul reports on a survey by American Express which is one more example of the ease of sharing information, acquiring feedback and clear expectations from a global client base. Social Media was described in April 2008 by Joseph Thornley as follows; Social media are online communications in which individuals shift fluidly and flexibly between the role of audience and author. To do this, they use social software that enables anyone without knowledge of coding, to post, comment on, share or mash up content and to form communities around shared interests. The perspective of millions is now being shared rather than that of a small percentage of authors. The increase in our knowledge base is phenomenal. An established social media presence can provide an abundance of connections with satisfied customers, friends, past employers, groups, family, education, interests, organizations, successes, expertise, colleagues, recruiters, companies and more. If consistent and verifiable, you can be assured of an authentic personal or corporate brand.