Career development in employer branding can – believe it or not – be influenced by your choice of style and appearance. What on earth, I hear you thinking.
Especially within the creative sectors such as marketing, the intertwining of personal style with career development has become increasingly significant.
Why?
Understanding the symbiotic relationship between branding and how we present ourselves is pivotal for employer brand managers, talent acquisition professionals, and those invested in personal and employer branding. And this will help you with career development in employer branding.
This dialogue isn’t, of course, just about fashion!
It’s about the essence of branding – personal and professional, where every choice speaks volumes and allows you to leverage branding to win the attention of prospective candidates, employees – and even clients if you work as a solopreneur.
Why?
Because you are being remembered.
Seth Godin, one of the most insightful minds in the marketing world, offers a perspective on branding that goes far beyond logos, taglines, and visual identities.
According to Godin, branding is fundamentally about the stories, emotions, and expectations our audiences associate with us or our organisations. It’s not just about what we sell or the services [or career opportunities] we offer; it’s about the feelings and connections those offerings evoke in people.
Branding is fundamentally about stories, emotions and expectations our audiences associate with us or our organisations.
Seth GodinThis understanding of the essence of branding as a deeply emotional and psychological process is critical for anyone looking to make a lasting impact, especially for professionals in creative sectors like employer brand marketing and communications.
Especially if you want to build a successful career in employer branding.
In this episode of the Building a Modern Employer Brand podcast, my intention is to connect you with the essence of branding. What branding really means and requires and I’m going to do it with something totally unexpected yet more accessible to understand: our personal style, appearance and personality.
I promise you, this will make sense to you, so go ahead, listen or watch this episode. It’s going to be fun!
If you are new to this podcast, welcome my friend. My name is Susanna Rantanen.
This podcast is exactly what you want as your weekly routine if your work involves talent marketing, such as employer branding or talent acquisition, and you want to learn how to effectively use branding, marketing and communications for ultimate professional success.
As one of the top employer branding experts and influencers globally, I’m here to introduce you to the world of modern employer branding with practical, logical, science-based yet delightful way to to build a modern employer brand.
My weekly aim is to take you with me on a cruise to another universe where we dig into how to use marketing, communication, content and social media to make a lasting impact and deliver results.
I’m all about using my knowledge for professional and personal success. For my employees, our clients and students, but also for my success.
And this is what I want for you, too. It does not just help your organisation, but it helps you succeed and helps you help your boss succeed because that’s when they want to help you as well. The ultimate goal: make your touch golden.
Are you with me?
If you stick with me, and you’ll learn how to win sustainable attention in a world where attention is no longer a default.
As Internet personality Gary Vee has famously expressed: “Attention is your currency.” And you can exchange it for anything you want.
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The Essence of Branding: Emotional Connections and Expectations
Godin often emphasises that effective branding creates a set of expectations and builds a relationship with the audience. I might add that the same applies to employer and personal branding.
Godin often emphasises that effective branding creates a set of expectations and builds a relationship with the audience. I might add that the same applies to employer and personal branding.
Susanna Rantanen
When people encounter your brand, they think about more than just the functional benefits of your products or services or your career opportunities.
They’re also engaging with what your brand stands for, its values, its personality, and the emotional payoff of being associated with it. That is what makes them either buy in or opt out.
An offer without an emotional resonance is nothing short of a commodity.
An offer without an emotional resonance is nothing short of a commodity.
Susanna Rantanen
Commodities are basic goods and materials that are widely used and are not meaningfully differentiated from one another. That’s why, with commodities, people tend to choose the cheapest one.
Being a Commodity Doesn’t Mix with Branding
Organisations can be commodities, too.
If your organisation is seen as a commodity employer, the talent audience doesn’t see any value in your offer besides the monthly compensation. Those companies have no choice but to compete with money. You have to offer a higher salary for your ideal talents to choose you.
Commodity organisations have to compete with salaries because they are perceived not to have any other value beneficial for the employees and job seekers.
Commodity organisations have to compete with salaries because they are perceived not to have any other value beneficial for the employees and job seekers.
Susanna Rantanen
This is why Godin has famously said, “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”
Godin’s philosophy extends seamlessly into personal and employer branding.
A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.
Seth Godin
It’s about crafting a compelling narrative that draws people towards you or your organisation, not because they need what you offer, but because they feel an intrinsic pull towards who you are and how you can help them experience and build a better life for themselves.
The Role of Appearance for Career Development in Employer Branding
Why, then, is appearance such a critical statement of professional identity?
The answer lies in the essence of branding itself.
Whether it’s branding an individual or an organisation, the goal is to stand out, to differentiate oneself from the crowd, not just through actions and offerings but through a palpable, memorable presence.
Whether it’s branding an individual or an organisation, the goal is to stand out, to differentiate oneself from the crowd, not just through actions and offerings but through a palpable, memorable presence.
Susanna Rantanen
Your appearance and style are not superficial veneers. They are integral to your brand’s narrative, the visual story that complements the values and messages you wish to convey. In other words, people trust you more when you have a strong brand. That will help you with your career in employer branding.
In the context of employer branding, this concept is even more pronounced.
An organisation’s culture, values, and identity are often personified through its people.
Just as my personal style serves as a non-verbal cue to my creative and visionary ethos, an organisation’s collective presentation can significantly influence perceptions, attracting talent and clients who resonate with its core values and vision.
This is where personal branding seamlessly transitions into employer branding: both require authenticity, consistency, and a keen understanding of the audience you wish to engage with.
This is where personal branding seamlessly transitions into employer branding: both require authenticity, consistency, and a keen understanding of the audience you wish to engage with.
Susanna Rantanen
As an introverted marketing, branding, and communications professional, my attire is a conscious extension of my personality and my values.
My personal style alternates between my sweatpants days topped with casual jewellery to the influences of Jenna Lyons’s aesthetic and the iconic fashion of Carrie Bradshaw from “Sex and the City,” serving as a visual dialogue with the world around me.
It’s a balance of comfort, individuality, and aesthetic pleasure, a testament to the magpie in me that adores shiny objects from sequins to diamonds, fake and real, while navigating between being approachable yet distinctive and memorable.
Talent Marketing as a Profession and a career path
Branding Beyond the Surface: The Role of Authenticity and Consistency
One of Godin’s key points is the importance of authenticity in branding.
Authenticity builds trust, and trust is foundational to any lasting relationship between a brand and its audience.
This means that every aspect of your branding, your personal style or the way you communicate your organisation’s mission, should reflect the true values and beliefs at the core of who you are or what your organisation stands for.
Consistency in this authenticity ensures that your audience’s expectations are met or exceeded every time they interact with your brand, reinforcing the emotional connection and loyalty.
It means that whether you are branding yourself as a professional or branding your organisation as an employer, you can be you. Your organisation can be exactly what it is. Your people can be who they are. No one has to pretend to be something they don’t feel comfortable with.
It means that whether you are branding yourself as a professional or branding your organisation as an employer, you can be you. Your organisation can be exactly what it is. Your people can be who they are. No one has to pretend to be something they are uncomfortable with.
Susanna Rantanen
And this core being is communicated consistently through the appearance, actions and messages allowing your audience to really get to know you (or your organisation) through your personality.
And this, my friend, makes it natural for them to want to be your casual friend, then your loyal friend and eventually your partner. And this is the same with employees and clients. They choose you because of who you are and how your being helps them to be better and have a better life.
Differentiation Through Storytelling in Branding
Godin also highlights the power of storytelling in branding.
Stories are how humans make sense of the world, and a compelling narrative can make your brand stand out in a crowded market. Your personal style, professional achievements, and how you articulate your professional vision can all be part of a powerful brand story that resonates with your target audience.
This storytelling is not just about what you’ve done; it’s about why it matters, what you’ve learned, and how it reflects your approach to challenges and opportunities. It’s this narrative that people will remember and connect with, making your brand a part of their own stories.
Storytelling in Recruitment Marketing – Inspiring Tips
The Art of Storytelling – How to Use Storytelling in Employer Branding Content
From Personal Branding to Employer Branding: A Seamless Narrative
Connecting [the similarities of] personal branding and style with the essence of branding workplaces and employers shows us the importance of a seamless narrative aligning organisational culture with the brand.
This alignment ensures that the brand’s external expressions through marketing, communications, and visual identity are congruent with the internal reality of working within the organisation.
This congruence attracts the right talent, clients, and partners who share similar values and are drawn to the brand’s authentic story based on their purpose of being, the problem they solve and what they believe in. Directing how they operate and cast a vision of a better life for their target audience.
The Essence of Branding- A Form of Leadership
In essence, branding, as seen through the lens of Seth Godin, is a form of leadership.
It’s about guiding perceptions and emotions in a way that fosters deep connections and loyalty. Whether you’re an introverted branding professional or a visionary entrepreneur like me, embracing your unique style and story and aligning it with your values can turn your brand into the Northern light for those who share your vision. And exactly the same with your employer brand.
It’s about making a mark with what you do and how you make people feel, inspiring them to join you on your journey. Exactly the same as in employer branding.
This approach to branding—focused on emotional resonance, authenticity, and storytelling—is what differentiates the memorable from the forgettable, guiding both personal and employer branding towards lasting impact and success.
It’s also what differentiates the Magnetic Employer Branding Method™️ from any other way of employer branding.
Authenticity as the Core of Successful Branding
In conclusion, branding is an art form that goes beyond mere aesthetics or marketing strategies.
It’s about crafting a story that is so compelling and authentic that it leaves an indelible mark on those who encounter it.
Whether through the clothes we wear, the way we carry ourselves, or the values we champion, every choice is a piece of the puzzle that contributes to the larger picture of our personal and professional identities.
It’s about building upon the authentic soul, value system, and personality at the heart of the brand – yours or that of your organisation.
Consistency in this authentic expression is crucial; mixed signals can dilute the brand’s impact, making it harder for the audience to feel a genuine connection.
Consistency in this authentic expression is crucial; mixed signals can dilute the brand’s impact, making it harder for the audience to feel a genuine connection.
Susanna Rantanen
As we navigate the complexities of professional and personal branding, let’s embrace our unique styles as powerful tools of communication.
Let your appearance reflect your inner self, a strategic element that complements your brand’s narrative. I want us to make each piece count, embracing our unique styles as a testament to the brands we build and the legacies we aspire to leave behind.
The journey of branding, whether personal or organisational, must be rooted in authenticity. Unlike branding objects, which can be moulded into any desirable form, branding people and organisations demands a foundation of truth.
The goal is not to appeal to everyone but to resonate profoundly with those who share your vision and values. As a business, as an employer and as the professional you.
The goal is not to appeal to everyone but to resonate profoundly with those who share your vision and values. As a business, as an employer and as the professional you.
Susanna Rantanen
Transparency and Authenticity – The Foundation for Successful Employer Branding
What are your thoughts?
Does this resonate with you or not?
If not, then I’m afraid modern employer branding is not for you. I’m not the right guide in branding, marketing and communication for you.
But you know what? That’s okay, for you and me.
Like in all branding, it’s about connecting on an emotional level and sharing the same beliefs, passions and aspirations that come to your goals.
If this resonates with you and we are not yet connected, find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, YouTube and TikTok to connect with me.
When you do, drop me a DM to introduce yourself and let me know that modern employer branding compels you and that you and I are on the same wavelength. This would mean a lot to me.
Okay, before I let you go,
I’ve got something new and exciting for you!
A monthly actionable email to support learning a more systematic way to employer branding. Each month, we’ll provide you with action points to take, some tips, advice and recommendations based on our experiences and insight to sweep you into the world of modern employer branding. It’s all free, no credit card needed, nothing to expect from you, other than to start adopting a more systematic way of employer branding and expanding your thoughts on what employer branding truly is and can be for you.
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Stay tuned for more insightful episodes on mastering branding, marketing and communications in a world where attention is no longer a default.
My name is Susanna Rantanen!
Thanks for tuning in! Until next week!
Moi Moi!
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Additional episodes to check out:
#95 What you probably don’t yet know about employer brand