6 Inspiring Personal Branding Examples From Women on the World Stage

Personal branding is a continuous process of creating, projecting, and maintaining an image, where your audience (or followers) can identify and associate with you, helping your brand cut through the noise. In this article, we look at six personal branding examples from women on the world stage who can inspire brand building for brands and personalities alike.

A brand is a name, a mark, a logo, an identity that distinctly identifies your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and helps you make a lasting impression on your target audience, followers and customers.

A personal brand, on the other hand, is an extension of brand building that involves a person (or group of people) who develops and maintains an image by communicating her ideas, principles and philosophies to her followers.

Personal branding involves identifying your ‘mission statement’, understanding your core strengths, unique style, passions, skills and interests, and continually working to deliver your message (that align best with your brand) to your audience.

Building your brand around what truly motivates and interests you is key, as is consistency in doing so. This will enable you to develop an authentic brand image and transcend time, sectors, and roles.

Learn More: Intelligent Branding: Social Media and The Evolution of Brand MarketingOpens a new window

In this article, we give you a glimpse into six personal branding examples from women who have taken the world by storm.

6 Personal Branding Examples From Women on The World Stage

Personal branding is all about promoting what you are passionate about, and clearly and confidently articulating what you believe in whenever you connect with your audiences. It also requires you to pay attention to details – what you say and do, your social media presence, your body language, who you associate with, and much more. Any deviations or slip-ups can dent your brand image.

Here are six women who are inspiring us with their personal brands.

1. Angela Merkel
 

Angela Merkel is the first female Chancellor of Germany (since 2005), currently serving her fourth term. Ranked as the most powerful woman and the world’s fourth most powerful person by ForbesOpens a new window , Merkel has steered Germany through a financial crisis and strategized the country’s growth. She is methodical in her approach and takes her time to make decisions owing to her scientific background.

She has been successful in forming political relationships with difficult leaders and formulating meaningful policies. She was able to inspire German voters’ confidence with her reserved and modest lifestyle.

The famous ‘Merkel Diamond’ (her hand gesture) communicates confidence that makes the ongoing conversation more effective and barrier-free. The Merkel Diamond had also been used in her campaign for the 2014 election.

Personal Branding Message: Angela Merkel symbolizes a legacy brand, one that has established itself over the years and has instilled trust and confidence in its followers.

To create such a brand, you need to be meticulous, systematic, yet adaptive in your approach and keep on doing what you have been doing over the years to stay true to your brand persona.

2. Oprah Winfrey
 

Oprah Winfrey and her brand Oprah have a net worth of $2.6 billionOpens a new window . The Oprah Winfrey Show was a household name that inspired and helped millions of viewers to live their lives to the fullest. Not many would have predicted the rise of a woman of color when white men dominated the TV industry, but after successfully running for 25 years (it came to a close in 2011), her show still remains the highest-rated daytime talk show in American TV history.

Oprah didn’t conform to the norms of a what being a TV host entailed and won her audience over with her authenticity, honesty, and genuineness. Through her show, she helped many people open up and share their stories, and she did the same. Her ‘Book Club’ (in the show), launched many authors and helped them become bestsellers. She also went on to successfully launch O: The Oprah Magazine and is a dedicated activist for children’s rights. Oprah was awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then President Barack Obama in 2013.

Personal Branding Message: Oprah Winfrey’s personal brand is being authentic and true to oneself and her viewers. She has been able to engage with and capture audience interest with real, inspiring stories from people her audience could connect with.

Creating a realistic brand persona and portraying who you are will help you cultivate and maintain a strong brand image in the long run. Apart from being true to your audience, your brand value lies in how you can motivate others and make their lives better.

3. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (popularly known as AOC) is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York’s 14th district and the youngest congresswoman in United States history. AOC is best known for her work on the Green New Deal to address climate change and economic inequality. Apart from the environment, she strives to make a difference to the country’s policies regarding tax, immigration, healthcare and LGBTQ.

Ocasio-Cortez used social media to garner support and following for her personal brand and her ideas. Having lived paycheck to paycheck, she is passionate about healthcare for all, among the other causes she espouses.

Personal Branding Message: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a smart, driven and confident Hispanic woman. To become the second most talked-about politician in the country, while hailing from a working-class family is no small feat. Hard work and dedication are a given; combining your personality and skills to enhance your brand image can make you more appealing, trustworthy and inspiring to your audience.

Learn More: Why Brands That Take a Stance on Social Issues Win With ConsumersOpens a new window

4. Serena Williams
 

Serena Williams’ illustrious tennis career can be summed up with her exceptional achievements – 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 Grand Slam women’s double titles, two Grand Slams in mixed doubles, four Olympic golds, and she was number one on the WTA rankings for 319 weeks. Throughout her career, she has made bold statements with her skills and her fashion sense. Fashion has been Williams’ long-standing interest. Her first venture was Aneres, when she partnered with Home Shopping Network under the brand name Serena Signature Statement and now has her startup Serena Ventures.

Apart from her strong shots on the court, Serena has always taken a stand against racism and sexism in the game. Serena is an empowered woman who sends across a powerful message with her game and sense of style.

Personal Branding Message: Serena Williams personal branding is all about consistency and focus. Her brand image is Strong, Sexy and Sophisticated. She has wowed her fans with her brilliance on the field. And she gives equal ‘love’ to fashion.

For your audience to identify with you, you must consistently improve and outperform the competition, while producing winning results. Having clarity on what you stand for and what you believe in can help you succeed.

5. Malala Yousafzai

Yousafzai is a human rights activist and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate. An active blogger, Malala wrote about her life in Taliban occupied Swat valley and raised her voice against a ban on the education of girls. She survived an assassination attempt by the terror group and now is a prominent activist for the right to education.

Malala has become a symbol of education for girls and has made her vision bigger and commitment to it stronger.

Personal Branding Message: Malala has inspired and persuaded people about her cause and communicated her message with her blogs and book, I am MalalaOpens a new window .

As a brand, you can inspire and lead by your convictions. When you work on your brand, identify your core beliefs and how you can provide value to people. Storytelling is an effective way to put your message across and capture your audiences’ interest.

6. Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg is a climate activist, who started the school strike for climate movement at the age of 15. The Swedish teenager began striking and protesting for action to prevent climate change and further global warming in 2018. Fridays for FutureOpens a new window (FFF) is a people’s movement through which Thunberg requests people to strike outside their closest town hall every Friday.

She has also made big, personal lifestyle changes to save the planet, such as going vegan, persuading her parents not to eat meat, and opting out of air travel. She curates her social media carefully and takes the train (instead of an airplane) or even sail across the oceanOpens a new window to reduce her carbon footprint.

Personal Branding Message: Greta’s dedication to the environment and her self-awareness about her ‘brand’ values lend her presence power and clarity and helps spread the message.

You are never too young or small to make an impact on your audience. Believing firmly in what you stand for and staying true to your brand values will help your audience connect with and relate to your brand.

Personal Branding Takeaways

Although some of these influential women might have had agency help in creating and maintaining their personal brands, they have been able to make a significant impact on people’s minds with their consistency, values, authenticity, confidence, and inspiration in whatever they do.

To build a brand, it’s crucial to focus on your vision and goals, and then craft your presence to appeal to your target audience. This ensures brand recall value to make a lasting impact.

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Tell us your personal branding examples and tips on TwitterOpens a new window or LinkedInOpens a new window or FacebookOpens a new window ; we’re always listening!