Entrepreneurs and celebrities aiming to maximize their potential and influence in their field require constant public exposure and ongoing efforts to construct a personal brand.

PR expert and Founder of Global Networker Magazine  Marina Slobodyanik, who successfully works on building personal brands for well-known personalities and business owners, shares insights on creating a unique image and engaging with the audience in the digital age.

How would you define, in simple terms, what a personal brand is? What are its components?

I define a personal brand as a unique blend of an individual's personal qualities, values, and the impressions they leave in the minds of others. Among the key components, I would choose identity, visual style, and authenticity.

Identity determines the value base of a person-brand—who they are, who they are not, the values they convey, what they support, and the tone of voice they use in promotion. Visual style encompasses the visual qualities that serve as a kind of business card for the person, extending from the layout of their social media page to their clothing style—after all, the saying "clothes make the man" remains relevant. And, of course, authenticity—what sets one expert apart from others, their unique quality or aspect.

Who needs to build a personal brand? What goals does working on a personal brand help achieve?

Building a personal brand is necessary for everyone, from entrepreneurs and managers to freelancers and professionals in any field.

Having a bright, well-constructed personal brand makes it easier to connect with various experts, influencers, and media personalities. This facilitates gaining connections beneficial for the promotion and development of your expertise or business. Creating a unique image makes you easily recognizable in your field. The same applies to attracting partners and investors—people are more willing to engage with someone who has made a name for themselves than with an unknown entrepreneur.

 

Founder of Global Networker Magazine  Marina Slobodyanik

How important is personal PR for top executives of a company to attract new clients and retain existing ones?

Creating and maintaining a personal brand is undoubtedly easier than building a company brand—people, whose lives can be seen on social media, evoke more sympathy. Additionally, the image of the owner or CEO is transferred to the company's image.

Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates... Even if they start producing cotton candy tomorrow, their potential clients, partners, and "industry colleagues" will perceive this cotton candy as something innovative, unique, and exceptional. This is a case where the leader's name alone creates a certain image for their business. Therefore, if a brand's team includes a "superstar," it's worth leveraging their brand to strengthen the company's image. This is especially useful when the company enters new markets, creates new products, competes for previously closed niches, or overcomes a crisis. Whatever happens and whatever the outcome, the leader's name often saves the situation.

Tell us about the cases of clients you have worked with or are currently working with. What has changed in their work after working on their brand? How has it affected their main activities and business operations?

I fundamentally do not disclose the names of clients with whom I work on building their personal brand—I do not use their image to promote myself and do everything to ensure that public attention is focused on their achievements rather than my work with them. I believe being a "gray cardinal" is a quality of a good PR specialist.

At the same time, what I can say, is that during the implementation of client projects, I organized cooperation with really bright celebrities and influencers. I worked with such famous Hollywood stars as fantastic Rebel Wilson, and beautiful Kelly Rutherford, and girls who became famous after the documentary "The Tinder Swindler", and many other actors, actresses, opinion leaders, influencers.

What tools do you, as a professional expert, recommend using to build a recognizable personal brand? What role do social networks and various digital platforms play in this?

It may seem that in the digital age, anyone can have a personal brand—just create an Instagram page and start communicating with the audience. However, my experience suggests that a truly powerful and cool brand can only be built with a comprehensive, clear strategy—incorporating identity, values, authenticity, and other necessary elements, ensuring the brand's resilience in any circumstances.

 

My recommended tools include:

- A personal website where you can showcase your portfolio, share your expertise, and publish articles.

- Various social networks—for example, LinkedIn for business communities, Instagram for visual expression, and X (formerly Twitter) for instant communication.

- Guest publications and interviews in the media, speaking at events, participating in red-carpet events, and more.

 

Give us three pieces of advice on how to differentiate oneself from others in their field through personal branding.

First and foremost—be unique. Find your distinctive feature or approach. Initially, this may seem like a challenging task, and I see my role as an expert precisely in helping individuals find the foundation of their personal brands.

The second advice is to be active and open in communication and maintain constant regular contact with your audience. The third advice—share your experience and knowledge, and showcase your expertise in what you do.

Is it important to be authentic in building a personal brand, or is it better to follow all trends?

Authenticity is always crucial. Although trends can help attract attention, a personal brand should reflect your personality.

 

What resources, films, books, or other sources do you recommend for those who want to delve into personal brand PR?

My top books: Jurgen Salenbacher's "Create Your Own Brand," Tom Peters' "Transform Yourself into a Brand," S. Covey, and J. Colosimo's "Super Job. Super Career".

My top films: "Wag the Dog," "Phone Booth," "All the President's Men".

 

Rebel Wilson and Marina Slobodyanik

Marina Slobodyanik and Kelly Rutherford

Pamela Anderson , Marina Slobodyanik, Jolie Nguyen

Marina Slobodyanik and famous girls from the Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler