Personal branding and professional image management have long been all the rage in the West. However, in Hong Kong, general awareness is still relatively low.
The reason is quite simple, according to Rosemarie Yau, a personal branding and communications strategist. '[This is] because of Chinese culture which doesn't advocate the flaunting of personal attributes. This behaviour is perceived as bragging and goes against the traditional Chinese virtue of modesty,' she explains.
However, in today's business world, personal branding is becoming a vital component for success. In a nutshell, it is about differentiation - one's ability to stand out from the crowd. It means using who one is and one's attributes to get what one wants.
Yau says the term 'personal branding' was coined in the early 1980s. The concept is a scientific method that helps people understand their position in terms of personal attributes. They can then use these qualities to promote their personal brand. Often, as few companies have a training budget for this, staff are largely left on their own whether to explore the concept.
According to personal branding guru William Arruda, personal branding is a revolutionary way for people to propel their careers. In doing so, they can identify and communicate what makes them unique, relevant and compelling. They can then use these qualities to be successful.
On September 26, Yau will conduct a one-day workshop - co-organised by Classified Post and the Kornerstone institute of corporate and professional development - on personal branding and professional image.
