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During the course of a consulting call this week, we discussed whether the face of the brand should be the individual or the company? It depends on what your overall goals are. If you are looking to build your expert profile and then develop that profile into a product, then it would be wise that you be the face of your brand.

There was some concern that the company could not grow past the personality. I didn't think that would be a problem, so long as the ongoing plan was to one day melt the personality brand with the corporate brand. At some point the name BECOMES the company, it no longer represents you as a personality. Toyota, Mrs. Smith and Betty Crocker are good examples of this. If you become a product or the brand icon then it is easier to remove you someday.

Take my own situation: A few years ago I left a business partnership of 25 years to re-invent myself as The Branding Experts. Now years later, I wish I had branded myself Ed Roach-The Branding Expert. I promote myself as a product. It is my intension to move in this direction over the next several years as I build my brand further. What is great about branding is that you can evolve. In my case it is taking place as a natural extension from my existing brand. Through my expert profile - The Branding Experts IS Ed Roach and vice-versa.

My consulting client chose to also promote herself as a product ultimately morphing into the brand icon as her expert profile builds and strengthens. Keeping this goal in mind will influence every marketing and brand decision as we move forward.