The Difference Between a Brand Concierge and a Ghostwriter (and Why It Matters for CEO’s)

FAQ 3 ) Where did it come from? Why brand concierge?

A)

At the time of writing (Tuesday 6th Feb 2024), I’m still officially the only ‘brand concierge’ on LinkedIn.?

Search and there are 265,000 results including a couple of eponymous agencies. However every individual bar yours truly is a concierge in hospitality and the like.

Which makes sense because I made it up, inspired by Downton Abbey.

My concierge journey actually started with ghostwriting for CEO’s and Founders -? a natural evolution combining my love of writing with 2+ decades of marketing, operations and board experience.?

At the briefing stage, a deeper requirement than mere content creation would often reveal itself.

When a CEO hires a ghostwriter

It’s usually because they want to develop their personal brand, which drives 45% of their company’s brand value .?

They know it’s a wider job than an 850 word blog post. But you’ve got to start somewhere.

Granted, thought leadership is a vital component in any personal brand strategy .

However...

A holistic, effective campaign has several other considerations:

• Positioning to complement the company brand
• Visual identity & tone of voice?
• A polished elevator pitch
• Personality content
• Channel strategy
• Priority media
• Partnerships

Furthermore, a crucial component the vast majority of brand strategists, let alone ghostwriters, don't touch upon is the product ecosystem.

A mainstay of the Key Person of Influence framework pioneered by Daniel Priestley, an effective ecosystem optimises for Attention, Trust, Revenue and Profit.

If you don't have one, you're leaving all four on the table.

Why are these fundamentals often neglected?

Already juggling a thousand and one concerns, CEO’s don’t want yet another direct report, never mind the multitude of disciplines suggested by the above.

And so the concept of a 'concierge' came to me - whilst watching season 3 of Downton Abbey*

• Not every client will want an identity designing (in my case the only aspect I would need to bring in a trusted contact for).

• Not every client will want a multi-channel strategy; or to explore partnerships; or to develop a product ecosystem. Some might already have their positioning statement polished to a T.
• What every busy CEO wants is a proactive, strategically aware project manager who just gets the job done. If additional skills are required, these are sourced accordingly and the first the client sees of it is refined options presented for signoff.?

* never thought it would be my cup of tea, but Jade persuaded me and it’s surprisingly compelling viewing. Poor M.

Discreet, expert, prescient.

And crucially, low maintenance.

Robert Hargrove summed it up brilliantly:

“Quy, the personal brand concierge is a great idea. Mission Control for a myriad of personal brand helpers.”

Side note: LinkedIn is peerless - where else would I get feedback from a best-selling author, Fortune 500 coach and Harvard Leadership trainer who I’ve never met and lives on another continent?

You’d be forgiven for thinking, "Isn’t this just a one man personal brand agency?"

That’s one way of looking at it.?

But 'agency' fails to convey the velvety valet service a brand concierge brings to the table.

The elegantly refined 'completely done for you so you can focus on your business' proposition.

And if I can’t brand myself, what good would I be?

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