The Man is the Message

"Social Media is any platform or network on the Web that facilitates conversations between people". The definition by analyst and futurist Brian Solis on social networks could not be simpler and assertive. At the end of the day, connecting people and breaking down geographical boundaries was the great disruption that allowed us to create the “Global Village” conceptualized by the Canadian philosopher Herbert Marshall McLuhan.

When we log into Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram, what we are looking for is to bring our 'digital persona' closer to other profiles with which we have a personal or professional affinity. It is there, in our timeline, with likes, comments and shares, that we influence, we are influenced and we practice a Human to Human communication. A marketing concept that was born with the purpose of humanizing brands and bringing them closer to the real life of the consumers instead of idealizing that we are all like actors of one those perfect families from commercials.

"People are now brands and brands are now people". Once more accurate in his analysis, Solis epitomizes what I understand to be the motto of a new PR, the H2H PR, which engages brands and consumers through personal branding, strengthening personal brands to create a legion of admirers, a 'love brand' desired from the personification into an idol, a pop star in the business world.

In my career of almost 30 years as a journalist with a PR core, I had the opportunity to experience an unforgettable experience that made me understand how a strong and respected name can be definitive in building a brand. The episode happened when I had the satisfaction of advising Apple and witnessing in San Francisco, exactly 10 years ago, the presentation of the MacBook Air.

In one of his rare appearances, as he did every year at MacWorld, Steve Jobs was there, with his unmistakable basic black look, gawking, as he took the new thin laptop out of an envelope, a legion of fans who formed endless queues for hours to see closely his great idol, an icon who not only managed to build a brand; he created a "religion" with millions of faithful "apple maniacs" (to the point of keeping that alive even after his death, overthrowing the theory that the company would not support his departure).

Is it an exaggeration to say that it was Jobs’ personal brand that led Apple to be the first to break the $ 1 trillion barrier in market value?

Curious to confirm this thesis on the impact of personal branding on brand communication, I did a quick exercise on LinkedIn comparing CEO profiles with the pages of their companies. The result that I have achieved alerts the PR professionals of how important it is to take care of the personal brand of their clients. One of these popstars is Bill Gates, who, amazingly, has more than 17.4 million fans while Microsoft adds 5.6 million. Other is Richard Branson, with more than 14.6 million fans versus Virgin Atlantic Airways with 131,700.

Before social networks, the means of communication and relationship of brands with the consumers were restricted to the SACs. Today, any of us can interact with one of these entrepreneurs by liking or commenting on a post or article they’ve published. Now the CEO and other respected business executives can take on the role of a direct channel with the brand, allowing them to communicate their messages without intermediaries to their followers-consumers.

In this new PR, much more than just flooding newsrooms with press releases, the way to do it is to know how to build good stories told by the leaders themselves. A good storyteller will be able to build the credentials needed to win the hearts and minds of his followers, which, it is sure, will help generate leads and new business opportunities.

So take note: in times of social media, traditional corporate communication, focused only on disclosing your business in an impersonal way, no longer makes sense. It's never too late to start. Open up the dialogue, be an ambassador of your brand without losing its authenticity and build admiration for your business from your personal brand. Put your soul into your company and create emotional links with your customers. If you want to sell, catechize.

Of course, I do not recommend dispensing your other PR and marketing strategies, but I suggest starting to invest in your digital persona. ASAP. I guarantee you that, by becoming a benchmark in your market, more and more business opportunities will pop up in your timeline. McLuhan conceptualized very well that "The Medium is the Message". After social networking, I dare to say, and please pay close attention to this, that "The Man is the Message".

(*) Luis Claudio Allan is a Partner and Executive Director of FirstCom Comunica??o and People2Biz and President of Instituto Crescer