The authenticity paradox of branding ourselves.

In the ‘Journal of Consumer Culture’, American Sociologist Alison Hearn argues that individuals have adopted a culture of branded marketing for themselves. According to brand expert, Chris MacClean, a brand is the overlap of ‘what we say we are’ and ‘what others say about us’. This simple definition of brand makes it easy to draw a comparison to character analysis and personal branding. It folds into British Sociologist Anthony Giddens’ argument that the ego itself has become a reflexive project through the process of individualisation.

The ubiquity of digital devices and widespread popularity of social media and dating apps allows us to analyse personal branding on a massive scale using both quantitative and qualitative insights. The ‘self as a project’ is particularly evident on screen through social media curation such as deleting and editing old posts, deciding what content belongs in the feed and story highlights; and deciding what information belongs in the short biography. Furthermore, dating apps reveal an ‘edited authenticity’ to the art of self-branding through the selective information presented to prospective partners. In both of these examples, the digital self is not fixed. It is edited and shaped over time. 

Conversely, MacClean believes a successful brand should be crafted as if it was a person. For example, MacClean compares Nike’s flexible design system to David Bowie’s projected sense of innovation. This is nothing new. Brand strategy commonly uses terminology that is tethered to the individual. Brand ‘identity’, ‘personality’, ‘vision’, ‘mission’, and ‘values’ are all standard attributions for defining a brand. By drawing a connection between brands and people, MacClean and many others believe that brands have the power to influence on a more personal level, creating a personal affiliation with a brand. Based on Hearn’s analysis, this strategy appears to have worked in multidimensional ways. 

This raises further questions: Are we in a perpetual feedback loop to refine ourselves by resolving internal and external expectations of the self? If so, why does it feel like such an important endeavour? Could brand marketing strategy have played a role in the importance of the self as a brand?