How to build an international brand

Listen to the interview here The new book, ”Personal Branding – How to create your own brand”, by branding expert Peter Horn has been written with a special focus on leaders and specialists in large, international companies to give them a platform for a career in a world that is becoming increasingly global. The basis of the book is a quote by Julius Caesar in a book by Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez, ”In the end it is impossible not to become what others believe you are”. Personal Branding has been on its way for three years. The book was created by the author in close cooperation with his associates in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, United Kingdom, Switzerland, USA, Singapore, Japan and Denmark. Its content has been based on observing the needs of primary leaders in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, Australia and USA, who at seminars, lectures, courses or personal consultations with the author have achieved amazing results by applying the principles in the book, stories that are told in the Author’s Danish books ”Personal branding” (2004), ”Burn through” (2006) and ”Top of Mind” (2007). Here are the figures: 50 per cent of people working with personal branding under the supervision of Peter Horn and Co. have achieved significant improvement in their career and earnings. 25 per cent found that focusing on personal branding provided incentive and method to achieve better results with others; 25 per cent found personal branding ”nice to know”.

"The book’s many exercises include creating a personal label, a personal market analysis and calculating the market value of your personal brand,# says the author Peter Horn. (Photo: Gitte Sofie Hansen)

The book shows how value of personal branding increases the further you wish to work internationally. It is in fact crucial for the success of an international career campaign.

The personal label
Personal Branding takes up the fight against the Law of Jante – in English tall poppy syndrome or in Scottish A kent yer faither (I know your father)– and points out, that “we live in a world where our abilities are so increasingly similar that our personality is what makes us stand out from the crowd”. The definition of personal branding is ”the public projection of your personality and your abilities in a configuration that gains for you every possible advantage in achieving your unique career aspirations”.

Case studies in the book draw from royal families to top management and specialists to entrepreneurs from different parts of the world. Its main target is, however, to equip corporate readers with tools to understand their own situations, then to build a sterling reputation that others want to share in.

The book’s many exercises include creating a personal label, a personal market analysis and calculating the market value of your personal brand. Readers then go on to develop a personal branding strategy, and finally embark upon implementation.

A social activity
Personal Branding is about how to win followers. Your personal brand is what those surrounding you associate with you: your name, physical appearance, qualifications, personal qualities, abilities, relationships and future possibilities.

The author emphasizes that personal branding is a social activity. It hinges on choosing, and conversely, arranging to be chosen by the right decision makers and opinion formers. Both are only possible if you are able to build the correct reputation. Personal branding is thus built on ethics – what you ought to do – and morals – what you actually do. Especially in international perspective the observation that ”in the end it is impossible not to become what others believe you are”, true. The reputation – you have to earn it.

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Further information about the book, lectures, courses and consultations:
Peter Horn
Tel.: +45 33 93 32 55
e-mail: ee@peterhorn.dk
www.peterhorn.dk