Can you personality become your own personal brand?

In the beginning of the year, Wal-Mart headhunted Julie Roehm to be the new marketing executive. Julie Roehm seemed to be a brave but appropriate choice for their new strategic move toward a more trendy image. Julie Roehm had a reputation of re-energising brands and their sales through confident advertising with a strong emphasis on the sex appeal. Her work with Daimler-Chrysler exemplifies her marketing style and how it proved successful by reviving their brand.

Now, only 11 months after Julie Roehm started working for Wal-Mart, she was sacked for breaking some of the company’s ethical rules. Wal-Mat employees are not allowed to accept any gifts or gratitude from their customers, as this might cause priority treatment, thus further conflicting with the company policies. Even though, Roehm denies to have broken any ethical rules, she does recognize the event and her actions. Only, she has a different interpretation of the reasoning behind and the details of the case.

At first, one might think that this has hurt her future career. However, in fact it looks like she is getting even more offerings from very big and interesting companies. When Roehm said yes to the job at Wal-Mart, she knew what type of company it was, however, her self-confidence convinced her to do it her way, and her way only. Wal-Mart hired her marketing expertise, but they also hired her personal brand as well. Roehm’s work at Wal-Mart might not have been coherent with the company profile, but it was indeed consistent with her personality, and thus her brand.

The fact that she was fired from Wal-Mart only enhances her brand meanings as being a marketer focusing on confident, attention grabbing and provocative/sexy advertising. By distancing herself from Wal-Mart, a brand that for may people has a negative connotation to it, and augmenting the meanings of her brand, she comes out as the absolute winner. Roehm is overwhelmed with big shots in the business industry, who wants to offer her a job and make their company benefit from her unpredictable and savvy marketing strategies.

I think this is an interesting example of how you should not try to fulfil the company’s expectations, though instead, you should be confident and follow you own ideas and beliefs, as this will bring you further. On the other hand, only few will be as fortunate as Julie Roehm, so maybe it is better to start off by considering whether a certain company in fact fits with ones own beliefs…?!


Christina Fahrenholtz