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© 2025 Copyright, Jennifer R. Farmer

The PR Whisperer

Author, Crisis Communications Expert, Strategic Communications Advisor

Tag: branding

Want to Grow or Protect Your Brand in 2025: Remember These 5 Tips

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Be in private, who you say you are in public.

Your brand is like currency. The stronger your brand, the greater your leverage. The weaker your brand, the more difficulty you’ll face in building relationships, launching new products and closing business deals.

This really isn’t hard to believe. Companies work with influencers and spokespersons who have strong brands. They work with people who aren’t marred by conflict and crisis.

For these reasons and more, everyone should be concerned with their personal and professional brand. In 2025, if you are looking to build or solidify your brand, here are five things you should consider:

  1. The first step in developing a brand is getting clear on who you are and how you want to be known

    Once you have a vision for who you are and how you want to be known, you can make decisions that support your vision.

  2. Your brand is not just what you say, it is what you consistently do.

    The best thing you can do for your brand is to be consistent. It is also to develop a consistent practice of living the way you want to be perceived. If you are a health influencer, develop a consistent practice of making decisions that are good for your physical and mental health.

  3. Be in private who you say you are in public

    A strong brand is fidelity to who you say you are. In other words, close the gap between who you say you are and how you actually show up. If you notice incongruity between who you say you are and what you consistently do, spend time working to address this area.

  4. Identify people who have a strong brand

    Spend time studying those individuals and get clear on what they do, why it resonates with you. Assess their strengths and any identifiable weaknesses. Determine if there is anything that they are doing that you admire.

  5. Don’t confuse having a strong brand with over-saturation

    You do not have to be everywhere at all times. You can have seasons of respite, seasons of research and seasons on private work.

 

Jennifer R. Farmer is a crisis communications expert and founder Spotlight PR LLC. The firm helps clients build their platforms and protect their brands.

Building a Brand from the Inside Out

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Building a Brand from the Inside Out

by Jennifer R. Farmer

Put your money where your mouth is. We’ve heard this phrase since early childhood. It usually implies the tried and true lesson of say what you mean and do what you say, or it can literally mean spending time or money on causes or issues you claim of personal importance. But it is also critical in internal business practices, both for protecting the workplace culture and also the organization’s reputation. As public relations professionals, we have the responsibility to advise colleagues, company leaders, as well as clients to adhere to the organization’s mission statement in both external and internal communications. Building a brand must start from the inside out.

Many of us have had professional experiences that did not match up with what was claimed on the website or sold in an interview. Being victim to bait and switch advertising in hiring has farther reaching consequences than unhappy employees. Once an organization develops a reputation for poor internal culture, the effectiveness and credibility of the business itself is at stake.

The tragic downfall of Thinx CEO Miki Agarwal is a prime example. The fiercely feminist company selling “underwear for people with periods” was known for its shocking NYC subway advertisements, which even seemed to overshadow the company’s cause; however, the campaign was so successful in awareness raising, it also brought to light the mismatching HR practices with the feminist ideas the company promoted. Accused of horrible benefits at best and worst sexual harassment at worst, Agarwal made a less than heroic exit, and the company’s reputation was ruined.

As progressive communicators working on social impact campaigns, implementing fair and equal practices in the workplace is critical to effectively communicating our message. To become a brand people trust, your people must trust their leadership and each other.

That means building a team of individuals that will not only work hard, but work well together. Many organizations go through standard team building exercises and personality tests, but nothing replaces a natural commitment to collaboration and inherent respect for one another and new ideas. Often attitudes are most affected by the internal environment and what is allowed to become “normal” or “standard”. Avoid an internal PR crisis by committing to a transparent, authentic, and morally sound work environment, just as you would advise your company or clients in external communications.

Inspirational speaker Alexander den Heijer has said, “When a flower doesn’t bloom, we change the environment in which it is growing, not the flower.” Whether building, reorganizing or adding to a team, implement the right organizational practices, attitudes and leadership that will allow a team, the company, and its message to thrive.

Jennifer R. Farmer is a strategic communicator and the author of “Extraordinary PR, Ordinary Budget: A Strategy Guide.” Connect with her by following Facebook.com/Tips4ExtraordinaryPR.

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