Why Retail Executives & Managers Need to Build Their Personal Brand

More than ever, luxury consumers want more from their brands. They are expecting more than just the highest quality goods and services. They want trustworthiness, authenticity, and honesty. 

The best way to establish this type of brand authenticity is online. The pandemic only emphasized the importance of the online marketplace, and now luxury brands who once avoided eCommerce platforms have embraced creating online experiences for consumers.

Luxury brands, it turns out, are quite similar to their consumers in this respect.

The luxury brands seeking retail management and C-level executives are looking for candidates with a knack for building an online presence. More specifically, these businesses are looking for candidates who possess the qualities today’s consumers value: authenticity, trust, and honesty.

What does that mean for the executives in our niche? If you’re considering a career change, you’ll need to reflect the same sought-after digital presence luxury brands are working hard to cultivate.

Your Personal Brand: Practice What You Preach

Imagine you’ve sent your resume to Gucci. As one of your primary qualifications, you’ve listed that you’re a branding expert. These days expert branding means creating a comprehensive brand experience in the digital space.

It would then be reasonable to conclude that Gucci would research beyond your online portfolio to your social profiles. You might have a strong portfolio. But neglecting to extend your personal brand to your social profiles creates an inconsistent message and a broken brand experience for your prospective employer. 

These days, luxury and premium-brand houses are hyper-focused on branding – for a good reason. They are only interested in hiring talent to demonstrate what they’re looking for: a cohesive brand experience for every touch-point in their online presence. 

The most successful management and C-Suite executives in luxury retail are spending quality time making sure their personal brand is clear, consistent, and eye-catching before they hit the job market.

But what does personal branding entail?

Build Your Personal Brand for Retail Management/Executive Leadership

There are many ways to create your personal brand across your digital presence: 

• LinkedIn is a fantastic place to establish yourself as a thought leader in luxury branding. You can make blog posts or just keep your timeline current with shared articles or interesting, unique/helpful thoughts and advice.
• Twitter is also a place where many thought leaders establish their voices and personal brands. (Of course, demonstrating savviness on Instagram or Facebook won’t hurt either.)
• Create your own website to show that you’re an entity in and of yourself. Have an “About Me” or “Bio” section, a portfolio of your work, and a weekly blog where you share insights about luxury branding. 
• Podcasting is probably one of the most effective ways to build your brand, especially if you promote it on all your social media channels. 

By taking these steps and making yourself a known force in the industry, you’re signaling to luxury brand employers what you can do for their company. 

Personal Branding Builds Your Credibility and Establishes Connections

The more you’re tending to your digital presence, saying and sharing insightful things, the more you’ll be supporting your personal brand. It will demonstrate you’re on top of popular strategy, consistent, and detail-oriented.

With luxury brands trying to find new growth opportunities, they want C-Level talent that’s ahead of the curve. And with consistent personal branding efforts, you’ll be out there, putting that knowledge and leadership on full display. 

Lastly, becoming an influential voice in the luxury brand space will grow your network. Especially in executive recruiting for luxury brands, good things come from networking. Building connections can lead to employment opportunities and expand your industry knowledge of trends and best practices. 

Personal branding will separate you from the rest of the C-Level executive candidates looking for top positions at luxury brands. 

Furthermore, partnering with the Bowerman Group will give you even more of a competitive edge for your next career. Contact us today if you’re looking to partner with a recruiter for C-Level and executive opportunities in the luxury retail space.