Whether you love them or hate them, there’s no denying the Karadashians have branding power. For years, they have graced our televisions screens and found a way into our homes with trend-setting beauty brands which contributed to making their family a household name. With instant brand recognition and sales to back it up, it’s no wonder nearly every brand is interested in a partnership with the infamous Kardashian crew.
We all know the eldest Kim Kardashian helped the family kick off their stardom in the early 2000s with an explicit tape that took her from Paris Hilton’s stylist and bestie into the spotlight. She did not have a brand at the time, so building a solid personal brand in the days of paparazzi outside of that spectacle has been key to her and her family’s careers. If you are thinking of starting a business you might wonder why branding is important for small businesses and/or your personal brand. The Kardashians are a perfect case study. Here are four branding lessons we can learn from the Kardashians that will give your brand staying power.
Lesson 1:
Although it helps to already have a successful business and/or income to bring brand awareness, the Karadashians have shown us you don’t have to have a product or build a business first to be recognized as a brand. You can leverage your personal brand through innovation, being open to failing, preparing to be in the spotlight and being persistent.
Kim Kardashian once said of her family, “There’s a lot of baggage that comes with us, but it’s like Louis Vuitton baggage; you always want it.” And that is the genius of her brand. You might think what she does is pointless, but the media loves it because most people want to know about it!
Lesson 2:
Not everyone will love or understand you and that’s OKAY. When building your brand, stay authentic to yourself and your audience. Know why you developed your brand and what connects you with your audience. Remember what you want to achieve, and from there continue building your platform and establish your brand with impact, personality and action.
The Kardashians know their luxury brands, clothing and beauty products. Using their massive social media following, they consistently share the latest and greatest in the wellness industry, giving endorsements to the products and encouraging fans to want to learn more about them and the products they use.
Lesson 3:
Knowledge and experience sharing are key when growing your personal brand. There are several ways you can engage and verify experiences through speaking opportunities, tweet chats or Twitter spaces, reels, webinars and blogging. Through research, focus on becoming a subject matter expert to provide useful information to your audience, which will build brand loyalty and establish your credibility.
Lesson 4:
Be visible. Brands that are memorable with staying power are visible and have multiple touch points. As you’re building and/or growing your brand, consider what touch points you can offer your audience online and offline. Is it in-person events and IG lives? Kim Kardashian is often sharing her life with fans on social media. She even created an app to provide exclusive behind-the-scenes content, and various in-person appearances which keeps her brand highly visible. Whatever the combination, the goal is to consistently provide glimpses of your brand in an authentic light.
When it comes to personal branding, the lessons from the Kardashian family are endless. They exemplify teamwork and physically show up for each other, which only magnifies each of their individual brands. If you want to learn more about branding, download our Free Complete Brand Builder Workbook trial for step-by-step guidance and fill-in-the-blank personalization.