This Age of Personal Branding is Annoyingly Over-Shaping Political Identities

Noticed lately that everyone seems to be a brand? From corporate executives, politicians and journalists to stay-at-home moms, folks working 9–5 and truckers. In the age of social media, personal branding is no longer a tactic leveraged by celebrities to drive engagement with their artistry. Now, everyday people are expected to be, well, a brand — something to be bought and sold.

In 2005, Jay-Z said “I’m not a businessman. I’m a business, man!”- a powerful statement that alluded to his outlook on and approach to his career and life. It signified that Hova saw himself as more than just an artist or a celebrity; rather a multifaceted entity, a brand, a corporation.

Today, almost 20 years later, in the spirit of Jigga’s now overly-repeated sentiment concerning his entire existence being a business, it’s become commonplace to see what most would consider “everyday individuals” carefully crafting their perceived persona. This phenomenon, known as personal branding has meant people taking insurmountable amounts of time to consciously create a desired image.