Recently I had the pleasure of sitting down with RBH’s Founding Partner and Managing Director, Debra Hepburn, to discuss the rise of founder-led marketing and personal branding. While we covered a range of topics surrounding the historical peaks and troughs of the practice (which you can watch more of here) she also, quite handily, enlightened us with some of her own tips for achieving success with a founder-led brand.
And we thought it’d be even handier if we collected them here. So, without further ado, here are three key tenets to making a good founder-led brand – from someone who’s led a founder-led brand.
- Authenticity
In the world of brand speak, the word ‘authenticity’ has lost a lot of its meaning over the years. But its core principle remains, as Deb puts it, ‘Being absolutely true to yourself and to the brand’. Founds must remember that their vision of the brand is their best steer. And no matter what wider trends might reflect, they need to stick to it.
- Passion
You’ve got to love it. “You have to really believe in that brand, […] you have to tell the world about the brand from the word go,” Deb says. Any founder without full faith in their brand is in trouble, but for those deploying founder-led marketing, it’s a death-sentence. Always remember that little sells to audiences better than honest enthusiasm.
- Consistency
And you’ve got to put the work in. Founder-led marketing, particularly when utilising social media such as TikTok, Instagram and Meta, relies on consistent appearances from the founder. You might not become an influencer, but you’re not exactly a million miles away. And your brand is counting on you to stick it out. Deb puts it best: “You have to be at it 24/7”.
But again, if you want a full plunge into the world of founder-led marketing, you can read our deep dive here or watch the full Inside Voices episode with Debra Hepburn and myself.
