Whether it's a huge multinational giant like Tesla, or a fast growth FMCG start up such as Jimmy's Iced Coffee, the personality of the Founder can often put the "hero" into the brand acceleration.
Don't get me wrong, it's not always for the right reasons, but there's no such thing as bad publicity right?
As a recruiter in FMCG marketing, this article stood out for me, particularly as we work with a high proportion of ambitious start ups and revel in working with the founders at the heart of the business. Their passion, dedication and vision are often the biggest "selling" points of the employee value proposition and career growth trajectories.
Who doesn't want to work directly with someone who's got the drive, personality and ideas to really make something happen? Especially when it's dealing with the very heart of what created the business in the first place...the founder personified in brand amplification?
However, this very intrinsic link between founder / MD passion and marketing positioning can also, in some cases, be a poisoned chalice.
A strong marketing team, able to capture the essence of the brand origination and founder passion but also maintain a realistic grip of market realisation and curve too many overly bold moves, is essential.
And they need to be hired early.
Great article, well worth a read, thanks Charlotte Rogers!
The cases of Uber, Papa John’s and Tesla show that often the personality of the founder becomes an intrinsic part of the brand itself. This is why the product is so important – especially for new businesses. The brand has to be able to stand on its own two feet, according to Jim Creegan, co-founder of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee. He explains that when he co-founded the business seven years ago with his sister Suze, he was very much front and centre as the face of the brand, but the reaction from consumers was “who is this Jim guy, what is he doing?”, with less focus on the product.
Read the original article here