Today, I spoke with Jerry Wilson, who is an executive with The Coca-Cola Company, which is the leading global brand. During this conversation we touch on the basics of personal branding, how both Coca-Cola and Jerry have built their brands co-jointly, how to build your brand whether you’re a college student or CEO and how to stand out in a large company.
My perspective on personal branding is almost identical to Jerry’s and we have never even spoken before. His perspective is from an executive at the most well-known brand in the world and mine is from a millennial leader. Today, Jerry shares some great information with us, so take the time to read through this entire interview, digest it and act upon it!
As an executive for the #1 corporate brand in the world (Interbrand/BusinessWeek), Coca-Cola, how do you define branding and personal branding?
The discipline of brand development is both an art and a science. Think of a brand as a promise to a targeted group of consumers and the long-term brand loyalty is relative to how well the promise is actually delivered. A simple equation for a corporate brand is:
PROMISE + EXPERIENCE = RELATIONSHIP
The goal of a brand leader is to create such a relationship with its’ target audience that no other substitute brand will do. Achieving brand insistence, the pinnacle of success, is the result of a fully integrated strategic plan and flawless implementation. Brand building is a continuous effort and consistency of communication is important to avoid sending confusing messages
Personal branding is a similar process. Whether an individual knows it or not, they are already positioned by others. This image is the result of their attitudes, behaviors, how they interact with others, their language, their non-verbal communication, etc. People send out messages all day long without even recognizing the impact on themselves or others.
The idea of personal branding is to ask the question, “What if you thought of yourself as a brand?” Would you be occupying the space in life where you are today, or would you be in a completely different occupation or life situation?
By simply adopting some of the proven techniques of successful brands and putting them to use for yourself, you can build the brand you want to stand for.
How have you seen the Coca-Cola brand grow since you’ve worked there and how have you grown your personal brand during that time?
The Coca-Cola Company owns, markets and distributes hundreds of brands including VitaminWater, Odwalla Juices, Sprite, Fanta, Minute Maid, Georgia Coffee, and many others. Our flagship brand Coca-Cola is always at the forefront of our marketing focus and prioritization. 
Brand Coca-Cola personifies authenticity, life’s simple pleasures, and optimism. We learned many years ago, during the New Coke launch, that our brand Coca-Cola is actually “owned” by our consumers all around the world, not the corporation. This has led to a constant pursuit of consumer knowledge and insights. Learning comes in the form of qualitative and quantitative research and from closely observing consumers to better understand the role of Coca-Cola in the days of their lives.
Based on these insights, we have expanded the footprint of Coca-Cola to include Diet/Light Coca-Cola, cherry Coke, and most recently Coca-Cola Zero. Coke Zero invites the consumer to continue to be in charge of how they choose to enjoy their own Coke. This newest Coke brand is proving to be a very successful way to let consumers enjoy the same great taste of Coca-Cola with Zero calories.
During my 20 years with Coca-Cola, I have been privileged to help this great brand grow as a global icon.
“Coke is much more than a “soda pop,” it is an idea, a trusted friend, part of economies and cultures all around the world.”
As President of our Company’s only global operating unit, the McDonald’s Division, I have experienced many different roles and responsibilities during my career with The Coca-Cola Company. Currently, I lead our strategic alliance with McDonald’s in 118 countries and over 31,000 restaurants. Leading cross-functional teams in Europe/Eurasia/Middle East/Africa, Latin America, Canada, USA, and Asia Pacific, I choose to spend about 70% of my time on the road, in the marketplace, domestically and internationally with my teams and customers. I also serve as a member of our Senior Leadership Team that sets and guides our Company’s growth strategies.
I can honestly say that “Brand Jerry” has grown tremendously from an entry level Account Executive to Director of Strategic Marketing, Director of Strategic Planning, to Vice President of Western Operations to my current global role. I love being part of the food service industry as it is filled with dynamic entrepreneurs, touches the lives of real people and is an enjoyable people business.
I have always been open minded to any role, regardless of grade level, where I could grow my skills and this approach has afforded me many great assignments over the years. Too many people only accept jobs that are considered promotions when many lateral, or short term, assignments are great career and personal brand builders.
“I recognized many years ago that the key to success was the ability to attract, develop, and energize the best possible people I could find. Therefore I have worked hard to establish an identity that is associated with people development. Everyone needs to stand for something that can distinguish themselves from others. I have chosen people development and strategic leadership as my two key areas of focus. Great brands are very focused, yet most people want to be all things to all people. This is a trap that will keep you from perfecting the areas where you want to excel.”
Can you explain the personal branding process you recommend to others (your 7 step approach)? 
First, let me say, personal branding is NOT about embarking on a self promotional campaign, how to network your way to the top, or dress for success. Over the past 30 years, with The Coca-Cola Company and with Volkswagen of America, I have been fortunate to have had a hand in building successful global brands. While there are many aspects of brand building, I hand selected 7 elements that are naturally transferable to personal branding. These steps are fully described and developed within my book Managing Brand YOU, 7 Steps to Creating Your Most Successful Life, published with co-author Ira Blumenthal.
The 7 Step System is a logical sequence of actions that is designed to help anyone determine their true passions and how to build a Brand YOU plan to get there. Since great consumer brands are true to themselves, it is only natural that successful personal brands take time to understand their own “true North” on the proverbial compass of life. Beginning with a thorough Brand YOU Audit will set the tone for understanding one’s current Image and their desired Identity. From there, the individual will develop a personal Positioning Statement, SMART Goals, personal Strategies and ultimately their customized Implementation Plan.
This process has been designed to foster deep thinking and set in motion a course of actions that will help anyone in any field or lifestyle commit to building their own personal brand that brings pride over the long term. Included are organized worksheets plus examples of corporate brands and personal brands that help guide one’s efforts.
I recommend that everyone take time to think about themselves and what they really want to achieve in life. I once heard someone say, “Love what you do and you will never work a day in your life.” Find what you love, and then build a plan to get there. Hopefully, “Managing Brand YOU” will provide an approach that will help people develop their own unique, different and special place in life.
Personal branding exists on multiple levels. What do you recommend CEOs do about their brand all the way down to college students?
Whether one is a CEO or a college student everyone is a personal brand. These personal brands have a history, stand for something and project an outward image. These multiple levels create great opportunities for anyone to establish their own identity.
- CEO: For example, during today’s turbulent economic times, a successful CEO must be visible and able to relate with his or her organization in a trusted way. This requires transparent dialogue concerning the realities of the business conditions with the employees, customers, and media. Effective and empathetic communication skills are just two ways a CEO can differentiate their own brand.
- Mid-level managers can demonstrate their ability to bring answers to business questions beyond their normal job descriptions resulting in a unique positioning with management. Managers who are growing their career can find themselves a bit lost in the shuffle. Especially, at this level, managers can separate themselves from the rest of the pack through innovative thinking and solutions oriented actions beyond the daily routine.
- College students also have a tremendous ability to create a personal brand in the eyes of their prospective employers. Stepping up to accept leadership responsibility during their collegiate years beyond the classroom symbolizes a personal drive above the requirements for graduation. Multiple activities also indicate a person with diverse interest and one who can be adaptable to different situations.
Realize that Everything Communicates. Getting a job is tough enough already, do not give away “easy points.”
Tips for getting a job
- Proof read your resume before the prospective employer does.
- Do not make false statements about your credentials.
- Do not expect that every hiring manager will have the same reaction to two or three Greek letters of the alphabet on your resume as you might.
- Be early for appointments.
- Do not ask questions to demonstrate how smart you are when the answers are easily accessible on the company website.
- Do ask questions to determine if your skills or experience could be a good match for the employer.
Everyone should take time to identify the “target audience” for any personal branding message to ensure relevancy. College graduates should get to know who the decision makers are and how hiring decisions will be made to deliver a well crafted pitch of why they are the most qualified person for a specific role.
“Great brands stand out positively in a crowd and connect beyond the functional attributes. This should be everyone’s goal in building an “ownable” personal brand regardless of the level.”
What does it take to develop a personal brand in a global corporation? Can you share some experiences you’ve had with standing out and making a name for yourself at Coca-Cola?
Creating a strong personal brand in any organization, especially a global corporation, begins with doing your existing job better than anyone else. Often people spend too much time checking out the job posting board and forget to over deliver in their current role. Set a vision and goals to become the very best in your current role.
Seek opportunities to broaden skills whenever possible through voluntary assignments and special projects. This “extra work” will provide great exposure to new areas of the organization and make you a more valuable employee. Be open-minded to different locations around the world when opportunities arise. These situations are frequently sponsored by key executives which allow employees the chance for broader exposure to leadership which is great for personal development and brand building, as long as you accomplish the project successfully.
As Director of Strategic Planning many years ago, I found myself in a traditionally mundane role of business analysis and trend reviews. I surfaced the opportunity to revamp the process from an historical viewpoint to a much more futuristic perspective. This idea was fully embraced by leadership and I was allowed to re-invent our approach to an opportunity based strategic planning model. This rework took several months to accomplish, was fully integrated into the USA business and allowed me to grow tremendously.
Shortly after the implementation of this model, I accepted the role of Vice President, Western Operations where I was able to actually roll out this new growth system accelerating our performance. It was a very rewarding period in my career and had positive impact on the entire organization.
“Everyone should look for an opportunity to take any situation in need of repair, tackle the opportunity and demonstrate their ability to lead through change. What others may shun, personal brand builders see as a great chance to make a difference and differentiate themselves from others.”
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Jerry S. Wilson is senior vice president, The Coca-Cola Company, and president of the global McDonald’s Division. He leads a worldwide organization that is responsible for building the strategic alliance with McDonald’s in over 31,000 restaurants located in 119 countries.
Recently, Jerry authored a book called “Managing Brand You: 7 Steps to Creating Your Most Successful Self.”
Mr. Wilson joined The Coca-Cola Company in 1988, from Volkswagen of America, Inc., where he was USA Brand Manager. His background includes general management, strategic planning, brand marketing, customer management and people development.
