• HUNGRY Feast
  • Posts
  • Why It’s Seriously Dumb Building A Personal Brand If You’re Looking for a Huge Exit - Lessons from Jimmy’s Iced Coffee

Why It’s Seriously Dumb Building A Personal Brand If You’re Looking for a Huge Exit - Lessons from Jimmy’s Iced Coffee

Author

Dan Pope
July 19, 2024

Why It’s Seriously Dumb Building A Personal Brand If You’re Looking for a Huge Exit - Lessons from Jimmy’s Iced Coffee

Does Oasis work without Liam Gallagher?
Does the Rolling Stones roll without Mick Jagger?
Does Coldplay play without Chris Martin?

Of course not.

Personal Brand is all the romping, roving, ribald rage right now.

Me writing this post is LITERALLY personal branding (cuff me Mr. Officer)

Look, Personal Branding is AMAZING.

Unlocks tonnes of opportunities.

But, there is a hidden danger LITERALLY NO ONE talks about.

A danger if you’re trying to EXIT your FMCG brand for a serious ££££

Have you asked yourself these questions?

  • What’s the succession plan?

  • Who’s going to be the face of the brand when you exit?

  • How are consumers going to “get the brand” without “you” there?

  • Does your brand have a strong enough identity without you there?

  • Do you really want to be doing TikTok recipe videos when you’ve got 3 kids?

  • What if you want to f*ck off to Bali for 6 months at some point?

The Danger:

Your “brand” becomes too attached to your “personal brand”.

Libby Gibson from PIPER, who’s exited tonnes of huge brands PROPER, Flat Iron, Orelbar Brown.

Libby Gibson said on the podcast (fuck know’s why my face looks like Aldi custard)

“are you thinking about the succession plan?”

Hooooooooolld thaa-fuck-up bro.
Hold my beer, dear.

Just think of the OG brands with the Big Whopper Exits back in the day

  • Tyrells

  • New Covent Garden Soup

  • GU

  • Cawston Press

  • Green & Blacks

Do you think of the “brand” or the “founder” first?
Founders built their “brand” not their personal “brand”.

Let’s go

d

e

e

p

e

r

Who’s the founder of Coca Cola?
Who’s the founder of Heinz beans?

Do you think of the “brand” or the “founder” first?
Founders built their “brand” not their personal “brand”.

Of course, the two are inextricably intertwined.

And, of course, there t’was naaay Linky fookin’ D back the day for the founder of IRON BRU aye man.

Of course, Personal branding is 1000% a superpower.
Of course, there are way more PRO’s than CON’s of personal branding.

BUT

There’s a Subtle Art to Personal Branding vs. Branding.

Jimmy’s Iced Coffee is a darling example.

Early Jimmy’s - Jim was literally the face of the brand. Check out these jokes rap videos he made.

As Jimmy’s got closer to the exit to BRITVIC - Jimmy stepped back.

Check out the Instagram now. Hardly any images of Jimmy. I found one image in the last 8 months.

What’s the answer then?

Well, in today’s climate (god I sound like a MARS sales director in a gilet), it’d be absolutely fucking foolish to NOT build a personal brand.

The opportunities are endless.

For the first 5 years - I’d build a HUGE personal brand.

But, when you’re looking to EXIT. 3 or 4 or 5 years out, begin to dial it back.

Your “brand” is not your “personal brand” it has to exist with out you there.

Oasis doesn’t work without Liam Gallagher.
The Rolling Stones doesn’t work without Mick Jagger?
Coldplay play doesn’t work without Chris Martin?

You’re brand, like a band, has to play, keep the crowd happy when you’re not on the stage.

Still Hungry? Course you are…

Please feel free to gorge on the most downloaded podcast episodes of all time (these are CERTY: BANGERS)

Or read our most read articles of all time