Back in the late-1990s I wrote a column for Computer Dealer News in which I somewhat facetiously contended that the Pope is the world’s greatest living spokesperson for a “brand.” I still think that, and was reminded of it after the recent passing of Steve Jobs.

 

I say living spokesperson, because most religions have a prophet who established the doctrine. We can point to central figures in Christian, Buddhist, Mormon and other faiths whose teachings guide the religion’s beliefs.

 

While I don’t want to wade into the murky waters of whether Steve Jobs led a quasi religion of Apple faithful, we can use his leadership to illustrate the pros and cons of an individual being closely identified with a company, or, conversely, the identity of a company wrapped in a single person.

 

As a reader of ITBusiness, you are most likely working with a company of some kind. Whether a large enterprise or a SME or even as a three-person consultancy, the essential tenets and risks of branding via personality remain the same. While products and services are brought to customers by people, at the end of the day they are products and services. They work or they don’t. They live on after the people behind them move on. The sellable goods provide a guarantee of continuity.



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