The Inspirations Behind My Personal Brand Image

Published by Ashton Elder

Ashton has an M.S. in Marketing from Florida International University and has been working as a marketer for over five years. She is currently serving on the University of North Florida’s Department of Communications Professional Committee Board. Ashton has been a guest on several media and marketing panels throughout her career. She also holds a degree from the University of North Florida where she studied political science, journalism, and mass communications. Prior to working in marketing, she worked as a journalist for several news outlets and publications, including an internship at NPR where she produced several radio features. This site features a collection of her articles and radio features from her career in journalism. This site also features some of her insights and projects from her career in marketing. Ashton’s background in journalism has provided her with a solid foundation on which to build enhanced media and social media strategies to provide creative, innovative marketing solutions. Ashton also has first-hand experience with brand design and brand building. Ashton also works on an array of marketing projects from social media to email marketing and everything in between. View all posts by Ashton Elder

As I began the process of creating the look of my blog, I knew one of the most vital first steps in the process was to develop my personal brand. I wanted my professional brand to not only reflect my unique selling proposition as a marketer but also my personality and personal philosophy.

I took several vital elements into consideration in order to create my brand image. First I started an extensive research process in order to develop inspiration which would help construct my brand elements. When one starts the brand building process from scratch, I think it is essential to do extensive research in order to gain inspiration. I knew I wanted my brand to reflect my whimsical style and my professional background. I’ve highlighted my research and the result it had on my brand below.

Research:

I looked at industry blogs, specifically female entrepreneurs and influencers whose brand had a style that spoke to me. I loved the way artist Riley Sheehey, was able to incorporate her personality and creative design aesthetic in a professional brand. I was inspired by her color palette, design layout and illustrative brand elements.

I currently work as a marketer in the real estate industry so I drew inspiration from the Magnolia Brand, created by entrepreneur couple, Juliana and Chip Gaines. I was especially inspired by the brand design of their real estate brokerage company, Magnolia Realty.

Another influence on my brand was entrepreneur actress Reese Witherspoon who developed a lifestyle brand and blog, Hello Sunshine. Last but not least, my love for the travel industry led me to be inspired by the design and content elements of travel blogger and influencer, The Blonde Abroad.

Result:

I was inspired by several aspects of these brands which I incorporated into my brand image. I especially liked the juxtaposition of unique color palettes, illustrations and iconography these brands incorporated into their brand elements.

Another design element which inspired me was the use of modern typography in my researched brands. You can see this reflected in my brand image. My logo uses modern typography and iconography that evokes the social media aspect of my profession, with the heart and hashtag. You can also see it reflected in my choice of color palette and use of illustrative elements. My research process resulted in a brand image that reflects both my professional brand benefits as well as the uniqueness of my personality.