Malala Yousafzai is one of the most well-known activists in the world.
There is no doubt that her notable achievements have led her here. From surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban to becoming the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Malala has endured a tremendous journey through her fight for a girl’s right to education.
But in the realm of personal branding, few individuals encapsulate the essence of personality, expertise and community as effectively as Malala; she is an exemplary case of how effective personal branding can allow you to maintain relevance throughout your career.
Now, social media ultimately blurs the line between your professional and personal brand – what once could be somewhat seperate is now safe (or not so) in your digital footprint – this is why good personal branding is imperative to a flourishing career. That being whether you are a world-famous activist, a Hollywood celebrity, or just a university student writing a blog (this is me breaking the fourth wall, hi!).
So, using strategic communicator Karen Freberg’s three components of personal/professional branding: personality, expertise and community, let us delve into Malala’s prominent success for a masterclass in branding.
Personality
Freberg explains that an individual’s brand personality should be unique, consistent and memorable in their behaviours, actions and communications.
In Malala’s case, not only does this encompass her humble demeanour and unwavering resolve, but her strategic communication techniques that target a specific demographic.
In 2023, the Malala Fund became fairly active on TikTok. In one notable instance, the verified account posted the comment “Boo 👎🏾” under a video of a young girl, captioned “I’m skipping all my classes today”.
By using a sort of humour quite unfamiliar to a serious activist of her calibre, Malala was able to successfully target this younger female audience and win the likes of their attention.
Malala’s use of sarcasm also shone through her own video posted in March 2023, in which she responded with a trending ‘side eye’ to a comment stating “u do slay malala, but we all hate school”.
Not only is Malala adhering to the consistency of her female-focused education message in her TikTok activity, but she is developing a unique personality that other public figures tend to shy away from out of a fear of unprofessionalism. She is intelligently instilling her message to the demographic group she fights for in a down to earth, memorable way.
Expertise
Expertise is another important aspect of a personal brand, as demonstrating profound knowledge in your area is what solidifies people’s trust and boosts credibility.
While Malala’s lived experiences are a large credit to her authentic reputation, from a branding perspective she takes Freberg‘s advice to show, not tell, further enforcing her desired image.
Malala articulates comprehensive solutions to the challenges facing girls education with clarity and conviction rather than simply describing what the issues are. The visibility of her physical work with the Malala Fund is a testament to her personal brand.
Yousafzai’s expertise is further demonstrated in her X profile. By adhering to relatability similar to her manner on TikTok, Malala expresses herself as “still just a girl who wants to learn” alongside her accolade of “Youngest ever Nobel laureate”.
The contrast of these two phrases side by side note that Malala is a respectable, award-winning activist that remains humble and central to her core value of young women’s education.
Community
You will often find an individual with a good personal brand will facilitate a community around their specific niche. Malala practices this because her personal brand thrives within a supportive sphere of like-minded individuals who share her vision for change.
The Malala Fund organises various grassroots initiatives, such as their Education Champion Network which invests in local leaders across Afghanistan, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey to accelerate progress towards all girls’ secondary education.
Online, Malala actively engages with communities through social media platforms, sharing insights, amplifying voices, and fostering dialogue.
Her online newsletter Assembly is heavily dedicated to publishing young people’s stories from all walks of life with the basis as “you know my [Malala’s] story, now tell us yours”. Storytelling is a large branding point for Malala; her book I am Malala was extremely successful, landing her on Time’s 2013 list of most influential people.
By bridging digital and physical realms, Malala cultivates a sense of belonging and collective action, which is particularly imperative in her position as an activist.
How Can Malala Improve?
There is always room for improvement. Recently, Malala has lost some credibility due to her responses to the conflict in Gaza, which some people feel are insufficient.
Although it is impossible to please everyone, it is important to mitigate situations where there is a large influx of negativity toward you or your brand.
Malala dedicated $300 000 in aid to Palestinians in response, however people still criticised her for not explicitly condemning Israel.
Criticisms also arose surrounding her involvement with Hillary Clinton on Broadway project SUFFS, which details the 1913 Women’s Movement.
While cultivating partnerships can be a useful tool in extending influence beyond personal abilities, in a modern public sphere that heavily favours citizen journalism, it is more crucial than ever to be mindful of who you align yourself with.
In my research for this blog, I noticed a large increase in hate comments towards Malala over these subjects. I deemed it important to mention in the name of transparency; to not paint a false picture of perfection.
Nonetheless, circumstances like these are somewhat inevitable in some form and is the reason why communicators preach the importance of crisis management.
Malala as a Digital Leader
Despite the controversies, Malala demonstrates the traits of a digital leader in terms of personal branding.
She contributes valuable content to her audience, including research and resources concerning her cause.
She demonstrates a distinctive personality in her participation on platforms such as TikTok, and generates further discussion due to this unique strategy.
Malala is widely considered an inspiration with her unmatched expertise consisting of both firsthand experience and thorough research.
Her interactions with communities both large and small allow her to further cultivate her network and encourage change.
All of these aspects deem Malala a digital leader; one that future communicators can examine and learn from in both her feats and controversies.
Thanks for reading! Can you think of another example of a public figure or brand that demonstrates exemplary personal branding? Let me know in the comments!
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