What personal branding do we need? International image consultant Miko Oyama takes the stage | SSUG Conference Program “EGG” Vol. 9

Hello! I am Nakano from the Public Relations team at SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP.

The conference program “EGG (Entertainment Group Gathering)” is built around the concept of “updating fun.” We have invited professionals active in the worlds of communication and entertainment, and have held a variety of seminars both inside and outside the company—across many angles such as media, art, advertising, and food marketing—creating opportunities to learn “how to engage with society in a fun way and move it forward.”

Official website of the conference program “EGG”

Our guest for this ninth session was Miko Oyama, who serves as the representative of the international image consulting office “CATCHY.”

Under the theme “Live colorfully. The strongest me,” Ms. Oyama—who provides global-standard consulting based on international sensibilities gained through overseas experience and U.S.-origin methods—shared how to strategically achieve your ideal impression through appearance, behavior, and communication.

At a time when personal impressions are said to directly affect performance and results, this is not someone else’s problem for us at SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP, who work in communication.

Around 70 participants listened with great interest to the intensive 60-minute lecture.
Today, we would like to share a brief look at what it was like.

About this session’s guest

Miko Oyama (Representative of “CATCHY” / International Image Consultant)

At the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), she worked in the policy decision-making process across a wide range of areas, including strengthening collaboration with politics, promoting D, and engaging with overseas investors, and also served as the first female Chair’s Policy Secretary, coordinating with leaders across various sectors. Internationally, she has served as Keidanren’s U.S. Representative, a Visiting Fellow at CSIS, and a Visiting Researcher at Harvard University, among other roles, engaging with executives in Japan and abroad. In 2020, she founded the U.S.-origin international image consulting office “CATCHY.” Under the theme “Live colorfully. The strongest me,” she provides global-standard consulting for leaders in politics and business. She holds an M.A. in Economics from Keio University Graduate School and an M.P.A. from Columbia University.

Official website of “CATCHY,” represented by Ms. Oyama

What is personal branding?

The theme of this talk was: “Be colorful, each and every one of us! Personal branding we need to live in an era of diverse individuality.”

We often hear about corporate branding, but what exactly is personal branding?

According to Ms. Oyama, when building a company’s brand, not only its products and services but also the impressions and appeal created by each individual who belongs to the company are important elements.

Indeed, when the person in charge at a company you work with is wonderful, you may feel, “This company has a great atmosphere,” don’t you?

So, can that impression of being a “wonderful person” actually be created by oneself?

At the beginning of the lecture, Ms. Oyama posed the following question to participants:
“Is there a gap between the impression you ideally want to convey and reality?”
Almost everyone answered, “Yes.”

When it is left unconscious, it can be difficult to create the impression of yourself exactly as you intend; however, it seems that by being mindful of three key points, you can build that “ideal impression.”

Those points are…
1) APPEARANCE (appearance, fashion, hair and makeup)
2) BEHAVIOR (manners, posture and conduct, how you greet others)
3) COMMUNICATION (communication, interpersonal skills)

In shaping a person’s impression, nonverbal information—starting with visual elements—is extremely important.
Accordingly, she shared more in-depth insights on styling, choosing colors based on color psychology, and communication such as eye contact and greetings.

The moment everyone realized it applies to them, too

While thinking, “I want to value how I am perceived by others” as part of their work, some members also had a sudden realization that they had not been able to be that considerate in their daily lives.

Using examples of the posture and attire of overseas presidents and celebrities when giving speeches, she explained while comparing good and bad examples.
“Can being just a little more mindful of appearance really change the impression you give that much?!”
Many members found it eye-opening.

During the QA session,
questions flew back and forth, including: “With so many factors such as clothing and manners, what should I start with first to change my impression?” and “I would like to know styling tips for interviews with female business owners,”as well as “My boss’s outfits are not very good—how should I tell them? (lol).”

With such rich content, the 60-minute lecture ended in the blink of an eye.

No matter how much technology advances, communication between people remains essential.
If making daily efforts so that others have a good impression of you helps your work and relationships move forward in a positive direction, there is no reason not to adopt it.
From that day on, I have also started (quietly) choosing a theme that suits the occasion and enjoying coordinating my outfits every day. (lol)

Ms. Miko Oyama, thank you very much for such a meaningful lecture.

▼Click here for the previous EGG conference program
Fumino Sugiyama, Co-Representative Director of Tokyo Rainbow Pride, takes the stage | SSUG Conference Program “EGG” Vol. 8