Personal Branding: The Cornflakes Strategy

A method to find the perfect “packaging” for your personal brand.

5 min readDec 25, 2024

Personal branding: CVs on cereal boxes — Visual created by Bing AI

Views are my own.

Have you ever wondered how you would present yourself as a brand? Just think of a cereal box: sounds unusual at first, but it’s a creative exercise to think strategically about your personal branding and how you present yourself in the world of work. Just beware: you should be sparing with salary details on applications. Find out here why they have no place on your CV or cover letter.

What is Personal Branding?

It’s about how you are perceived by others and the message you want to convey. Your “brand presence” encompasses everything about you: from your LinkedIn bio to the topics you talk about or the projects you work on.

In a nutshell, personal branding is the art of positioning yourself as a brand.

So why is this important? In today’s job market, recruiters and colleagues are not only looking for skills, but also for personality and authenticity. At least if it’s not a ghost job: Here you can find out what this is all about and how to detect shady job advertisements. Strong personal branding helps you to stand out from the crowd. And it’s best to do this across all channels, i.e. LinkedIn, in your portfolio, in a job interview or even in the office or on the intranet. Learn here how to build a LinkedIn profile that magically attracts recruiters.

Marketing on cereal boxes: What can we learn?

Be it colorful fruit loops or healthy organic spelt flakes (yum!): Cornflakes boxes are a prime example of successful marketing. Each box is designed to attract attention and convince the right buyer to choose that particular cereal. Especially in areas such as consulting, where there is traditionally a big rush, you will likely stand out from the crowd. Take a look at the Instagram career pages of McKinsey, BCG, PwC and more!

Cornflakes are traditionally really colorful and “loud”, advertised with characters, ingredients or appealing product images. Sometimes toys were included or puzzles on the back, creating an exciting experience even during “use”. Features that other products have only gradually adopted. However, some things have become a thing of the past, such as the letter of motivation. Find out why you can often forget about a cover letter and discover the alternatives.

Just like job hunting, the competition is fierce, and standing out from the crowd can be a real challenge. At the same time, you don’t have the time to read through everything down to the smallest detail, so you have to rely on the overall impression. Because there is something for every target group, for health-conscious customers, children, fitness enthusiasts or the whole family:

Look and feel: colors, shapes and logos are designed to draw attention. Your personal branding should have the same effect, e.g. your profile picture or portfolio design.
A clear message: the front often has a single sentence that describes the added value, e.g. “With extra vitamins” or “Crunchy indulgence”. For your branding, this means: What makes you unique?
What core message do you want to convey?
There’s more information on the back: Read more about the ingredients or exciting details. Transfer this to yourself. What are the highlights of your career or your “ingredients” that make you special?
Interaction: Some cereal boxes invite you to play games, solve puzzles or take part in competitions. For your branding, this means: be active, network and give others the chance to interact with you. If your dream is to work abroad, you should also follow these simple tips.

Cornflakes method: finding your own Branding

So how can you apply these findings to yourself? Here’s a little exercise:

Tools: paper and a pen or a free digital app like Figma “FigJam”, Miro or Mural.

🫶 Front: What makes you special?
Imagine your name is on the front of a cereal box. Which three words best describe you? What is your “slogan” that appeals to people? Of course you can use more words, but not too many.
🎨 Design: Which colors, symbols, etc. suit you?
Colors, fonts and images trigger emotions. Do you choose serious shades of blue, dominant red or something completely different? The aim is to have a uniform appearance on the channels. Think about what makes you stand out visually. But don’t let this distract you too much, because the message is more important. You can adapt the design as needed.
🧠 Back: Your skill ingredients
Write down the “ingredients” that make you special: skills or abilities, experience, values and successes.
🎯 Target group: Who are you there for?
Cornflakes are aimed at specific target groups, e.g. children or fitness enthusiasts. Think about who your target group is: recruiters, customers, colleagues and what they expect from you. Also highlight if you are dreaming of a job abroad. Meanwhile, check out these job board for Expats in Germany.

Personal branding template on Figma — You can also create your cereal box digitally, e.g. with Figma “FigJam” or Mural.

Become the best version of your “Cereal Box”

Personal branding may sound complex, but with creative methods like this you can build it easily. Remember: your branding should be authentic, clear and appealing. Just like the packaging that immediately catches the eye on the supermarket shelf.

So: How would you brand yourself if you were a cereal box?

In fact, cereal boxes have already inspired some remarkable start-ups: The founders of Airbnb, for example, made their first money by designing cereal boxes. Real “cereal founders”, after all. Who knows where this concept will take you. If you want to work abroad for 1–2 years, you should definitely take a look at the international VIE program.