Unpacking the social media landscape with Prof. Jonathan A.J. Wilson
Building a personal brand while holding multiple identities
Hello!
I was recently featured on a favorite substack of mine
so if you’re a new subscriber from that, thank you for joining me and a big thanks to Luce for sharing her platform with new writers like myself!I had the opportunity to hear Professor Jonathan A.J. Wilson speak at a company event recently and was fascinated by his background and what he had to say. An introduction by a colleague and a few email exchanges later, and I had the chance to pick his brain about a few topics that had been rattling around my brain lately. Prof. Wilson has one of the most interesting and impressive backgrounds of anyone I’ve met, so before we jump into the interview, a little bit more about him…
Prof. Jonathan A.J. Wilson is an award-winning London-based practitioner and academic with two doctorates – specialising in what he calls the ABCDs of business and culture: Advertising, Branding, Communication, and Digital. After receiving an MBA and a Chemistry degree in the ‘90s he began his career in advertising, before later deciding to experiment with the idea of being a brain for hire. He works globally with governments, organizations, brands, and individuals on bringing branding, business strategy, and cultures to life.
Prof Wilson published his book Halal Branding in 2018, which offers a culturally-centric approach to championing branded lived experiences and intersectionality. He has been Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Islamic Marketing for 12 years, and has online masterclasses with LinkedIn Learning, GoodHabitz, and FutureLearn.
Prof Wilson has over 200 pieces of published work, given over 150 conference talks, traveled to 40 countries, and has received media coverage from Harvard Business Review, BBC, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Thomson Reuters, The Economist, and The Guardian among others.
His music and voice feature on the early Grand Theft Auto video games, he’s performed internationally on television and stages like Glastonbury music festival, and is a former England Schools rugby player, who now holds a 4th Dan in Iaido and 3rd Dan in Kendo Japanese martial arts. He also received a Top Voices award from LinkedIn for 4 consecutive years and appears in their US television and global online advertisements.
With that introduction, let’s dive into it!
MB: In recent years we’ve seen a shift amongst younger generations from performative platforms like Instagram to something more “authentic” and communication based (i.e. group chats, messaging apps). What are your thoughts around how the social media landscape has evolved over time?
JW: The authenticity buzzword and quest for being seen as authentic is interesting. On a basic level it means being genuine and not fake. On a deeper level, it’s about aligning actions with beliefs and desires with purpose — despite external pressures to conform. As a result, we’ve seen a rise in people sharing failures, vulnerabilities, and more unfiltered opinions. How many of these are genuine (or intended for the reasons stated) as opposed to other purposes designed to use subtle ways to stand out, shock, get eyeballs and monetize? That’s for them to know and time will tell.
Also, one group’s authenticity may be someone else’s cringe — and unfortunately people don’t hold back in expressing those views publicly. So the rise in chat spaces reflects a way for people to better find their tribe, cut through the noise, and find safer spaces.
MB: As a follow up — are you optimistic about the future of social media & internet culture? Is there anything that makes you pessimistic?
JW: Without question, the great leveling, access to, and democratization of information thanks to the internet and social media has been phenomenal. However, there will be some challenges as we embrace generation citizen journalist, judge and jury. The right to be forgiven and forgotten in a landscape where content is created constantly and quickly, where facts may not be checked thoroughly or understood with the intended sub-cultural nuances, risks creating toxicity. Information overload, suffocation from rolling news, and posts going viral will continue to affect people’s mental health. Plus, there is the paradox of not wanting to discriminate based on identifying characteristics, and yet basing opinions on social media profiles, appearances, and followers.
MB: As a professor, how have you seen platforms like TikTok impact the learning experience? Are we headed towards a future centered around edu-tainment?
JW: Edutainment is the way forward for sure. Engaging with multimedia in snackable, short and long-form content is where it’s at. Content that gets you a badge, certificate, or credits that you can add to your LinkedIn profile are even better. Suggested content based upon your previous learning is addictive. This is where I think many educational institutions are behind the curve. They need more resources and staff with different skills to get back in the race.
MB: I’ve been fascinated by this New York Times article about how social media has caused subcultures to fade in meaning, where “real-world cultural community has been replaced by an algorithmic fluidity in which nothing hangs around long enough to grow roots.” You’ve been part of numerous subcultures throughout the years as a musician, ceramicist, rugby player and a martial artist (just to name a few). In your experience, how have subcultures evolved over time? Do you think social media has helped or hindered the formation of subcultures?
JW: Social media has helped nurture and nourish many subcultures. I could be old and biased, but I do see a trend of people accumulating interests for relatively short periods of time and then moving on. Because they’re no longer trending, boredom, perceived difficulty — I don’t know why exactly.
For the subcultures I’ve participated in, they’ve been largely done in private away from social media for years, and not with the intention of connecting with large audiences — just a handful of like-minded practitioners. But social media is encouraging people to share early and widely and that stimulates a different sort of motivation and fulfillment. I’m not saying that’s wrong, but as a Gen-Xer who found myself before the internet, I do find it interesting.
MB: What advice do you have for young people today looking to build a personal brand for themselves amidst a social media landscape that is increasingly crowded? How do you say something meaningful when seemingly everyone has something to say?
JW: Don’t sweat the vanity statistics of likes and followers. Do it for you, to please yourself, at a pace that you’re comfortable with — and be consistent. Watch what other people do, to understand what style/tone/approach appeals to you and does not. Don’t lie or talk things up. Share your view and lived experiences. Support others’ work and don’t fall into the negative mindset of thinking that they will steal your sun. Eventually, that becomes unhealthy — think, there are infinite possibilities and opportunities.
Don’t feel the pressure to be the best or number one — that’s not how we pick friends, is it? We pick people who we like, who treat others as they would like to be treated. So great content creators and personal brands learn how to be good friends to people, and then find a way to monetize that — which could be charging for content, getting a higher salary or being pushed further up the CV pile.
Remind yourself that whatever you share will be around forever, so slow down and ask yourself if you think you’d still be cool with those things being out there in a few years. Network and connect with people that you aspire to be like — but don’t ask for favours too soon. Do a check with people you trust to see what words, qualities and personality they associate with your branded communications, and listen. If it’s not what you were aiming for, then you know you have some tweaks to make.
MB: For someone who has such a rich and multifaceted background, what has the role of intersectionality played in your work and life? Do you feel like culture has evolved to where it’s easier to hold multiple identities at once, particularly for younger generations?
JW: Intersectionality is much better understood and accepted today for sure. It’s far easier to hold multiple, blended and hyphenated identities, and for them not to be challenged or confusing to others. I’ve found that this plasticity is especially intriguing to and encouraged in younger generations. I can see this also in career aspirations, where identity is seen as being more central to a job role, and people are exploring portfolio careers, side hustles, and multiple simultaneous jobs that embody their entire personalities and life goals. So yes, today I can say that if you look at my bio it’s more in the now than how I used to introduce myself. Plus, my race, ethnicity, faith, and travels often help position me as a bridge-builder.
MB: You published research back in 2014 about the rise of inconspicuous consumption, which was very perceptive considering the proliferation of Quiet Luxury on TikTok last year. Do you think this will continue to be a persistent trend, particularly amidst the rise of income inequality in the U.S.?
JW: Yes, it’s a trend that will continue for sure. It’s a lot about secret messaging to the people in the know that you want to impress and be associated with, as a form of social currency and status. Some may see it as humble bragging, but I would say it’s more about being emotionally intelligent and conscious. Branding for too long has advocated simply being bold and standing out. For luxury brands, it was also about class and exclusivity. In fact, we’re a bit more complicated than that and brands are starting to understand better that, like Goldilocks, we have a ‘just right’ that we’re looking for. Consumers are more discerning, they’re looking to maximize their happiness and spend through entertaining luxury and budget combinations. As a result, luxury has added layers and levels to its classifications.
MB: Last one, fun one — what’s on your feed right now? What’s grabbing your attention online?
JW: I love a varied buffet of creators telling me how to be a better guitarist, the hottest new food spots, how to unblock my toilet, sports showreels, extreme stunts, nostalgia movie clips with stitches flipping the meaning, etymology breakdowns of various languages so you sound smart in front of your colleagues, and of course edgy cultural faux pas that you laugh at, then think okay, who shall I share this with and not get in trouble.
Great interview!