Updating a Personal Brand to Reflect a Career Pivot

Challenge
Jonathan Cronstedt is a successful investor, advisor, and author. You may know him as JCron or the former president at Kajabi, a knowledge commerce platform. In 2021, Jonathan made a career pivot. He assumed a role on the board at Kajabi and expanded his business to apply his wealth of commercial knowledge and experience in the investment and entrepreneurial advisory sector. Jonathan approached Kalicube to help him reposition his personal brand as an investor and business advisor because his name was synonymous with his role as the President of Kajabi.
When we met, Jonathan did not have a Knowledge Panel, which meant Google and the other AI search and assistive engines didn’t understand who he was. Jonathan wanted a sophisticated and information-rich Knowledge Panel that highlighted his investing and advising activities alongside his role at Kajabi (a role he’s passionate about). He wanted a Knowledge Panel to trigger when people searched for “Jonathan Cronstedt” and his nickname, “JCron.” He wanted AI engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, and Google SGE to understand his brand and introduce him to the conversation between machines and humans.
Solution
In one year, Kalicube achieved the following three outcomes for JCron:
- Triggered and grew an impressive, credible, and stable Knowledge Panel on Google for Jonathan Cronstedt and JCron.
- Repositioned his personal brand to “investor” and shifted the focus away from Kajabi.
- Changed the perception of assistive engines and Jonathan’s audience about who he is, what he does, and who he serves.
In addition, Kalicube ensured that all the AI search and assistive engines recognize that JCron is a pseudonym for Jonathan Cronstedt and present him the same way, whichever name people use to find him.
Kalicube did most of the legwork so Jonathan could continue his business activities. When we needed his help to change things we couldn’t, we guided him through the tasks we needed him to do.
When people search for his name, Jonathan’s Knowledge Panel represents him as an investor. His Knowledge Panel is information-rich and triggers on searches for Jonathan Cronstedt and JCron. Jonathan is very happy and says he looks “fancy.”
His Knowledge Panel is safe because Kalicube firmly entrenched his entity in Google’s Knowledge Graph by building on his existing personal brand, amplifying his personal brand marketing, and optimizing it all for Google’s Knowledge Algorithms. Google’s Knowledge Graph is a machine-readable encyclopedia like Wikipedia, but it is millions of times bigger, and anyone can earn a listing (unlike Wikipedia).
AI engines like SGE, CoPilot, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity understand who he is and present him to their users primarily as an investor and business advisor. JCron is in pole position for the future.
The Kalicube Process
Phase 1. Understandability
The first month focused solely on auditing and optimizing Jonathan’s digital footprint. Kalicube found every online reference to Jonathan, identified the crucial sources, and optimized his entire digital footprint, ensuring consistent brand positioning and messaging. Google and the AI search and assistive engines immediately started digesting the information, and in just two months, they awarded his entity a KGID in the Knowledge Graph. JCron got his Knowledge Panel on Google just one month later.
A presence in Google’s Knowledge Graph and a personal Knowledge Panel are the first KPIs we aim for at Kalicube. Together, they demonstrate that our client is “understandable” and confidently understood by AI search and assistive engines. We use Google as the KPI, but this works for all of them (SGE, CoPilot, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity).
The knowledge we fed these AI engines about who Jonathan is, what he does, and who he serves is the foundation of all their understanding of him now and in the future.
At the end of phase 1, Jonathan was standing where his audience was looking and where Google and other AI search and assistive engines expected to see him. We had a solid foundation to build his credibility, authority, and thought leadership credentials.
Most importantly, JCron had control of his brand online.
Phase 2. Credibility
Months two to five focused on amplifying the informational signals in Jonathan’s new digital footprint to cement his repositioning. Then, months six to twelve were about building credibility across his entire digital ecosystem so that Jonathan was represented as a credible, authoritative thought leader within the investment and advisory niche.
Kalicube Pro gave us the data to build a prioritized digital strategy for Jonathan so he could spend his executive time virtually hanging out in the places Google (and his audience) expected to see a credible person in his niche. Armed with Kalicube’s data-driven strategic plan, Jonathan was able to maximize the return on his valuable (and expensive) time.
AI engines like Google SGE, CoPilot, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity are designed to converse with users. The challenge for Jonathan was reaching a threshold of credibility where AI search and assistive engines included Jonathan in the conversation between people and the AI search and assistive engines. Getting the Knowledge Panel is our bread and butter. The magic in the generative AI world is to get the machines to introduce Jonathan to the conversation when Jonathan is relevant to the solution.
At the end of phase 2, we had positioned Jonathan as a credible authority and a thought leader with his peers. Jonathan is now standing where his audience is looking and clearly communicating his credibility to both his audience and AI search and assistive engines.
Phase 3. Deliverability / Omni-presence
Jonathan is taking a year out and has yet to implement the third phase of our strategy. This phase would have expanded on the credibility phase to include content that promises solutions to users’ problems. It would also build a stable (omni) presence across all relevant platforms when Jonathan’s audience researches his niche.
By the end of phase 3, Jonathan would be THE go-to person when his ideal audience is looking for the solutions he can provide.
This is the ultimate goal of The Kalicube Process: Stand where your audience is looking, communicate your credibility, and be ever-present with the solution when your audience is ready.
Outcomes
JCron and Kalicube worked together for a year. Jonathan had the peace of mind that Kalicube would reposition his brand, optimize the results of his everyday marketing efforts, and not have to spend hours and hours of his own executive time working on connecting the dots.
We nailed the knowledge for the machines and built Jonathan’s credibility with his audience. We also educated Google about his credibility and trustworthiness and the understanding of Jonathan in his new field, niche, and investor role.
Jonathan can safely take a year-long break and return to the office with a super-solid personal brand and an intact Knowledge Panel rather than starting from scratch, as would be the case with traditional personal brand strategies.
Jonathan is now comfortable that he is in the place he aimed to be a year ago, confident that his audience and Google (and other GenAI assistive engines) understand and recommend him for his new role.
Jonathan never agrees with case studies, so we are honored that he permitted us to showcase his wonderfully repositioned brand.
Just delightful.
A Visual Representation of Kalicube’s Process With Jonathan Cronstedt
Google Search and Jonathan’s Knowledge Panel
- Project Commencement – No Knowledge Panel
- Phase 1. Understanding – Does Google and the AI Engines Understand Who Jonathan Is?
- Phase 1. Understanding: Google Changes Subtitle to Investor for Jonathan Cronstedt
Source: Kalicube Pro. Jonathan’s personal brand is listed in Google’s Knowledge Graph, and Google classifies him as an “Investor”
- Phase 1. Understanding: Google recognizes the pseudonym “JCron”
- Phase 2: Credibility: N-E-E-A-T-T for a Personal Brand Built on Top of Knowledge
What About Gen AI Search and Assistive Engines?
Chat GPT 4
Google Gemini
Perplexity
Microsoft
Jonathan Cronstedt now has Full Control over Understanding and Credibility and, therefore, how the AI Search and Assistive engines represent him to his audience.
But that’s only phases one and two!
- Phase one of the Kalicube Process is getting the AI Search and Assistive engines to understand Jonathan’s personal brand.
- Phase two establishes credibility and positions Jonathan’s brand in the correct niche within the peer group.
- Phase three creates deliverability by moving Jonathan’s brand beyond AI assistive technology and search engines. Deliverability means amplifying all of Jonathan’s information and content across the entire digital ecosystem.
After Phase 3, Jonathan would become omnipresent across the entire digital ecosystem so that wherever anybody looks for a solution to a relevant problem online, they always see Jonathan with the solution. It is strategic and tactical and ensures the machines understand who Jonathan is and what he offers, and the audience perceives him as best in class because he is everywhere they look.
The AI engines don’t just introduce him to relevant conversations; they recommend him as the ideal solution and reward him with the “perfect click.”
The ultimate aim of these machines is to get their users to what they call The Perfect Click, which occurs when a highly qualified lead clicks on Jonathan’s website after they have recommended him as the ideal solution.
Phase 3 means Google and the AI assistive engines are Jonathan’s:
- The holders of the online “truth” about Jonathan.
- Offsite funnel
- Preferred influencers
By completing phase three, Jonathan will master and control his personal brand and achieve self-determination in AI search and assistive engines through omnipresence.
Pro Tip: Jason’s red shirt is part of his deliverability strategy. Aside from turning up in all the places Google and his audience expect him to be – places like Forbes, Search Engine Land, Digital Marketing, and SEO conferences – he’s always wearing the red shirt. The audience and the engines remember the red shirt.
Conclusion
Jonathan had a very clear goal of changing the world’s perception of him. His audience now perceives him as an investor and business advisor, and so do all the Gen AI Search and Assistive engines. Perfect.
He now has a rich and stable Knowledge Panel that showcases his new role and personal brand, and all the algorithms (Copilot, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity) represent him how he wants to be represented: accurately and positively.
He can take some time away from brand building without worrying that algorithm updates in the Knowledge Graph will impact his Knowledge Panel or the Gen AI results about him. And when he’s ready, he will implement Phase 3 and establish his omnipresence.
Can the Kalicube Process Help You?
Yes!
In just one year, the three phases of the Kalicube Process allow people who value their personal brand to master it, control it, and become THE authoritative reference for their niche audience… and achieve self-determination in AI search and assistive engines and anything that comes in the future.
When the AI engines understand that you are an authoritative, credible, and influential individual in your niche, The Kalicube Process ensures that they introduce you to the conversations they are having with their users and recommend you over and above your peers.
AI engines like SGE, CoPilot, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity are having billions of niche conversations with their users on every conceivable topic. They are the most critical and trusted influencers on every topic imaginable and a one-stop shop for influencer marketing.
Do you want to be the personal brand the AI engines introduce to your ideal customers? Get in touch.