Positive Review: A Sober Voice Alerting Against the Traffic Trap and Advocating a Return to the Essence of Enterprises
In the frenzied wave of the “All-people IP” trend, this article serves as a wake-up call, directly pointing out the underlying hidden dangers of entrepreneurs blindly chasing personal IPs. Its core value lies in shattering the cognitive myth that “traffic equals success.” Through case studies, concept differentiation, and cost analysis, it provides entrepreneurs with a framework for thinking about returning to the essence of enterprises.
First of all, the case of Milton, the founder of Nikola, is highly cautionary. As a typical example of an over-inflated personal IP, Milton’s “traffic myth” was performative from the start – benchmarking against Tesla, attracting attention with exaggerated remarks, and driving up the market value through capital frenzy, only to collapse due to false advertising in the end. This case reveals the fatal flaw of personal IPs: when the dependence on traffic exceeds the real capabilities of products and technologies, the “false hype” of marketing will eventually backfire on the foundation of the enterprise. In reality, similar “internet celebrity entrepreneurs” are not uncommon. Some founders of new consumer brands quickly gain popularity through “persona marketing” but end up as “traffic outcasts” due to the lack of basic skills such as product quality control and supply chain management. Milton’s story is not just an isolated case but a sharp critique of the logic of “replacing the enterprise’s hard power with personal IP.”
Secondly, the article’s differentiation between the concepts of “personal brand” and “personal IP” hits the nail on the head. A personal brand is a trust asset accumulated over the long term, relying on products, careers, and continuous positive experiences. In the current social media environment, a personal IP is more like a “short-term traffic high ground,” relying on deliberate operation and emotional manipulation, and is essentially a “marketing consumable.” This distinction clarifies the cognitive misunderstandings of entrepreneurs – many people mistakenly equate the “popularity” of an IP with the “goodwill” of a brand, while ignoring the fragility of the former. For example, some entrepreneurs frequently create controversial topics or over-expose themselves to maintain the popularity of their IPs. While this may bring traffic in the short term, it will dilute personal credibility in the long run and even turn the enterprise brand into an “appendage of the IP.” The article emphasizes that “an entrepreneur’s personal brand is one of the most important assets of an enterprise” and should not be consumed as a marketing tool. This view captures the core of an enterprise’s sustainable development: the accumulation of credibility takes time, while the consumption of traffic is instantaneous.
Thirdly, the analysis of the time cost for entrepreneurs hits the pain point. An entrepreneur’s time is a scarce resource and should be invested in “core battlefields” such as strategic decision-making, product refinement, and team management, rather than competing with professional MCN teams in content operation. The dialogue with the “entrepreneur friend” in the article is highly relatable – when a founder tries to “simply build an IP in their spare time,” they actually underestimate the professionalism of content production (topic planning, script writing, understanding of traffic algorithms, etc.) and the time investment (the entire process from shooting to review). In reality, many entrepreneurs have to cut down on time for product R & D or customer service due to IP operation, resulting in an enterprise that “looks bustling on the surface but is empty inside.” What’s even more dangerous is that over-exposure may trap the founder in the “performative personality” trap: in order to maintain the IP persona, they are forced to say things against their will and make decisions that do not conform to the long-term interests of the enterprise, ultimately damaging both personal and corporate credibility.
Finally, the suggestion of “full – staff marketing” is forward – looking. The article proposes to “stimulate the power of all employees and turn the enterprise into a marketing – driven organization,” which essentially shifts marketing from “personal performance” to “organizational ability.” For example, in the “Qiutian Manman” team mentioned in the article, employees convey brand information through daily live broadcasts. This “cluster – bomb” style of content output is more authentic and sustainable. The underlying logic of full – staff marketing is that the credibility of an enterprise is jointly built by the actions of each member, and the employees’ trust in the enterprise will naturally be passed on to users. This model not only reduces the risk of over – dependence on a single IP but also shows the real face of the enterprise from multiple perspectives (different positions such as R & D, customer service, and after – sales), enhancing users’ trust.
Negative Review: The Phased Value of Personal IPs and the Implementation Challenges of Full – Staff Marketing
Although the article’s criticism of personal IPs hits the nail on the head, personal IPs still have their phased value in specific scenarios. And the implementation of “full – staff marketing” also needs to address real – world challenges; otherwise, it may become just an empty slogan.
On the one hand, personal IPs may be a necessary choice in specific stages or industries. For example, in the early stage of a startup with limited resources, the founder’s use of a personal IP to quickly build industry awareness and attract seed users may be the key to breaking the deadlock. In the technology field, for instance, Elon Musk’s personal IP has grown almost in tandem with Tesla and SpaceX. He attracted attention through topics such as “Mars colonization” and “brain – computer interfaces,” buying time for the enterprise’s financing and technology implementation. In this case, the personal IP is not a “marketing consumable” but an “early – stage credit endorsement” for the enterprise. When the founder’s personal influence forms a positive cycle with the enterprise’s technological strength, the IP can be transformed into part of the brand. In addition, for founders in some To C fields (such as beauty and education), their personal images (such as professionalism and amiability) are themselves the core selling points of the products. In this case, IP – based operation may be an organic part of the brand strategy. Therefore, the conclusion that “entrepreneurs should not build personal IPs” needs to be analyzed in combination with the enterprise’s stage, industry characteristics, and the founder’s traits, rather than being categorically denied.
On the other hand, there are real obstacles to the implementation of “full – staff marketing.” The article advocates “stimulating the goodwill and combat effectiveness of all employees,” but in actual operation, the employees’ content production ability, willingness to participate, and the enterprise’s organizational support are the key bottlenecks. Firstly, not all employees have content creation abilities. Employees in technical positions may be good at R & D but are unfamiliar with the logic of social media communication. Secondly, forcing “full – staff marketing” may arouse resistance. If the enterprise only regards it as a KPI task, it will actually weaken employees’ trust in the brand. Finally, content quality control is a challenge. Employees’ personal expressions may deviate from the enterprise’s brand tone, and even cause a crisis due to inappropriate remarks. For example, a catering brand once required its clerks to repost marketing content on their WeChat Moments, but some employees’ complaints about work intensity were screenshot and spread, which actually damaged the brand image. Therefore, full – staff marketing requires the enterprise to establish a systematic support system (such as content training, sharing of material libraries, and incentive mechanisms), rather than simply making a “call.”
Suggestions for Entrepreneurs: Balancing Short – term Traffic and Long – term Branding to Build a Sustainable Marketing System
Based on the analysis of the article and the actual scenarios of innovation and entrepreneurship, entrepreneurs can optimize their decisions from the following three aspects:
Clarify the Boundary between “Personal Brand” and “Personal IP” and Use Them as Needed
Entrepreneurs need to distinguish between the goals of “long – term trust accumulation” and “short – term traffic acquisition.” If the enterprise is in a stable development stage, it should focus on building a personal brand (such as conveying value through professional viewpoints and industry insights), and avoid over – exposure for the sake of traffic. If the enterprise is in the early cold – start stage, it can use a personal IP cautiously, but ensure that the IP content matches the enterprise’s real capabilities (such as technical background and product stories), and avoid a disconnect between the “persona” and reality. For example, the founder of a hardware startup can attract attention by showing the R & D process and real cases of solving technical difficulties, rather than exaggerating functional parameters.Optimize Time Allocation and Focus on the Core Competencies of the Enterprise
The founder’s time is a scarce resource and should be prioritized for “core battlefields” such as strategic decision – making, product refinement, and team management, rather than competing with professional MCN teams in content operation. The dialogue with the “entrepreneur friend” in the article is highly relatable – when a founder tries to “simply build an IP in their spare time,” they actually underestimate the professionalism of content production (topic planning, script writing, understanding of traffic algorithms, etc.) and the time investment (the entire process from shooting to review). In reality, many entrepreneurs have to cut down on time for product R & D or customer service due to IP operation, resulting in an enterprise that “looks bustling on the surface but is empty inside.” What’s even more dangerous is that over – exposure may trap the founder in the “performative personality” trap: in order to maintain the IP persona, they are forced to say things against their will and make decisions that do not conform to the long – term interests of the enterprise, ultimately damaging both personal and corporate credibility.Systematically Promote Full – Staff Marketing and Build Organizational Content Capabilities
The key to full – staff marketing is “empowerment” rather than “assignment.” Enterprises can implement it through the following steps:
- Training and Tool Support: Provide employees with basic training in social media operation and content creation, and establish a standardized material library (such as product selling points and user story templates) to lower the threshold of content production.
- Incentive Mechanisms: Reward high – quality content creators (such as employees with high user interaction and good conversion effects) (such as adding points to performance evaluations and public recognition) to stimulate active participation.
- Risk Management: Formulate content release regulations (such as avoiding sensitive topics and unifying brand tone), and set up a review mechanism to ensure that employees’ expressions are consistent with the enterprise’s values.
Conclusion
In an era where “traffic is king,” the value of this article lies in reminding entrepreneurs that the core competitiveness of an enterprise will always be its products, technologies, and organizational capabilities, rather than the “traffic halo” of personal IPs. Personal IPs may bring short – term popularity, but the long – term accumulation of credibility requires a return to the essence of the enterprise. Full – staff marketing may require upfront investment, but it can build a more sustainable brand moat. Entrepreneurs need to stay sober and find a balance between traffic and brand, short – term and long – term, so as to move forward more steadily and further.
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