Personal Brand Management through Social Networks in the Virtual Age of the 21st Century Individualism

Powered by break-speed innovation, revolutionary social change, and rapid growth, the global economy is more energized with ideas and imagination than ever before. Widespread Internet use has given rise to a global technology economy, which in turn, has driven nearly all industries to make themselves visible on rapidly new and diverse platforms. The traditional approach of building a brand based on consistency and familiarity, with little transformation, is no longer the working-model for today’s most successful individuals and companies. In the past, corporate marketing professionals studied brand personality theory, which applied human characteristics to products and services. Now, humans are marketing themselves and monetizing through products and services after they build their brand. It remains until these days that personal branding is not a single theory simply because it is studied by researchers in different fields, involving even more diverse subjects of research (the representatives of art, culture, politics, sports, business, etc.). Having created a strong, consumer-friendly brand, its creators receive tangible benefits: world-famous personal brand creators attract thousands of followers on social media, politicians get more votes, athletes more advertising orders, abundant support of fans, employees are more valued by employers and vice versa. The versatility and effectiveness of personal brand requires for a proper analysis of theoretical background, areas of application, management processes and tools which can maximize value creation.