Unlocking the Financial Power of Personal Brands
Personal Brand Management: Marketing Human Value. Springer, 2020.
PUBLICATION OVERVIEW
Personal Brand Management: Marketing Human Value (Springer, 2020) is the definitive resource for understanding the phenomena and process of personal brand management as it becomes increasingly valued in a global economy. By providing a research-based, theoretical framework, the author distills the concept of personal branding as it is applicable to individuals throughout all stages of career development as well as across industries and disciplines.
Extensively researched with numerous case studies, this book clearly outlines the strategic process of evaluating the economic value of a personal brand to manage and scale it accordingly. The author, an expert in the field of personal brand strategy and management, argues that a business is what a person or organization does, but the brand is what people expect from that person or organization. The two must align, and the book’s conceptual framework explains the theory and practice behind personal branding to accomplish this synergism.
Citation: Waller, Talaya. (2020). Personal Brand Management: Marketing Human Value. Management for Professionals, Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-43744-2.
Conceptual Models
This work introduces three formal models that structure how personal branding functions as an economic asset over time.
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Models how identity and image interact with communications technology and intellectual property law to create opportunities for personal brand equity.
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Defines a recursive system of strategy, implementation, management, and audit for governing personal brand value across its full life cycle.
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Positions the personal brand as a monetizable and legally protectable asset whose value can be evaluated, managed, and sustained over time.
SCHOLARLY PEER REVIEW
“The growing popularity of the phenomena of personal branding has led to the increase of practical “self-help books” on how to build one’s personal brand. Whereas those are often based on the subjective opinions of writers, not grounded in the marketing theory, and don’t go beyond the practical tips. Then again, academic books and articles on the topic often lack practical contribution and are rarely useful for the general public.
What is unique about this book is that it combines both practical and theoretical perspectives to present a comprehensive concept of personal brand management. Dr. Waller draws upon a research-based theoretical framework and uses it to portray reality and offer practical implications. The book proposes applicable concepts and ideas that can be used by professionals, entrepreneurs, and students in their pursuit of building a personal brand. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is willing to understand the concept and to advance their personal brand.”
— Dr. Anna M. Gorska Marketing Department, Kozminski University
KIRKUS REVIEW
“Waller presents a comprehensive look at assessing the nature and value of personal brands. Right at the outset, the author notes that her book is intended for marketers—and that in the present historical moment, that term describes virtually everybody. “The demand for personal branding has grown dramatically in the past few decades,” she writes, “and, with that increase in demand, the complexity, confusion, and flurry of information surrounding it has multiplied as well.” Waller draws on her own experiences as a personal brand strategy consultant, a number of interviews with other expert practitioners, and an impressive array of secondary sources to break down the topics of marketing and branding into three sections: “Strategy” (about the initial rollout of one’s brand), “Implementation” (which addresses the promotion and monetization of one’s brand), and “Management” (about tracking brand value and protecting its integrity).“
Citations Across Education, Finance, and Sports
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Branding of Academic Staff; Components of The Personal Brand of Faculty Members
With a decrease in student numbers, heightened competition among universities, and a shift in the student selection paradigm towards a professor-centric approach, the role of distinguished and respected professors in the success of universities and the attraction of talented students is on the rise. In this study, Ramezani, Moussavi Neghabi, and Shariat (2024) aimed to identify the components influencing the personal brand of academic staff members.
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Digital valuation of personality using personal tokens
Attempts to valuate personality and personal brand in the digital economy face significant problems when it comes to the tools of such an activity. In this paper, Marchewka-Bartkowiak, Nowak, and Litwiński (2022) explore considering a personal token as the new means of personality valuation and to propose tools of its financial and network valuation.
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Constructing Authenticity in Digital Landscapes: Deion Sanders’s Social Media Presence and Its Impact on Fan Perceptions
In this qualitative study, Singer and Jones (2025) explore the intersection of social media, personal branding, and perceived authenticity in sports figures, focusing on Deion Sanders’s digital presence as head football coach at the University of Colorado. Two interrelated studies examine how Sanders manages his authenticity on social media and how audiences perceive his authenticity.
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Constructing the WAG brand: athlete partnerships, identity work, and brand resilience strategies
In this study, Hasaan, Fişne, Dickson, and Khalid (2025) examine how Wives and Girlfriends of athletes (WAGs) develop personal brands, the role athlete partners play in this process, and how WAGs sustain brand relevance during and after relationship transitions.