The impact of executive personal branding on non-profit perception and communications

Social media has become an integral tool in public relations and marketing campaigns. Individuals now actively participate in conversations through Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) and also leverage these communications tools for personal branding. A relatively new concept, personal branding has been studied in various contexts, but there is a lack of investigation into the effective use of the ICTs for personal branding purposes in relation to the communications of non-profit executives. This paper analyzes the personal branding strategies or seven executives from non-profit organizations in the United States. The study aimed to determine the extent to which executives’ personal branding communications aligned with the mission of their organizations. The results of this study are significant both for theorists and practitioners. The findings highlight the importance of personal branding in the non-profit sector; additionally, they help shape guidelines organizations can use to engage their executives in successful personal communications processes that raise awareness.