Personal branding behind the firewall - An analysis of consultants’ perceptions about personal digital branding

Abstract: This research aims to create a better understanding of a little-known phenomenon by exploring the ways consultants create and perceive personal digital brands on an internal collaboration platform, together with the different dimensions of expectations they experience. Following the interpretive paradigm, our primary method contained ten semi-structured interviews with consultants working at a global consultancy firm. In order to gain deeper insights about their personal digital branding, we also conducted a small-scale netnography on the internal collaboration platform and analyzed two internal documents related to the topic. Findings While the consultancy industry is often described as image-driven, we also discuss the struggles and concerns consultants seem to experience regarding personal digital branding. Furthermore, we describe hybridization as an underlying theme, which appears to have significant impacts on consultants’ sensemaking and activities on the internal collaboration platform. Our findings contribute to the closing of a research gap by combining the two concepts, personal digital branding and ICTs focused on knowledge management. The combination of different methods provides a more nuanced understanding of how consultants create, perceive and experience expectations regarding internal personal digital branding.