Beyond the image: A quantitative investigation of effects of public relations strategies on personal branding, communication practices, and reputation management

Mohammed Murdhi Alshammari 1 * , Salem Sabah Matar Alshammari 2
More Detail
1 Faculty of Media and Public Relations, Saad Al-abdullah Security Sciences Academy, Shuwaikh Industrial, KUWAIT
2 Ministry of Information, Kuwait City, KUWAIT
* Corresponding Author
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, Volume 15, Issue 1, Article No: e202509. https://doi.org/10.30935/ojcmt/15950
OPEN ACCESS   444 Views   104 Downloads   Published online: 13 Feb 2025
Download Full Text (PDF)

ABSTRACT

Personal branding is a critical tool in public relations (PR), affected by the evolving landscape of globalized communication. The dynamic digital environment poses challenges for PR practitioners, requiring them to ensure their communication efforts are acknowledged amid social, economic, and cultural shifts. This research examines the effect of PR strategies on personal branding, communication practices, and organizational reputation, guided by impression management theory. Data acquired from 291 PR professionals in Kuwait is further evaluated using partial least square-structural equation modelling. Findings showed that PR strategies significantly affect personal branding, indicating that the relevant organizations focus on personal branding by adopting PR strategies in the best possible manner. The effect of PR strategies on communication practices further remained significant as respondents revealed PR practices to improve organizational communication. Finally, the proposed effect of PR strategies on reputation management among organizations also remained significant. Gathered data indicated certain PR initiatives, strategies, communication efforts, mitigating reputational threats, and others to ensure reputation management by the relevant practitioners. Thus, the results offer valuable insights for PR practitioners in Kuwait to navigate the online environment and strategically cultivate their brands to improve individual and organizational reputations. Recognizing the significance of PR strategies in personal branding and reputation management helps professionals position themselves effectively in the digital sphere, eventually contributing to the success of individual careers and organizational goals.
Keywords: public relations, communication practices, Kuwait personal branding, online media, reputation management

CITATION

Alshammari, M. M., & Alshammari, S. S. M. (2025). Beyond the image: A quantitative investigation of effects of public relations strategies on personal branding, communication practices, and reputation management. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 15(1), e202509. https://doi.org/10.30935/ojcmt/15950

REFERENCES

  • Abitbol, A. (2017). Examining the influence of public relations strategies over Facebook on student attitude. Public Relations Journal, 11(1).
  • Al Olaimat, F., Habes, M., Al Hadeed, A. Y., & Al Jwaniat, M. I. (2022). Reputation management through social networking platforms for PR purposes: A SEM-based study in the Jordan. Frontiers in Communication, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2022.1009359
  • Al-Muhaissen, B. M., Al-Hammouri, S., Rachdan, K. M., & Habes, M. (2024). How AI affects the pragmatic function in media discourse: A French press perspective. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(1), 369–380. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i1.7800
  • Almutairi, T. M., & Sriramesh, K. (2020). Strategic management of public relations in Kuwait. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 26(1), 192–204. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-01-2020-0017
  • Anani-Bossman, A. A. (2021). Role of public relations in corporate reputation management: A study of PR practitioners in selected multinational organisations in Ghana. Corporate Reputation Review, 24(4), 222–233. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41299-020-00105-1
  • Attar, R. W., Habes, M., Almusharraf, A., Alhazmi, A. H., & Attar, R. W. (2024). Exploring the impact of smart cities on improving the quality of life for people with disabilities in Saudi Arabia. Frontiers in Built Environment, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2024.1398425
  • Aula, P., & Mantere, S. (2020). Strategic reputation management: Towards a company of good. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003064558
  • Babatunde, O. (2013). Importance of effective communication in public organisations. Issues in Social Science, 3(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.5296/iss.v3i2.8596
  • Brems, C., Temmerman, M., Graham, T., & Broersma, M. (2017). Personal branding on Twitter. Digital Journalism, 5(4), 443–459. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2016.1176534
  • Bujang, M. A., Omar, E. D., & Baharum, N. A. (2018). A review on sample size determination for Cronbach’s alpha test: A simple guide for researchers. The Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences, 25(6), 85–99. https://doi.org/10.21315/mjms2018.25.6.9
  • Cardwell, L. A., Williams, S., & Pyle, A. (2017). Corporate public relations dynamics: Internal vs. external stakeholders and the role of the practitioner. Public Relations Review, 43(1), 152–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2016.11.004
  • Carlson, K. D., & Herdman, A. O. (2012). Understanding the impact of convergent validity on research results. Organizational Research Methods, 15(1), 17–32. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428110392383
  • Chen, C. P. (2013). Exploring personal branding on YouTube. Journal of Internet Commerce, 12(4), 332–347. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332861.2013.859041
  • Cheung, G. W., & Wang, C. (2017). Current approaches for assessing convergent and discriminant validity with SEM: Issues and solutions. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2017(1), Article 12706. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2017.12706abstract
  • Chwialkowski, K., Strathmann, H., & Gretton, A. (2018). A kernel test of goodness of fit. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1602.02964
  • Dayal, S., Landesberg, H., & Zeisser, M. (2000). Building digital brands. McKinsey Quarterly, 2(2), 42–51.
  • Demirel, K. (2021). Digital self-presentation in the process of personal branding: A qualitative research on micro-celebrities. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3915363
  • Dozier, D. M. (1992). The organizational roles of communications and public relations practitioners. In J. E. Grunig (Ed.), Excellence in public relations and communication management. Routledge.
  • Elareshi, M., Habes, M., Ahmad, N., Ali, S., & Attar, R. W. (2024). Public engagement through public service advertisements for health care awareness during early COVID-19 in Pakistan. Frontiers in Communication, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2024.1376717
  • Farmer, Y. (2018). Ethical decision making and reputation management in public relations. Journal of Media Ethics, 33(1), 2–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/23736992.2017.1401931
  • Ferguson, D. P., Wallace, J. D., & Chandler, R. C. (2018). Hierarchical consistency of strategies in image repair theory: PR practitioners’ perceptions of effective and preferred crisis communication strategies. Journal of Public Relations Research, 30(5–6), 251–272. https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2018.1545129
  • Gorbatov, S., Khapova, S. N., & Lysova, E. I. (2018). Personal branding: Interdisciplinary systematic review and research agenda. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02238
  • Vercic, D., & Grunig, D. V. (1999). The origins of public relations theory in economics and strategic management. In D. Moss, D. Vercic, & G. Warnaby (Eds.), Perspectives on public relations research. Routledge.
  • Grunig, J. E. (2013). Excellence in public relations and communication management. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203812303
  • Habes, M., Ali, S., Qamar, A., Elareshi, M., Ziani, A., & Alsridi, H. (2023). Public service advertisements and healthcare attitudinal changes in developing countries: Pakistanis’ perspectives. In B. Alareeni, & A. Hamdan (Eds.), Explore business, technology opportunities and challenges after the COVID-19 pandemic. ICBT 2022. Lecture notes in networks and systems, vol 495 (pp. 433–442). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08954-1_40
  • Hadeed, A., Yahya, A., Maysari, I., Aldroubi, M. M., Attar, R. W., Al Olaimat, F., & Habes, M. (2024). Role of public relations practices in content management: The mediating role of new media platforms. Frontiers in Sociology, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2023.1273371
  • Hakiki, S. N. (2018). Kepemimpinan kiai sebagai personal branding pesantren dalam perspektif public relation (humas) [Kiai leadership as personal branding of Islamic boarding schools from a public relations (PR) perspective]. FIKROTUNA: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Manajemen Islam, 8(2), Article 2.
  • Holland, D., Krause, A., Provencher, J., & Seltzer, T. (2018). Transparency tested: The influence of message features on public perceptions of organizational transparency. Public Relations Review, 44(2), 256–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2017.12.002
  • Ilieş, V. I. (2018). Strategic personal branding for students and young professionals. Cross-Cultural Management Journal, XX(01), 43–51.
  • IPRA. (2023). IPRA and MEPRA in Middle East co-op agreement. IPRA. https://www.ipra.org/news/press-room/ipra-and-mepra-in-middle-east-co-op-agreement/
  • Jacobson, J. (2020). You are a brand: Social media managers’ personal branding and “the future audience.” Journal of Product & Brand Management, 29(6), 715–727. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-03-2019-2299
  • Johansson, C. (2007). Research on organizational communication: The case of Sweden. Nordicom Review, 28(1), 93–110. https://doi.org/10.1515/nor-2017-0203
  • Johnson, K. (2017). The importance of personal branding in social media: Educating students to create and manage their personal brand. International Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 4(1), 21–27.
  • Jones, P., Hillier, D., & Comfort, D. (2013). In the public eye: Sustainability and the UK’s leading retailers. Journal of Public Affairs, 13(1), 33–40. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.1440
  • Khedher, M. (2014). Personal branding phenomenon. International Journal of Information, Business and Management, 6(2), 29–40.
  • Kim, J.-N., & Rhee, Y. (2011). Strategic thinking about employee communication behavior (ECB) in public relations: Testing the models of megaphoning and scouting effects in Korea. Journal of Public Relations Research, 23(3), 243–268. https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2011.582204
  • Kuwait Public Relations Association. (2022). Kuwait Public Relations Association. ClarifiedBy. https://clarifiedby.diligenciagroup.com/company/summary/3349262-kuwait-public-relations-association/
  • Laskin, A. V. (2012). Public relations scales: Advancing the excellence theory. Journal of Communication Management, 16(4), 355–370. https://doi.org/10.1108/13632541211278996
  • Lee, J. W. (2022). Impacts of public relations on corporate reputation. Journal of Digital Marketing and Communication, 2(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.53623/jdmc.v2i1.82
  • Lim, J. S., & Greenwood, C. A. (2017). Communicating corporate social responsibility (CSR): Stakeholder responsiveness and engagement strategy to achieve CSR goals. Public Relations Review, 43(4), 768–776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2017.06.007
  • Manafe, L. A., & Ardeana, Y. (2022). Strategy to increase brand awareness through public relations activities with PENCILS analysis method. International Journal of Education, Social Studies, and Management, 2(3), 76–91. https://doi.org/10.52121/ijessm.v2i3.126
  • Mei, X. Y., Brataas, A., & Stothers, R. A. (2022). To engage or not: How does concern for personal brand impact consumers’ social media engagement behaviour (SMEB)? Journal of Strategic Marketing, 32(1), 20–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2022.2127854
  • Mello, S. C. B. D., & Collins, M. (2001). Convergent and discriminant validity of the perceived risk scale in business-to-business context using the multitrait-multimethod approach. Revista de Administração Contemporânea, 5(3), 167–186. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1415-65552001000300009
  • Mikáčová, L., & Gavlaková, P. (2014). The role of public relations in branding. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 110, 832–840. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.928
  • Mohammed, R. (2014). Organization-public relationships practices in university setting. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 155, 484–489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.10.326
  • Molares-Cardoso, J., de Aguileta, C. L., & Legerén Lago, B. (2020). The importance of personal branding as an element of public relations: An international experience. Comunicação e Sociedade. http://journals.openedition.org/cs/3002
  • Mollaei, R., Siadat, S. A., Hoveida, R., & Rizaneh, J. (2021). Designing a model of personal branding for employees with an emphasis on organizational training: The case of the administrative staff of the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iranian Journal of Management Studies, 14(4), 699–720.
  • Nessmann, K. (2010). Personal branding and the role of public relations. In R. Terlutter, S. Diehl, & S. Okazaki (Eds.), Advances in advertising research (Vol. 1): Cutting edge international research (pp. 377–395). Gabler. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-8349-6006-1_25
  • Nolan, L. (2015). The impact of executive personal branding on non-profit perception and communications. Public Relations Review, 41(2), 288–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2014.11.001
  • Onyiengo, S. I. (2014). Effectiveness of communication media used by the public relations department in facilitating effective internal public relations at the Kerio Valley Development Authority in Kenya. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 4(9).
  • Papakonstantinidis, S. (2018). Tell me about yourself: Personal branding and social media recruiting in the brave new online world. Business Expert Press.
  • Popescu, M. M. (2019). Personal online identity-branding or impression management. Scientific Bulletin, 24(1), 67–75. https://doi.org/10.2478/bsaft-2019-0008
  • Porterfield, K., & Carnes, M. (2014). Why school communication matters: Strategies from PR professionals. Rowman & Littlefield.
  • Rangarajan, D., Gelb, B. D., & Vandaveer, A. (2017). Strategic personal branding–And how it pays off. Business Horizons, 60(5), 657–666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2017.05.009
  • Rasoolimanesh, S. M. (2022). Discriminant validity assessment in PLS-SEM: A comprehensive composite-based approach. Data Analysis Perspective Journal, 3(2), 1–8.
  • Rowley, J. (2009). Online branding strategies of UK fashion retailers. Internet Research, 19. https://doi.org/10.1108/10662240910965397
  • Samson, M. H. (2018). Public relations in corporate reputation management: A case of Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation. Journal of Media and Communication Studies, 10(9), 113–117. https://doi.org/10.5897/JMCS2016.0502
  • Santoso, N. R., Dewi, E. A. S. K., & Arvian, H. (2021). Public relations professionals’ communication strategies in responding the COVID-19 pandemic based on gender. Plaridel Journal, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.52518/2021.18.1-08saderac
  • Scheidt, S., Gelhard, C., & Henseler, J. (2020). Old practice, but young research field: A systematic bibliographic review of personal branding. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01809
  • Shaker, F., & Hafiz, R. (2014). Personal branding in online platform. Global Disclosure of Economics and Business, 3(2), 109–120. https://doi.org/10.18034/gdeb.v3i2.154
  • Shatskikh, S. Y., & Melkumova, L. E. (2016). Normality assumption in statistical data analysis. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Information Technology and Nanotechnology (pp. 763–768). https://doi.org/10.18287/1613-0073-2016-1638-763-768
  • Şirzad, N. (2022). A review on online reputation management and online reputation components. Doğuş Üniversitesi Dergisi, 23(1), 219–242.
  • Streiner, D. L. (2005). Finding our way: An introduction to path analysis. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 50(2), 115–122. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674370505000207
  • Szwajca, D. (2017). The role of social media in corporate reputation management – The results of the Polish enterprises. Foundations of Management, 9(1), 161–174. https://doi.org/10.1515/fman-2017-0013
  • Tahat, K., Habes, M., Mansoori, A., Naqbi, N., Al Ketbi, N., Maysari, I., Tahat, D., & Altawil, A. (2024). Social media algorithms in countering cyber extremism: A systematic review. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(8), Article 6632. https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i8.6632
  • Ugoani, J. (2020). Public relations practice and its impact on strategy effectiveness. SSRN. https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=3598110
  • Vasconcelos, L., & Rua, O. L. (2021). Personal branding on social media: The role of influencers. E-Revista de Estudos Interculturais, 9(3), Article 9. https://doi.org/10.34630/erei.v3i9.4232
  • Viljanen, M. (2017). Personal branding on social media and social media based entrepreneurship [Bachelor thesis, Lahti University of Applied Sciences].
  • Vițelar, A. (2019). Like me: Generation Z and the use of social media for personal branding. Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy, 7(2), 257–268. https://doi.org/10.25019/mdke/7.2.07
  • Voorhees, C. M. (2016). Discriminant validity testing in marketing: An analysis, causes for concern, and proposed remedies. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 44, 119–134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-015-0455-4
  • Wang, S., Ibrahiem, M. H., & Li, M. (2022). Motivations influencing Alipay users to participate in the ant forest campaign: An empirical study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(24), Article 17034. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417034