A Bourdieusian Approach to Personal Brand Equity Integrating Cultural, Social, Economic, Symbolic, and Psychological Capital

Abstract

This study develops a conceptual framework for understanding how individuals build and enhance Personal Brand Equity (PBE) through the strategic accumulation and communication of intangible assets. Drawing on Bourdieu’s capital theory, the research explores the roles of cultural, social, economic and symbolic capital, and extends this framework by incorporating psychological capital as a complementary dimension. Personal Brand Equity is defined as the perceived value of an individual’s professional identity, shaped by credibility, visibility and consistency across contexts. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach that integrates insights from philosophy, linguistics, sociology, psychology and marketing, the paper presents Personal Branding as a socially embedded, communicative and dynamic process. Theoretically, it offers a Bourdieusian extension for analysing identity construction in professional settings. Practically, it provides actionable insights for individuals seeking to strengthen their personal brands in both digital and offline environments.