The use of innovation rhetoric by non-tech individuals reinforces their personal branding. Studying four non-tech political personalities, this study provides evidence of how and why non-tech politicians are trying to present themselves as tech-savvy. As the article describes, innovation buzzwords, stories, narratives, and metaphors add value to any non-tech brand, enhancing promotional presence and marketing effectiveness. It is apparent from the findings that innovation rhetoric has the aim of creating a positive public image, which contributes to the public perception of an individual.
AakerDA (1991) Managing Brand Equity—Capitalizing on the Value of a Brand Name. New York: Free Press.
2.
AltshulerABehnRD (2010) Innovation in American Government: Challenges, Opportunities, and Dilemmas. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.
3.
AmsalemE, et al. (2020) The Effect of Politicians’ Personality on Their Media Visibility. Communication Research47 (7): 1079–1102.
4.
AnholtS (2006) Why Brand? Some Practical Considerations for Nation Branding. Place Branding2 (2): 97–107.
5.
AvrahamE (2020) Nation Branding and Marketing Strategies for Combatting Tourism Crises and Stereotypes toward Destinations. Journal of Business Research116: 711–720.
6.
BalmerJMGreyserSA (2002) Managing the Multiple Identities of the Corporation. California Management Review44 (3): 72–86.
7.
BaxterGMarcellaR (2012) Does Scotland “like” This? Social Media Use by Political Parties and Candidates in Scotland during the 2010 UK General Election Campaign. Libri62 (2): 109–124.
8.
BeckU (2002) Individualization: Institutionalized Individualism and Its Social and Political Consequences. (Vol. 13). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
BennettN (2021) Exit—A Guide to Understanding the Israeli Entrepreneurial Spirit. Plus972: 1–62.
11.
BlissJWildrickM (2005) How to Build a Personal Brand. Consulting to Management16 (3): 6.
12.
BraunVClarkeV (2006) Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology3 (2): 77–101.
13.
BremsCTemmermanMGrahamT, et al. (2017) Personal Branding on Twitter: How Employed and Freelance Journalists Stage Themselves on Social Media. Digital Journalism5 (4): 443–459.
14.
BrownAD (2022) Identities in and around Organizations: Towards an Identity Work Perspective. Human Relations75: 1202–1237.
15.
ChristensenC (2018) Journalists on Social Media: Politics, Privacy, Personal Branding. Popular Communication16 (4): 245–247.
16.
ChrittonS (2014) Personal Branding for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
17.
DacinPABrownTJ (2006) Corporate Branding, Identity, and Customer Response. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science34 (2): 95–98.
18.
DavidowWH (1986) Marketing High Technology. New York: Simon and Schuster.
19.
DinnieK (2015) Nation Branding: Concepts, Issues, Practice. New York: Routledge.
20.
DuffyBEHundE (2015) Having It All on Social Media: Entrepreneurial Femininity and Self-Branding among Fashion Bloggers. Social Media + Society1 (2): 2056305115604337.
21.
DuffyBEPooleyJ (2019) Idols of Promotion: The Triumph of Self-Branding in an Age of Precarity. Journal of Communication69 (1): 26–48.
22.
DuffyBEPooleyJD (2017) Facebook for Academics: The Convergence of Self-Branding and Social Media Logic on Academia.edu. Social Media + Society3 (1): 2056305117696523.
23.
FanY (2006) Branding the Nation: What Is Being Branded?Journal of Vacation Marketing12 (1): 5–14.
24.
FanY (2010) Branding the Nation: Towards a Better Understanding. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy6 (2): 97–103.
FidelR (1984) The Case Study Method: A Case Study. Library and Information Science Research6 (3): 273–288.
27.
FirstAAvrahamE (2007) When the Holy Land Turns into Real Estate: National Identity, Globalization/Americanization, and Representation of the Land in Israeli Advertising. Popular Communication5 (4): 223–239.
28.
FreedmanRO (Ed) (2012) Israel and the United States: Six Decades of US-Israeli Relations. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
29.
GodinB (2015) Innovation Contested: The Idea of Innovation Over the Centuries. London: Routledge.
30.
GodinB (2019) The Invention of Technological Innovation: Languages, Discourses and Ideology in Historical Perspective. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.
31.
GoffmanE (1959) The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Penguin books.
32.
GorbatovSKhapovaSNLysovaEI (2018) Personal Branding: Interdisciplinary Systematic Review and Research Agenda. Frontiers in Psychology9: 2238.
33.
GorbatovSKhapovaSNOostromJK, et al. (2021) Personal Brand Equity: Scale Development and Validation. Personnel Psychology74 (3): 505–542.
34.
GroshekJKoc-MichalskaK (2017) Helping Populism Win? Social Media Use, Filter Bubbles, and Support for Populist Presidential Candidates in the 2016 US Election Campaign. Information, Communication & Society20 (9): 1389–1407.
35.
GudjonssonH (2005) Nation Branding. Place Branding1 (3): 283–298.
36.
GuestGNameyEChenM (2020) A Simple Method to Assess and Report Thematic Saturation in Qualitative Research. PLoS ONE15 (5): 232076.
37.
Harmon-KizerTRKumarAOrtinauD, et al. (2013) When Multiple Identities Compete: The Role of Centrality in Self-Brand Connections. Journal of Consumer Behaviour12 (6): 483–495.
38.
HatchMJSchultzM (2008) Taking Brand Initiative: How Companies Can Align Strategy, Culture, and Identity through Corporate Branding. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
39.
HisrichRD (1992) The Need for Marketing in Entrepreneurship. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing7: 53–57.
40.
HöflingerPJNagelCSandnerP (2018) Reputation for Technological Innovation: Does It Actually Cohere with Innovative Activity?Journal of Innovation & Knowledge3 (1): 26–39.
41.
JacobsonJ (2020) You Are a Brand: Social Media Managers’ Personal Branding and “the Future Audience.”Journal of Product & Brand Management.
42.
JenneweinK (2006) Intellectual Property Management: The Role of Technology-Brands in the Appropriation of Technological Innovation. Cham: Springer Science & Business Media.
43.
KaliaVPatelAKMoriarityAK, et al. (2017) Personal Branding: A Primer for Radiology Trainees and Radiologists. Journal of the American College of Radiology14 (7): 971–975.
44.
KanevaN (2011) Nation Branding: Toward an Agenda for Critical Research. International Journal of Communication5: 25.
45.
KaradumanI (2013) The Effect of Social Media on Personal Branding Efforts of Top Level Executives. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences99: 465–473.
46.
KellerKL (1993) Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Managing Customer-Based Brand Equity. Journal of Marketing57 (1): 1–22.
47.
KleppeIAMossbergLL (2015) Company Versus Country Branding: “Same, Same but Different.” In: SpottsHE (ed.) Creating and Delivering Value in Marketing. Cham: Springer, pp.53–60.
48.
KleppingerCACainJ (2015) Personal Digital Branding as a Professional Asset in the Digital Age. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education79 (6): 79.
49.
KohliCLaBahnDW (1997) Creating Effective Brand Names: A Study of the Naming Process. Journal of Advertising Research37 (1): 67–75.
50.
KotlerP (1972) A Generic Concept of Marketing. Journal of Marketing36 (2): 46–54.
51.
KotlerP (2002) Marketing Places. New York: Simon and Schuster.
52.
KotlerP (2012) Kotler on Marketing. New York: Simon and Schuster.
53.
KotlerPLevySJ (1969) Broadening the Concept of Marketing. Journal of Marketing33 (1): 10–15.
54.
KotlerPKartajayaHSetiawanI (2021) Marketing 5.0: Technology for Humanity. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
55.
KreissDLawrenceRGMcGregorSC (2018) In Their Own Words: Political Practitioner Accounts of Candidates, Audiences, Affordances, Genres, and Timing in Strategic Social Media Use. Political Communication35 (1): 8–31.
56.
KruikemeierS (2014) How Political Candidates Use Twitter and the Impact on Votes. Computers in Human Behavior34: 131–139.
57.
KuehnKM (2016) Branding the Self on Yelp: Consumer Reviewing as Image Entrepreneurship. Social Media + Society2 (4): 2056305116678895.
58.
LabrecqueLIMarkosEMilneGR (2011) Online Personal Branding: Processes, Challenges, and Implications. Journal of Interactive Marketing25 (1): 37–50.
59.
LeeJWCavanaughT (2016) Building Your Brand: The Integration of Infographic Resume as Student Self-Analysis Tools and Self-Branding Resources. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education18: 61–68.
60.
LuntzF (2007) Words That Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear. London: Hachette UK.
61.
MachazHAShokoofhK (2016) Personal Branding: An Essential Choice?Journal of Multidisciplinary Research8 (2).
62.
MarshDFawcettP (2011) Branding, Politics and Democracy. Policy Studies32 (5): 515–530.
63.
MashiahIAvrahamE (2019) The Role of Technology and Innovation Messagingi n the Public Diplomacy of Israel. Journal of Global Politics and Current Diplomacy7 (2): 5–28.
64.
MashiahI (2021) “Come and Join Us”: How Tech Brands Use Source, Message, and Target Audience Strategies to Attract Employees. The Journal of High Technology Management Research32 (2): 100418.
65.
MashiahI (2022) Communication and High-Tech: Journalism, Public Relations, and Media culture. Orion Publishing House Israel, pp. 1–224
MashiahI (2024) Israeli Tech Entrepreneurship: Glorification of Business Exits in the Media. Israel Affairs. Epub ahead of print 1 March. DOI: 10.1080/13537121.2024.2318165.
68.
MelewarTCForoudiPJinZ (2020) Corporate Branding, Identity, Image and Reputation: Current and Future Trends, Developments and Challenges. Journal of Business Research117: 672–674.
69.
Minor-CooleyDParks-YancyR (2020) The Power of the Brand: Personal Branding and Its Effect on Job Seeking Attributes. Journal of Internet Commerce19 (3): 241–261.
70.
MohrJJSenguptaSSlaterSF (2014) Marketing of High-Technology Products and Innovations. Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
71.
MolyneuxL (2019) A Personalized Self-Image: Gender and Branding Practices among Journalists. Social Media + Society5 (3): 2056305119872950.
72.
MontgomeryB (2000) The New Age of Marketing. Marketing Management9 (3): 64.
73.
MooreGDavisK (2004) Learning the Silicon Valley Way. Building High-Tech Clusters: Silicon Valley and beyond7: 36.
74.
MorganM (2011) Personal Branding: Create Your Value Proposition. Strategic Finance93 (2): 13.
75.
MoriartyRTKosnikTJ (1989) High-Tech Marketing: Concepts, Continuity, and Change. MIT Sloan Management Review30 (4): 7.
NessmannK (2010) Personal Branding and the Role of Public Relations. In: TerlutterRDiehlSOkazakiS (eds) Advances in Advertising Research (Vol. 1). Gabler, pp.377–395.
78.
NolanL (2015) The Impact of Executive Personal Branding on Non-Profit Perception and Communications. Public Relations Review41 (2): 288–292.
79.
ParmentierMAFischerE (2021) Working It: Managing Professional Brands in Prestigious Posts. Journal of Marketing85 (2): 110–128.
80.
PetersT (1997) The Brand Called You. Fast Company10 (10): 83–90.
81.
PetrucaI (2016) Personal Branding through Social Media. International Journal of Communication Research6 (4): 389.
82.
PhilbrickJLClevelandAD (2015) Personal Branding: Building Your Pathway to Professional Success. Medical Reference Services Quarterly34 (2): 181–189.
83.
RahatGSheaferT (2007) The Personalization(s) of Politics: Israel, 1949-2003. Political Communication, 24 (1): 65–80.
84.
RangarajanDGelbBDVandaveerA (2017) Strategic Personal Branding—And How It Pays Off. Business Horizons60 (5): 657–666.
85.
RitchieJLewisJNichollsCM, et al. (eds) (2013) Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
86.
Rojas-MéndezJIKhoshnevisM (2023) Conceptualizing Nation Branding: The Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Product & Brand Management32 (1): 107–123.
87.
RyanRMDeciEL (2012) Multiple Identities within a Single Self: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective on Internalization within Contexts and Cultures. In LearyMRTangneyJP (eds) Handbook of Self and Identity (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press, pp. 225–246.
88.
ScammellM (1999) Political Marketing: Lessons for Political Science. Political Studies47 (4): 718–739.
89.
ScheidtSGelhardCHenselerJ (2020) Old Practice, but Young Research Field: A Systematic Bibliographic Review of Personal Branding. Frontiers in Psychology11: 1809.
90.
SchnableADeMatteeASullivan RobinsonR, et al. (2021) International Development Buzzwords: Understanding Their Use among Donors, NGOs, and Academics. The Journal of Development Studies57 (1): 26–44.
91.
SenorDSingerS (2011) Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle. Toronto, ON, Canada: McClelland & Stewart.
92.
SettlesIH (2004) When Multiple Identities Interfere: The Role of Identity Centrality. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin30 (4): 487–500.
93.
ShakerFHafizR (2014) Personal Branding in Online Platform. Global Disclosure of Economics and Business3 (2): 109–120.
94.
ShamirMSullivanJ (1983) The Political Context of Tolerance: The United States and Israel. American Political Science Review77 (4): 911–928.
95.
ShepherdID (2005) From Cattle and Coke to Charlie: Meeting the Challenge of Self Marketing and Personal Branding. Journal of Marketing Management21 (5–6): 589–606.
SriramSBalachanderSKalwaniMU (2007) Monitoring the Dynamics of Brand Equity Using Store-Level Data. Journal of Marketing71 (2): 61–78.
98.
StefflJEmesJ (2023) How Innovation Types Drive Consumers’ Brand Perception—The Innovation-Brand of Tech Giants. In: RedlerJSchmidtHJBaumgarthC (eds) Forum Markenforschung 2021. Gabler, Wiesbaden: Springer.
99.
StennerP (1993) Discoursing Jealousy. In: Discourse Analytic Research: Repertoires and Readings of Texts in Action, pp.94–132.
100.
SturgeonTJ (2000) How Silicon Valley Came to Be. In: Kenney M (ed.) Understanding Silicon Valley: The anatomy of an entrepreneurial region. Stanford University Press, pp.15–47.
101.
SullivanJLWalshPShamirM, et al. (1993) Why Politicians Are More Tolerant: Selective Recruitment and Socialization among Political Elites in Britain, Israel, New Zealand and the United States. British Journal of Political Science23 (1): 51–76.
102.
TheurerCPTumasjanAWelpeIM, et al. (2018) Employer Branding: A Brand Equity-Based Literature Review and Research Agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews20 (1): 155–179.
103.
TitscherSMeyerMWodakR, et al. (2000) Methods of Text and Discourse Analysis. In: Methods of Text and Discourse Analysis. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
104.
TurkleS (1995) Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet. New York: Touchtone.
105.
VaismoradiMTurunenHBondasT (2013) Content Analysis and Thematic Analysis: Implications for Conducting a Qualitative Descriptive Study. Nursing & Health Sciences15 (3): 398–405.
VinselLRussellAL (2020) The Innovation Delusion: How Our Obsession with the New Has Disrupted the Work That Matters Most. New-York: Currency.
108.
VițelarA (2019) Like Me: Generation Z and the Use of Social Media for Personal Branding. Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy7 (2): 257–268.
109.
WagnerTLutzRJWeitzBA (2009) Corporate Hypocrisy: Overcoming the Threat of Inconsistent Corporate Social Responsibility Perceptions. Journal of Marketing73 (6): 77–91.
110.
WardCYatesD (2013) Personal Branding and E-Professionalism. Journal of Service Science (JSS)6 (1): 101–104.
111.
WhitmerJM (2019) You Are Your Brand: Self-Branding and the Marketization of Self. Sociology Compass13 (3): 12662.
112.
YaoQHuangLLiM (2019) The Effects of Tech and Non-Tech Innovation on Brand Equity in China: The Role of Institutional Environments. PLoS ONE14 (5): 215634.