An exploratory study on CEO brand: for MBA students

An exploratory study on CEO brand: for MBA students (information from perplexity.ai)

My question 1: "What is CEO brand with reference to corporate brand management?"

The reply: "CEO brand in the context of corporate brand management refers to the strategic shaping and management of a CEO’s public image and reputation in a way that both reflects their personal values, leadership style, and vision, and enhances the overall corporate brand and company reputation. It is a unique blend of personal and corporate branding that creates a powerful influence on how stakeholders perceive the company.

Specifically:

• CEO branding is the process of crafting a chief executive’s image to embody their authority, expertise, and passion for the business mission, which in turn supports and strengthens the corporate identity.

• The CEO brand acts as a bridge between the personal brand of the CEO and the corporate brand of the company. It is influenced by and also influences both, making it a critical component in corporate brand management.

• From the corporate perspective, a strong CEO brand helps differentiate the company in competitive markets, builds trust and credibility with employees, customers, investors, and other stakeholders, and aligns leadership with the company's strategic goals.

• The CEO is often the “face” of the company, and their personal reputation can significantly impact the company's reputation and brand equity. This includes how the CEO communicates company values through public engagements, social media, speeches, and leadership behavior.

• Corporate brand management involves maintaining a consistent brand identity across all touchpoints, and the CEO’s brand must strategically align with this to ensure an integrated impression internally and externally.

• The CEO’s leadership in brand strategy is vital; they champion corporate brand initiatives, align company culture with brand values, and drive brand-driven business performance. This leadership role strengthens both the CEO’s and the company’s competitive position.

In summary, the CEO brand is an essential element within corporate brand management, serving as a personal but strategically aligned representation of the company’s values and leadership that enhances corporate reputation, employee engagement, and market differentiation. It is about leveraging the CEO’s personal influence to actively promote and embody the corporate brand for mutual benefit."

My question 2: "What are the theories employed to study this topic?"

The reply: "The study of CEO brand within corporate brand management employs multiple interdisciplinary theories and frameworks drawn from management, branding, psychology, reputation, and organizational studies. Based on the search results, the major theories and conceptual frameworks used to analyze CEO branding include:

 

Theory / Framework	Description / Focus
CEO Branding Mix (4Ps)	Developed by Marc Fetscherin and others, this framework highlights the key components of CEO branding as Performance, Personality, Prestige (reputation), and Persona. It guides how to systematically measure and manage CEO brand and its impact on corporate performance and reputation
Personal Brand Theory	Considers the CEO brand essentially as a personal brand shaped by individual traits like personality, values, competence, charisma, and communication style. It emphasizes how these personal attributes influence and interact with the corporate brand and identity
Impression Management Theory	Focuses on how CEOs engage in self-presentation and managerial impression management to shape stakeholders’ perceptions, thereby contributing to both individual and corporate reputations
Stakeholder Theory	Utilized to understand how a CEO’s brand strategy aligns with the expectations and interests of multiple stakeholders (employees, customers, investors, society), highlighting the CEO’s role in managing corporate reputation and trust
Reputation Management Theory	Explores how CEO branding practices influence the broader corporate reputation, emphasizing authenticity, alignment with corporate values, and managing risks that may arise from negative traits or inconsistent social responsibility efforts

 Additional interdisciplinary insights come from:

• Human Capital Theory, which relates to the CEO’s skills, experience, and competencies as foundational to their brand.

• Leadership Theories, especially focusing on charismatic leadership, which address how CEOs influence followers and stakeholders through vision and personal charisma.

• Concepts from corporate communication and strategy that examine how CEO branding supports corporate strategic goals and competitive advantage.

In summary, the study of CEO branding employs a multidimensional theoretical approach combining:

• Branding and marketing theories focused on personal and corporate brand interactions,

• Management and leadership theories emphasizing competence and charisma,

• Psychological theories related to self-presentation and impression management,

• Stakeholder and reputation management theories addressing alignment with social expectations and organizational success.

These frameworks together help explain how CEO branding functions as both a personal and strategic corporate resource, shaping organizational identity, stakeholder perceptions, and ultimately corporate value."

My question 3: "What are the research gaps and research issues on this topic?"

The reply: "Key research gaps and issues on the topic of CEO brand in corporate brand management as reflected in recent industry and academic discussions (2025) include:

1. Proactive CEO Brand Management vs. Default Evolution

There is a notable gap in how CEOs actively manage and design their personal brands rather than allowing them to evolve passively or by chance. Many CEOs do not consistently monitor or strategically curate their digital and offline reputation, leaving their CEO brand vulnerable and less resilient. Research could explore effective frameworks and tools for proactive CEO brand building.

2. Measurement and Impact on Corporate Performance

Although studies show CEO reputation positively impacts corporate outcomes like shareholder value and stakeholder trust, there is still limited empirical research defining precise metrics and causal relationships between CEO brand elements (e.g., executive presence, thought leadership) and firm performance. Future research could develop validated models that quantify this impact.

3. Integration of CEO Thought Leadership with Broader Corporate Branding

While thought leadership is recognized as a key driver of CEO brand strength and corporate differentiation, how best to align CEO thought leadership initiatives with overall corporate marketing and communication strategies remains under-explored. Research is needed on strategic content planning, alignment of messaging, and audience targeting to optimize mutual benefit.

4. CEO Brand Management in the Digital and Social Media Age

The digital era and social platforms significantly magnify CEO brand visibility but also increase risks from rapid information spread. CEO digital footprint monitoring, authenticity balancing, and risk mitigation are research areas needing deeper investigation for practical frameworks tailored to evolving digital landscapes.

5. CEO Brand Relevance Across Company Sizes and Industries

Much CEO branding research focuses on Fortune 100 or large public companies, leaving a gap in understanding how CEO brand strategies and benefits differ for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) or varied sectors. Studies comparing contexts and best practices could guide broader CEO brand adoption.

6. CEO Brand Alignment with Emerging Business Priorities

With emerging priorities like AI adoption and societal challenges (climate, diversity), a research gap exists on how CEO branding can authentically incorporate and communicate leadership on these issues to reinforce corporate brand trust and relevance. This includes understanding CEO roles in driving change narratives linked to innovation and ESG (environmental, social, governance).

7. Internal CEO Brand Impact on Organizational Culture and Workforce

There is insufficient exploration of how the CEO brand internally influences employee engagement, culture alignment, and leadership team strategic cohesion, which are critical for sustaining the corporate brand. Research could illuminate CEO branding’s role in internal brand consistency and workforce readiness.

Filling these gaps would advance the theory and practice of CEO branding, enabling better strategic use of CEO brand as a critical asset within corporate brand management in the fast-evolving 2025 business environment."

My question 4: "What have been the public media-reported issues on this topic over the past 20 years?"

The reply: "Over the past 20 years, public media coverage of CEO brand and its relationship with corporate brand management has highlighted several key issues and trends:

1. CEO Reputation and Media Impact

Media exposure of CEOs has been shown to influence company financial decisions and stock market performance. Studies indicate that increased CEO media coverage can affect firm cash holdings and stock price synchronicity, underscoring the tangible business impact of CEO public image.

2. Shift in CEO Positioning Strategies

Recent reports emphasize that the traditional reliance on earned media coverage alone is no longer sufficient to build effective CEO brands. In 2025, top CEOs deploy multi-channel influence strategies including industry forums, internal communications, and selective social media use (notably LinkedIn) to craft a consistent public persona aligned with business transformation goals. This evolution reflects how CEO branding now integrates employee advocacy and targeted narrative management to boost corporate reputation and financial performance.

3. Risks of Overzealous Brand Safety Censorship

There are concerns that excessive brand safety measures in news media advertising can dampen important journalistic voices, paradoxically harming corporate reputation efforts. This suggests media placement strategies for CEOs must balance brand safety with authentic media engagement to maintain credibility.

4. Digital and Social Media Risks

The increasingly fragmented and polarized social media landscape poses challenges for CEO brands. While LinkedIn remains a professional "safe harbor," platforms like X (formerly Twitter) see higher rates of negative commentary, requiring CEOs to carefully navigate their communication channels to safeguard reputation.

5. Employee Advocacy as a Brand Multiplier

Media coverage and corporate reports in 2025 highlight the growing significance of CEO internal brand influence. CEOs with strong employee approval often translate that into external market success, as employees act as authentic brand ambassadors amplifying the CEO’s vision and the corporate narrative.

6. Media Strategies for Securing Positive Coverage

Guides for CEOs stress the importance of building tailored media strategies to secure earned media that boosts credibility and brand reach. Successful CEO media coverage is framed as essential to establishing thought leadership, expanding audience reach, and driving engagement beyond mere name recognition.

These themes illustrate that CEO branding in public media over the last two decades has grown more complex and strategic, reflecting the critical role CEOs play not just as corporate leaders but as public figures whose personal brands significantly affect organizational success."

My question 5: "What have been the Hong Kong public media-reported issues on this topic over the past 20 years?"

The reply: "Public media reporting in Hong Kong over the past 20 years on the topic of CEO brand and corporate brand management has touched on several issues though with relatively limited direct headline focus specifically on "CEO brand" as a standalone theme. However, based on the search results and the contextual media and professional landscape in Hong Kong, the following points summarize key reported issues:

1. CEO Leadership Visibility and Corporate Reputation

Prominent Hong Kong companies, such as Sa Sa International Holdings, have consistently linked their CEOs’ personas and leadership reputations with investor confidence and shareholder perception, reflecting the importance of CEO brand as intertwined with corporate brand reputation.

2. Digital Transformation and CEO Brand

Hong Kong media and corporate sectors have increasingly highlighted how CEO digital presence and media strategies are crucial, especially amid the rise of social media and digital marketing ecosystems. Executives like Ivy Wong, CEO of VS Media, exemplify the importance of multimedia and social commerce platforms in shaping both personal and corporate brands.

3. Evolving Media Strategies in Hong Kong

Hong Kong media agencies and experts emphasize that CEOs and corporations must now adopt integrated media strategies beyond traditional earned media, leveraging digital platforms like LinkedIn, and focusing on employee advocacy—echoing global trends but contextualized for the Hong Kong business environment.

4. Investor and Public Reaction to CEO Media Coverage

Hong Kong-based research found that media coverage of CEOs, whether strategic or non-strategic, influences investor behavior and firm financial decisions. This highlights the local market’s sensitivity to CEO reputation as a factor in corporate evaluation.

5. CEO Brand and Employee Engagement

Though less directly reported, company management disclosures and corporate reports often underscore the CEO’s role as an internal culture carrier and brand ambassador, which is critical in Hong Kong’s hyper-competitive retail and service sectors.

6. Brand Safety and Media Censorship Concerns

While not frequently headline news, there are industry conversations in Hong Kong about the tensions between brand safety in advertising and maintaining authentic, transparent CEO and corporate communication—particularly relevant in political and social contexts impacting media credibility.

Conclusion

Public media in Hong Kong over the last two decades discusses CEO branding issues primarily through the lenses of leadership reputation's impact on investor confidence, digital media evolution, and integrated communication strategies in a competitive market. While direct media attention specifically defining "CEO brand" is limited, relevant themes reveal an increasing recognition of CEOs as pivotal figures in both public corporate image and internal culture within Hong Kong’s unique business environment."

My question 6: "Propose 4 related research objectives and 2 related research issues on this topic in the contemporary context of Hong Kong."

The reply: "Based on the contemporary business and marketing environment in Hong Kong as of mid-2025, here are four related research objectives and two research issues on the topic of CEO brand in corporate brand management specifically tailored to the Hong Kong context:

Research Objectives

1. To examine how Hong Kong CEOs strategically manage their personal brands across digital and traditional media platforms, and the impact on their company’s overall corporate brand equity.
   This objective targets understanding CEO brand-building practices amid the rise of AI-driven marketing, social media, and Greater Bay Area (GBA) integration trends.

2. To evaluate the role of CEO brand visibility and authenticity in influencing stakeholder trust and investor confidence within Hong Kong’s competitive, rapidly evolving market landscape.
   This recognizes the importance Hong Kong investors place on CEO reputation as reflected in media coverage and corporate communications.

3. To investigate how Hong Kong CEOs integrate thought leadership and employee advocacy into their personal branding to enhance internal culture alignment and external market differentiation.
   This links with findings on employee engagement as CEO brand amplifiers and the importance of internal brand consistency.

4. To assess the challenges and opportunities posed by AI technologies and hyper-personalized digital marketing on CEO brand management strategies in Hong Kong, especially in relation to brand safety and authenticity concerns.
   This reflects ongoing discussions on AI marketing transformation and risks in reputational management in Hong Kong.

Research Issues

1. Balancing CEO brand authenticity with the risks of amplified digital exposure and social media polarization in Hong Kong’s diverse and sometimes politically sensitive media environment.
   This issue reflects the delicate balance Hong Kong CEOs must strike to maintain credibility while navigating complex public and digital scrutiny.

2. Aligning CEO personal branding efforts with corporate strategies for market expansion into the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN markets, considering cultural differences and stakeholder expectations.
   This addresses difficulties in harmonizing CEO brand messaging across different economic and cultural zones critical for Hong Kong companies’ growth ambitions.

These objectives and issues align with the latest insights about Hong Kong’s marketing landscape—particularly the impacts of AI integration, digital transformation, and regional market expansion—providing a focused framework for future research on CEO branding within corporate brand management in Hong Kong."

My question 7: "Suggest 2 primary research methods and 1 secondary research method for a Hong Kong part-time MBA dissertation project with a 4-month project duration."

The reply: "For a Hong Kong part-time MBA dissertation project with a 4-month duration, the following research methods are suitable given time constraints, resource availability, and relevance to business and corporate brand topics:

Primary Research Methods

1. Semi-structured Interviews

   • Allows in-depth exploration of CEO branding strategies and stakeholder perceptions within a manageable timeframe.

   • Suitable for gathering qualitative insights from Hong Kong-based executives, marketing professionals, or investors.

   • Offers flexibility to probe emerging themes while maintaining some comparability across interviews.

2. Online Survey Questionnaire

   • Efficient for collecting quantitative data on perceptions of CEO brand impact from a larger sample of business professionals, employees, or customers.

   • Can be distributed through professional networks and social media tailored to the Hong Kong business community.

   • Provides data amenable to descriptive and inferential analysis within a short period.

Secondary Research Method

1. Document and Media Content Analysis

   • Systematic review of existing public media reports, company disclosures, annual reports, and social media content regarding Hong Kong CEOs and corporate brand management.

   • Enables triangulation of primary data and helps capture the media portrayal and public narratives shaping CEO brands in Hong Kong’s unique context.

   • Time-efficient and rich in contextual information.

This mixed qualitative-quantitative combination aligns well with the typical MBA research scope and timeframe, allowing meaningful insights while keeping the project feasible within four months. The choices are also well supported by the research training and resources available at Hong Kong universities for MBA candidates."

My question 8: "Comment on the academic, practical and originality values of this study as well as the main research ethics issues of this dissertation project to pay attention to."

The reply: "Here is a detailed commentary on the academic, practical, and originality values of a dissertation project on CEO brand in corporate brand management in Hong Kong, along with the key research ethics issues that should be carefully considered:

Academic Value

• Contribution to Knowledge: The study addresses an underexplored niche in the Hong Kong context where CEO brand management intersects with corporate branding, digital transformation, and regional market dynamics. It builds on global branding theories and applies them locally, filling gaps in academic literature about Asia-Pacific CEO branding practices.

• Theoretical Advancement: By examining contemporary challenges such as AI marketing, social media polarization, and Greater Bay Area integration, the research extends existing frameworks on CEO branding (performance, personality, thought leadership) and stakeholder alignment in a culturally unique environment.

• Methodological Rigor: Employing mixed-methods (e.g., interviews, surveys, media analysis) adds robustness, triangulating qualitative and quantitative data to deepen understanding of CEO brand impact on both internal culture and external stakeholder perceptions in Hong Kong.

Practical Value

• Managerial Relevance: The findings provide actionable insights for Hong Kong CEOs and corporate communications teams on how to strategically manage personal brands in a complex digital and geopolitical landscape, helping improve stakeholder trust, investor confidence, and employee engagement.

• Marketing and Branding Guidance: The project offers guidelines for integrating thought leadership with digital platforms (e.g., LinkedIn) and employee advocacy, which are urgently needed as Hong Kong companies compete regionally and globally.

• Policy and Training Implications: It can inform corporate governance and leadership development programs on best practices in CEO branding to enhance authenticity and mitigate reputational risks amid social media volatility and brand safety concerns.

Originality Value

• Context-specific Focus: Few studies specifically address CEO branding dynamics within the Hong Kong business ecosystem, especially under accelerated AI adoption and the evolving Greater Bay Area economic environment.

• Emerging Trends Exploration: The research uniquely incorporates current issues like hyper-personalized AI marketing impacts and the challenges of maintaining CEO authenticity amid digital polarization, making the study timely and innovative.

• Linking Internal and External Branding: By bridging CEO brand influence on both organizational culture and external corporate reputation, the study offers new perspectives on CEO brand as a strategic leadership resource rather than just a personal image exercise.

Main Research Ethics Issues to Attend To

1. Informed Consent and Voluntary Participation:

   • Ensure all interviewees and survey participants voluntarily agree to participate with full understanding of the research purpose, data use, and their rights to withdraw at any time.

2. Confidentiality and Data Privacy:

   • Protect participants’ identities and sensitive business information; store data securely in compliance with Hong Kong’s Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486).

   • Anonymize responses where needed and restrict access to raw data.

3. Honesty and Integrity in Data Reporting:

   • Report findings transparently, without fabrication or selective bias, maintaining objectivity and respecting intellectual property.

4. Minimizing Harm:

   • Avoid causing stress or professional harm to participants, especially when discussing reputational topics or sensitive corporate matters.

5. Ethics Approval:

   • Obtain prior ethical clearance from the relevant university ethics committee (e.g., Human Research Ethics Committee or Survey and Behavioural Research Ethics Committee) before data collection starts.

   • Follow university protocols for ethical review especially because human participants are involved.

6. Compliance with Relevant Laws and Guidelines:

   • Adhere to institutional ethical guidelines and local legal requirements related to human subjects research and privacy protection.

This balanced approach ensures the study maintains high academic standards, delivers practical business insights, offers novel contributions to knowledge, and complies fully with ethical research standards critical for credibility and participant protection in Hong Kong’s research environment."

A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.