News from the MCAA - The art of personal branding: Important to master, yet easy to ignore - December 2025

In the academic bubble, we are automatically self-branded through the accumulation of citations and references. Yet very few of us apply models from the established world of marketing to intentionally build and communicate our personal brand. The Elevate Your Identity workshop was created to address exactly this gap, offering researchers the space and tools to purposefully shape how they present themselves and advance their careers.

The MCAA Switzerland Chapter and the MCAA Communication Working Group collaborated to brainstorm ideas for a joint event. We came across the issue of personal branding and reached out to Basel-based instructor Petra Wüst to benefit MCAA members at different career stages. Petra has a PhD in Economics, with over 20 years of experience in personal branding, communication, and leadership. Through several books and training course curricula, Petra has developed the Self Branding Model®, which serves as the basis for the workshops and individual coaching sessions that her consultancy company offers across Switzerland and online.

Almost all scientists tend to be humble and modest during their careers, and do not often share too much about their successes. In the academic environment, this behaviour is usually considered the norm, but outside academia it can become a problem. When we talk about science communication, we focus mainly on presenting our own publications and work achievements. However, we rarely talk about our personality and values, and often understate our roles as contributors. Of course, our reputation is highly linked to our research paths, but, as individuals, we are much more than our work. We usually forget that people outside academia are often curious to learn what drives our passion for science and what keeps us engaged with a topic for so many years. Sharing these motivations should come naturally, and we simply need to feel encouraged and confident to do so.

Considering the relevance of the topic, we decided to join forces with neighbouring MCAA Chapters from Italy, Germany and France. The event was scheduled for 7–8 November 2025, to coincide with Basel’s Herbstmesse, a historic annual fair that fills the city with a vibrant atmosphere.

While the workshop stretched over two days of intense work, preparations began well before arriving in Basel. All participants were invited to access an online platform that provided explanations about the workshop, introductory videos, and a preparatory task: to survey our peers' perceptions of our professional brand.

But when we all met on the morning of Friday, 7 November, the real work began. First, we were asked to select an image from a group. Later, Petra revealed that picking an image without any information allows the subconscious to take the driving seat and let our identities shine. Then, the task was to refine that identity into a personal mantra: a short sentence or phrase that encapsulates one’s most important values and strengths and, at the same time, evokes positive and motivating emotions in oneself. Together with our peers, we brainstormed ideas and iteratively shaped our thoughts until we could express our essence in a few powerful words. This personal mantra stands at the centre of the Self Branding Model®, surrounded by 12 other puzzle pieces that together form a complete picture of one’s personal brand.

In the following exercises, we explored each piece of the puzzle in depth. One key element was learning how to develop and optimise our professional network, identifying who might be important for our immediate next career step and future long-term goals. Another important element of the model focused on viewing our professional achievements from a marketing perspective. We explored four fields that help assess whether the expectations for our work are high or low and whether our efforts can generate bonus points. The goal, from a marketing perspective, is to create as much added value for our stakeholders as possible, meeting their high expectations while going beyond them. This is how we can gain recognition and truly shine in our professional environment.

At the end of the workshop, we gave a three-minute elevator pitch about one of our biggest achievements over the past few weeks. This exercise was a good training to practice speaking confidently about our achievements and to reflect on how others respond to the way we present ourselves. Most of the participants rated their pitch more positively than the listeners did, highlighting that what we often consider as boasting may simply be perceived by others as sharing information.

The workshop ended, but the work was not yet done. Petra gave us homework to practise praising ourselves each day in front of other people and to keep a journal of writing positive things that happened to us.

Participants of the workshop, including instructor Petra Wüst, wearing a red item of clothing as an example of a self-brand visual

Petra Wüst explaining how to develop a personal mantra with examples

Overall, the face-to-face workshop was very well received, and all participants were keen to develop their personal brand. It was a unique and relatively unfamiliar experience, one that inspired many to rethink how they present themselves and left them wishing they had discovered it much earlier in their careers.

The event was topped off with social activities, including a traditional Swiss Apéro, a cosy Raclette, a drink of Feuerzangenbowle and time to enjoy the Basel Herbstmesse. We learnt about ourselves and had the chance to connect with other MCAA members from different Chapters, sharing ideas on how to develop and express our professional self-brand as we continue to advance in our careers.