Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into how female entrepreneurs develop and communicate an authentic personal brand. We examine the entrepreneurial marketing (EM) activities undertaken by female entrepreneurs and identify the Impression Management (IM) behaviours and tactics employed. We explore the risks associated with self-promotion to gain a better understanding of how female entrepreneurs market themselves and their businesses. Design/methodology/approach-The study adopts an interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA). Using semi-structured interviews, we explore the experiences of female entrepreneurs as they engage in IM behaviours. The sample is drawn from female entrepreneurs who have small-scale businesses which span a range of specialist service sectors. All participants are engaging in personal branding activities. Participants were recruited via a gatekeeper and invited to take part in the study. Data from eleven female business owners was collected and analysed using IPA. Interview transcripts and field notes were analysed for broad patterns and then initial codes developed which allowed for themes to emerge, with a number of core themes being identified. These core themes are presented, together with verbatim quotes from participants to provide a rich insight into the marketing activities of these female entrepreneurs. Findings-The findings reveal the complex challenges faced by female entrepreneurs as they engage in self-promotion and IM to market their business. Four key themes emerge from the data to explain how female entrepreneurs engage in managing their brand both online and offline: experimental; risk; authenticity and supplication. The study identifies in particular that female entrepreneurs use the tactic of supplication in combination with self-promotion to communicate their brand. Additionally, it was found that female entrepreneurs share their personal fears and weaknesses in an attempt to be seen as authentic and manage the risk associated with self-promotion. Originality/value-We contribute to the EM literature by extending our understanding of the risks associated with self-promotion for female entrepreneurs. The study also contributes to the IM literature by providing a better understanding of IM beyond organisations and applied to an entrepreneurial domain. The study highlights a number of important implications for entrepreneurial practice and policy.

The gender imbalance in the advertising industry continues to give cause for concern. A lack of senior women hinders advertising's ability to reflect diversity in society, leading some to question whether the industry is now even fit for purpose.The paper explores the experiences of women working in advertising using the lens of Impression Management (IM). The study draws upon twenty-five semi-structured interviews with female creative directors working in advertising agencies. We used thematic analysis to identify major themes and the IM strategies women deploy.Contrary to previous literature which found that women engage in lower levels of IM behaviours, our findings suggest that women within creative departments are actively employing IM strategies and behaviours. However, our research also finds women are engaging in inauthentic IM strategies; 'faking' behaviours in order to both fit in and stand out within the strongly-gendered environment of advertising. These coping strategies are causing internal conflict and stress, which they also see as driving some women to leave, or become disillusioned with the industry.We provide managerial implications to suggest how advertising agencies, clients and female creatives, can work together to facilitate the retention and progression of more women within creative departments, and increase their influence over the ads that get made.

The fiercely competitive HE market has led HEIs to invest significant resources in building a distinct identity. An HEI's location forms an inherent part of its identity and the uniqueness of location offers an opportunity to differentiate. However there has been limited examination of how location is used by HEIs and little consideration of how location can provide an effective means of differentiation. Through the lens of place marketing, this exploratory paper provides insight into the way HEIs portray location and discusses whether location can offer a source of differentiation. Using a content analysis of prospectuses and interviews with marketing decision makers, this paper contributes a deeper understanding of the way in which a place brand is constructed by a stakeholder. The study reveals that HEIs portray a location to simultaneously excite and reassure the student which ultimately leads to the commodification of location. As such, differentiation is not possible.

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