CASE STUDY
Personal Branding & Visibility Workshop:
Shining a Light on Women in Science
Client
Kiel University
Audience
Women in science and research — multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural faculty and early-career researchers
Purpose
To help participants reflect on and define their personal brand, build confidence in their professional presence, and explore digital visibility in research settings.
Our Approach
In early 2024, we were invited to design and deliver a half-day online workshop on personal branding and visibility as part of a development day for women in science. Working closely with the organisers, we identified key areas of interest and created a three-part, interactive session:
Part 1 – Personal Branding Foundations:
Participants explored their values, strengths, and how they want to be seen professionally. Small group and individual exercises guided them in developing authentic brand statements and experimenting with how to express them.
Part 2 – Presence & Communication Style:
A lively series of paired exercises and group discussion focused on voice, body language, and non-verbal cues. Participants played with status, posture, and tone to explore how their presence could support or contradict their intended professional image.
Part 3 – Digital Visibility & Strategic Choices:
We shared examples of researchers using social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, The Conversation, Substack) effectively and reflected on which tools made sense for each participant’s goals, audience, and communication style.
Highlights
- Candid and respectful discussions around identity, gender, culture, and perception
- Real-time reflections to support an upcoming professional photoshoot
- Practical tools to begin building an online presence mindfully and authentically
- High engagement across disciplines and career levels
Follow-up Support
Participants received post-session resources, including:
- Printable workbook for personal branding exploration
- Resource list of researcher-specific tools for online presence and social media
- Tips for preparing for professional photography (based on branding choices)
Impact
Participants left with greater clarity about how they want to be seen — and how to start aligning their communication, presentation, and digital visibility accordingly. The session led to follow-up workshops with other departments, highlighting growing interest in building professional presence within the academic and research community.
I seldom think consciously about how I present myself. This was a welcome chance to reflect and be more mindful.
The discussion about gender and culture gave me practical ideas for navigating perception challenges.
I didn’t realise others saw my ‘weaknesses’ as strengths. This was a turning point for how I talk about myself professionally.
The presence and voice section was full of practical ideas that I can use in future talks.
Curious? Want to know more?
Interested in learning more about our communication workshops, training and coaching for scientists and researchers? Take a look around, or get in touch – we’d love to help.
We believe that research matters. We also believe that good research deserves to be shared. What about you?
Curious about how our communication workshops, training programmes and coaching can help you, your research group or your institution get better about talking about your research with expert and non-expert audiences alike? Book a 30-minute call, or drop us a line.
