Reputation and Personal Branding in the Platform Economy

Abstract

This chapter looks at the extension of personal branding logics beyond the traditional domain of white-collar work. In particular, we argue that emergent forms of low-skilled platform labour, such as ride-sharing or delivery, also entail a fair amount of personal branding. Using initial evidence from in-depth biographical interviews conducted with Italian workers using a variety of platforms, we show that the personal branding logics and thus also the creative labour required to undertake such activity have entered the everyday life of low-skilled platform workers. This affects the relationship between structure and agency and enhances the relevance of the signalling logics that derive from peer evaluation, which are related to practices of self-commodification.