Proceedings of the International scientific and practical conference “Integrative science, technology and cultural development” (November 10-12, 2025) / Publisher website: www.naukainfo.com. – Barcelona, Spain, 2025. - 141 p.

66 their commercial and public value. The theoretical basis of the analysis includes the concepts of social capital, symbolic capital, imageology, sports marketing, and digital communication. In the digital era, an athlete‟s personal brand serves not only as an element of reputation management but also as a strategic asset that influences their sports career, opportunities for commercial partnerships, and interaction with society and the media space. It acquires special significance in aesthetic sports, particularly in rhythmic gymnastics, where artistry, individual style, emotional expressiveness, and cultural symbols become key factors of success. Social networks transform the role of the athlete: they act not only as a subject of sports activity but also as a communicator, influencer, ambassador of brands, and carrier of cultural meanings. In the case of Ukrainian and American rhythmic gymnastics, personal branding serves as a means not only of individual positioning but also of representing the national sports school and its values, which enhances the sociocultural effect. The study employs a set of methods that ensure a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of gymnasts‟ personal branding in the digital environment. Content analysis of athletes‟ official social media accounts was used to identify communication strategies, stylistic features of the content, and the nature of audience interaction. This method made it possible to determine the key themes, formats of information presentation, and the specifics of their visual representation in social media. Comparative analysis was used to compare approaches to personal branding in domestic and Western schools of rhythmic gymnastics, which made it possible to identify differences in the ways athletes are positioned, the level of commercial support, and the structure of interaction with communities and the media. Additionally, the case study method was applied to analyze the media activity of leading gymnasts from national teams, which helped to detail the characteristics of personal branding.