Abstract
Personal image concerns a person's talent, expertise, as well as the internal and external image. It is a core value that differentiates one individual from another. As personal branding via personal image management has become more important, there is a fast-growing number of online systems that provide self-test programs to analyze one's style and habits and also provide expert advice for not only styles but lifestyles as well. This study develops a systematic and objective personal image consulting system and offers basic information for the research of personal image making. For that purpose, the study attempts to examine the present state of global companies that use online image consulting programs and analyze their digital content. The results are as follows: 1) two domestic companies, Colorz and Atzine, and seven foreign companies, notably Covet and Boutique, were brisk in business; 2) two types of personal image-diagnosis programs - Visual search and Virtual matching - are now in operation; and 3) mobile applications exist as an evolved personal image-diagnosis program. With an increased interest in such programs, various companies at home and abroad are establishing systematic and scientific analysis systems, which are needed for personal image-making online. Under these circumstances, domestic companies are also urged to enhance levels of image-diagnosis content and actual commercialization and utilization, to develop programs that enable objectified, systematic personal image-making. To this end, the results of this study may serve as a helpful tool to consider future directions.
