Personal Branding For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 2

Appreciating the Power of Branding

In This Chapter

Figuring out why companies are brand-happy

Focusing on some key brand elements

Studying the emotional side of some famous brands

Resolving to brand yourself

I could probably write an entire chapter consisting only of definitions of the words brand and branding. For example, “A brand is a promise about who you are and what you do that is strengthened every time people connect with you or your business.” And, “Branding is the strategic process of building a positive set of experiences for the people who need to know about you.”

But defining terms is one thing; showing you how those definitions play out in the real world is another. My purpose in this chapter is to get you thinking about how brands actually work in everyday life.

For most people, the initiation into branding comes from two sources: corporations and celebrities. I devote Chapter 3 to case studies of celebrities (media moguls, entertainers, famous entrepreneurs, and so on) who have tapped into the power of personal branding. In this chapter, my focus is on ...