A personal brand, like any other brand, differentiates and distinguishes a product, service or person from other brands.

Stand for something special and the crowd will follow you. Stand for nothing and you will spend your whole life following the crowd. Personal branding is gaining momentum and is as valuable as corporate branding. Just like companies understand the importance of brands, in today's age of individuality, one has to understand to be his own brand. The term has been first used and discussed by Tom Peters in 1997, the world's leading author when it comes to writing, speaking, or thinking about the new economy. There are various examples of people becoming brand ambassadors in various fields, such as Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, Michael Jackson, Richard Branson, Martin Luther King, and Mother Teresa. All these people have held aloft their personal brands defining what it is that they stand for and what makes them unique.

Even in corporate circles, it is a widely accepted fact that dynamic CEOs become intrinsically linked to the companies they represent like Jack Welch of General Motors. Therefore, it is imperative not only for a company to brand its offerings but also its people and its leader. It's a "Me Inc." catching up very fast among young job aspirants. World's top recognizable brands such as Coca Cola, McDonalds and Virgin have carved a niche for themselves and that is what branding is all about, creating a personality for a product. Some brand ambassadors have even developed a strong identity that their names have actually replaced the proper names for their products, like Hoover, Aspirin, or Kleenex.

What is personal branding? Corporate brand and personal brand, are they the same? Who needs a personal brand? Let's understand the definition of personal branding. Wikipedia defines Personal branding as "the process whereby people and their careers are marketed as brands.'' It has been noted that while previous self-help management techniques were about self-improvement, the personal branding concept suggests instead that success comes from self-packaging. Timothy Brien, Founder, Rainmaker, a consultant on personal branding defines it as, "A personal brand is a personal identity that stimulates a meaningful emotional response in another person or audience about qualities or values for which that person stands."

Personal Branding, corporate branding, General Motors, management techniques, marketing strategies, Business environment, corporate strategy, Business magnate, Coca Cola, McDonalds, Business management, Self-help management techniques.