Personal branding

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Personal branding is the process whereby people and their careers are marked as brands.[1] While previous self-help management techniques were about self-improvement, the personal branding concept suggests instead that success comes from self-packaging.[1] The process is further defined as the creation of an asset that pertains to a particular person or individual; this includes but is not limited to the body, clothing, physical appearance and areas of knowledge, leading to a uniquely distinguishable, and ideally memorable, impression.[citation needed] The term is thought to have been first used and discussed in a 1997 article by Tom Peters.[2]

Personal branding often involves the application of one's name to various products. For example, the celebrity real-estate mogul Donald Trump uses his last name extensively on his buildings and on the products he endorses (e.g. Trump Steaks).

History[edit]

Personal branding, self-positioning and all individual branding by whatever name, was first introduced in 1937 in the book Think and Grow Rich[citation needed] by Napoleon Hill. The idea surfaced later in the 1981 book Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, by Al Ries and Jack Trout.[3] More specifically in "Chapter 23. Positioning Yourself and Your Career - You can benefit by using positioning strategy to advance your own career. Key principle: Don’t try to do everything yourself. Find a horse to ride".

It was later popularised by Tom Peters.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Lair, Daniel J.; Sullivan, Katie; Cheney, George (2005). "Marketization and the Recasting of the Professional Self". Management Communication Quarterly 18 (3): 307–343. doi:10.1177/0893318904270744. 
  2. ^ Asacker, Tom (10 March 2004). "The Seven Wonders of Branding". Forbes.com. Retrieved June 14, 2013. 
  3. ^ Ries, Al; Trout, Jack (1981). Positioning: The Battle for your Mind. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-135916-0.