What is branding? Large corporations began this exercise as part of their marketing strategy in order to be noticed as a product that differed from the others in the market. In order to achieve their goal, they adopted the concept of branding through which they sold an image and an idea to their customers. Soon, their bye-lines became famous enough to have people associate these with the company. Witness the success of the line 'Just do it' by Nike or 'Wherever you go, our network follows' by Hutch. In short, what the company is doing is to establish an emotional connect with the customer. Is all about the 'feeling' you associate with the product rather than the product itself.

How would you react if I were to tell you that branding is not just for companies? If you want to advance in your career or even get yourself heard or noticed, you have to do some bit of self-branding. In short, you got to project yourself as a winning brand. Become aware of your personality, your uniqueness - be aware of what it is that sets you apart from the rest. What special skills do you possess? What are your very own personality traits, your very own abilities? With a self-analysis like this, you become aware of what sets you apart from the others, what you have to offer that is better and also makes you realise what exactly you stand for. It is no longer enough if you simply do a good job. There has to be something more if you have to outshine others.

Are you adding value to your job? What is the level of comfort you feel in your job? Do you know exactly what you have to offer - this knowledge alone can give you power and help you to communicate clearly about your intentions. In short, what you have to realise is that you and you alone are your most important asset. No longer is your job just something that you do for a living - your self branding will give you the right direction and clarity of purpose as to how you work or tackle situations - and this is what will take you far in your chosen career.

So what then are the tangible benefits of this exercise?

• You become self-confident and self motivated as you are now sure of the stand you take
• Goes a long way towards increasing your visibility in the company and makes people be aware of your presence
• Sets you apart from your colleagues and peers thereby helping you to achieve your personal/professional goals and paves the way to an automatic increase in your remuneration

What are personalities like Bill Gates or Oprah doing but achieving success through personal branding? If you truly value something, you should show total commitment, deliver consistently and make the whole world aware of what you are doing by marketing yourself with guts and perseverance. This then, is what will set you apart from the 'also-rans' and go a long way to making your career or business truly exceptional. Ready now for ' Brand You' ?

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