The story behind Personal Branding

Personlig branding is originated from the American management guru and writer Tom Peters' essay "The Brand Called You" in Fast Magazine, August 1997 - Read the essay here. Tom Peters ended the essay: "It's this simple: You are a brand. You are in charge of your brand. There is no single path to success. And there is no one right way to create the brand called You. Except this: Start today. Or else."

In Denmark, publishers Boersens Forlag launched the management adviser and author Peter Horn's book "Personal Branding" focusing on the individual's possibility of becoming visible according to this definition: "Personal Branding is the public projection of your personality and your abilities in a configuration that gains for you every possible advantage in achieving your unique career aspirations”.

In the introduction Peter Horn wrote: "We live in a world where our abilities are increasingly so similar that what makes us stand out from the talented hoards is our personality. In the future, our fortunes may be influenced more by our personalities than by ourprofessional skills, particularly if we have decided on a career in leading others. (...) Doing a good job is no longer an adequate path to success. Do only the work you can do with excellence, and then ensure the world knows about it."

"Doing a good job is no longer an adequate path to success. Do only the work you can do with excellence, and then ensure the world knows about it." Peter Horn, Personal Branding

The personal label
In "Personal Branding" and in the following books "Burn Through" (2005) and "Top of Mind" (2007) Peter Horn has introduced new terms like "the personal label" and "the personal marketing analysis". In "the personal label" you should define your substance and in the "marketing analysis" you must look into the accordance between your self-image and the image others build of you. On top you should do an exeecise to define your "supremacy" leading you to what you can offer others in a professional interaction. Peter Horn thus underline that personal branding most often is a social activity as part of the professional career game (He had the book "Career Games" published in Danish by publishers Boersens Forlag in 2005).

The book "Personal Branding" has been the basis for conferences, seminars and courses as well as consultation in denmark, Norway, Sweden, UK and Australia. Personal Branding part of the education "Master in Experience Leadership" at Roskilde University Center. Today, Peter Horn is in the executive committee for the advisory board of the education and for the Centre of Experience Research at the university.

Peter Horn is to launch a new, international version of "Personal Branding" in English in 2008. You are welcome to download chapters free from this book here.

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Read more:
www.peterhorn.dk
www.ruc.dk/mol