Is branding an innovation of the modern world?

Brand consciousness and obsession? Is it a new phenomena, a novel offshoot of the modern world?  Who doesn't remember Disney Cartoons, Rolex Watches, Bourjois Soir D-Paris, Parker and Sheaffer pens, Samsonite suitcases, Lawrencepur suiting and Bata shoes?  In fact, if we can drill down ancient Caravan routes we'll come to know brands are around for centuries.  Incense from Southern Arabia was exported to the temples of Europe and India, Abraha used African Elephants while attacking Mecca, Silk  from China gave such a romantic name to Silk route, Greek and Mesopotamian statues were found in Eastern Arabia.Perhaps they were brand names of the ancient world. 

And perhaps it is a million dollar question in today's world. What's in a brand? 
How brands impact our life and culture? How do they change the way we think? whether brand-0bsession is something positive or not? While freezing in Canadian cold, we recall Buns road ki Nihari, Bundu khan ka tikka, Qasr Shireen ki mithai, Or Bombay bakery ka cake? Brands are not limited to Adidas, Nike, Sears, Old Navy.  They also span Google, Android, Craiglist, Kijiji and Youtube. 

Is a brand just a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies a product or does it has some deeper meaning?   

"Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room," says Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.

In this cyber-obsessed world, writers, thinkers,  and journalists are trying to introduce their own journalistic brands through blogging and twitting. Social networking is a digital calling card that can pay you in the long run.

Following are some tips for Media personals to help them build their individual brand:

Focus on people's needs
Ask yourself. Why people need us? Why is it valuable? Why is that we are useful? Remember posting on social media is different from journaling. You have a de facto contract with the reader that you will deliver something they need. Don't emphasize name, logo, tagline in the beginning.

Think about user interface

Does it suit your audience and purpose? The appropriate user interface makes a big difference. Do you need to connect via microblogging or something that gives you more space like facebook instant articles?

Look from outside in not inside out
See people as the creators, not consumers. Keep experimenting. Remember experiences are not you create and transmit  to people but the people shape for themselves. Keep connecting with new people. 

Remember while social networking can be called a digital calling card, it is like a knife which can help you advance your career as well as kill it in infancy.