At its basic level without going into the weeds, a brand is something we're interested in. It possesses qualities we admire or solves a problem for us at an emotional level too. Napoleon may not have used the term but it's quite evident he knew how to brand himself https://viewmagazine.medium.com/how-to-rewrite-storytelling-in-the-21st-century-part-ii-e6fac8d6e4ec

So the ideas behind branding oneself aren't new, the use of the term in a hyper-individual society driven by attention, avarice etc perhaps is- but even then. If anything branding will evolve to accomodate a world to address modern crisis, safeguard identity-tracking online, and control anonymity.

I once had a fascinating convo with the CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour at the UK's Frontline Club in 2005. Her personality (who she is) and followers would mean she could set up elsewhere. In effect her brand.