This document provides an overview of branding and the five disciplines of brand-building: differentiation, collaboration, focus, brand extensions, and brand stewardship. It discusses how branding has become more important as choices have increased. A brand is defined as a person's gut feeling about a product/service/organization. Building a strong brand requires mastering the five disciplines: 1) differentiating through benefits and experiences instead of features; 2) collaborating either internally, through agencies, or hybrid models; 3) maintaining focus and avoiding ill-considered extensions; 4) developing brand extensions strategically; and 5) stewarding the brand over time through various collaborators.