@LTM

In the business world brand has two associations. In one it can mean a product under direct ownership or control of you. In the second it can mean a product in association with your name/reputation.

I could not create a product and call it 'Nicki Mknaj' or 'Pink Friday' anything because that is a brand associated with Nicki. People contact her for use of her name in exchange for some splitting of profit because they know things associated with her name will sell. MAC could have just launched a pink lipstick and called it a day but they knew Nicki was popular, called her, she went over color swatches, helped design and a pink lipstick called "Pink Friday" sold out within hours of it being released online.

I've shopped MAC, seen the 'popular' shades and nothing sold out quite as fast as her lipstick did with only online promotion. That is a brand.