You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all the people some of the time, which is just long enough to be president of the United States.
Personal branding is about managing your name - even if you don't own a business - in a world of misinformation, disinformation, and semi-permanent Google records. Going on a date? Chances are that your "blind" date has Googled your name. Going to a job interview? Ditto.