My dear friend, whom I have known for decades, has an amazing personality. She is fun (ready for a good time), outgoing (can easily engage in conversation with almost anyone) and personal (people just like her). She is also a talented and successful marketing manager. On top of all that, she is an incredible athlete. She has run a large number of marathons, but if that is not enough, she will throw in a few Iron Man competitions to scatter on top of the excitement, courage and inspiration. If I were to define her personality as a brand, she would be Starbucks (fun, outgoing and likable), Google (safe and successful) and Red Bull (brave, exciting, athletic, who happens to be redheaded) into one. And by the way, these combined brands generated revenues of over $ 263 billion last year.
When someone has a great personality we are attracted to him. We want to be with them because they make us feel good. A brand personality works the same way. Brands, just like humans, have personal traits that help make them contextual, while reflecting on the characteristics you value. Let’s further explore what a brand personality is, why a brand personality is important and how to create your brand personality.
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What is a brand personality?
https://brandmasteracademy.com/brand-personality/
A brand personality can be defined as the set of human characteristics associated with your brand. It is conveyed through tone of speech, visuals and even policies. They are expressed as adjectives that convey how you want people to perceive your brand. For example, is your brand cheerful, funny, friendly, young, innovative, energetic, reliable, responsible, trustworthy, sophisticated, rebellious, cunning, strong, honest and so on? Here a List of 200+ Adjectives to get started.
Let’s look at an example. Coca-Cola is considered real and authentic while Pepsi tends to be young, energetic and exciting, and Dr. Pepper is perceived as non-conformist, unique and fun. source.
A brand can also be described by demographic data (age, gender, social status and race), lifestyle (activities, interests and opinions), or human personality traits (extroverted, pleasant and reliable). source.
for example:
- If Harley-Davidson was a man? It’s going to be a man. Lulmon? wife.
- Tesla will be innovative while the Red Cross will be traditional.
- Kylie Cosmetics will live on the estate and Goodwill will rent an apartment.
Why is brand personality important?
https://medium.com/ebaqdesign/brand-personality-traits-of-top-brands-19c58890770f
If your brand neglects to define its personality, rest assured that people will form their perception of you whether you like it or not. Take control of your brand by developing a well-defined brand personality. Here’s why…
- Develops an emotional connection: as per Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman, “95% of purchasing decisions take place in the subconscious.” People buy emotionally, even if they do not understand it, and then justify their decisions rationally. Brands that present themselves in a humane and personal way will be more successful than brands that rely on facts and figures.
- Motivates competitive differentiation: Brand personality is an important factor to differentiate you from your competitors, especially when brands are similar in relation to product features.
- Communication guides: The brand personality statement provides depth and texture that make it easier to maintain the communication effort on purpose. source. In fact, your brand personality can help reinforce the way you convey your story and message to your audience.
- Improves brand loyalty: As customers get to know and love your brand personality, their connection to your brand grows stronger, just like getting to know a new friend better. Over time and consistent communication, you will build strong brand loyalty.
How to create a brand personality
There are three approaches to how to find your brand personality; Use one that best suits your needs.
Let’s first look at Jennifer Acker Dimensions of brand personality A framework containing 15 features organized into five factors.
https://www.hausmanmarketingletter.com/the-right-brand-personality/
- Honesty (Dove, Volvo, Hallmark)
- National: Family, small, regular city, blue collar, all-American
- Honest: Yes, genuine, ethical, considerate, caring
- Healthy: original, real, ageless, classic, old-fashioned
- Cheerful: sentimental, friendly, warm, happy
- Excitement (BuzzFeed, Nike, Red Bull)
- Bold: Trendy, exciting, off-beat, loud, provocative
- Spiritual: Cool, young, vibrant, outgoing, adventurous
- Imagination: unique, humorous, surprising, artistic, fun
- Up-to-date: independent, contemporary, innovative, aggressive
- Capability (SpaceX, Rolex, Microsoft)
- Reliable: Diligent, confident, efficient, reliable, careful
- Intelligent: technical, corporate, serious
- Successful: A leader, self-confident, influential
- Sophistication (Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Apple)
- Upper class: glamorous, handsome, pretentious, sophisticated
- Charming: feminine, smooth, sexy, delicate
- Toughness (REI, Old Spice, Harley-Davidson)
- Outside: masculine, western, active, athletic
- Tough: Rough, strong, no nonsense
Here are three steps to developing your brand personality under this model:
- brainstorm: Start by brainstorming a list of personality traits (here a List of 200+ Adjectives to begin with) that best represent your brand. Group these traits under one of the five brand personality dimensions. For example, adventure, exploration and self-discovery represent Patagonia and fall under roughness.
- Score: Rate each brand personality trait on a scale from one to five. One is the least descriptive and five is the most descriptive of your brand. This process helps determine which brand personality traits best represent your brand.
- organize: Organize your findings to see where your brand is ranked on a high-to-low scale. Determine where your brand should focus within the five dimensions of brand personality.
Next in line is Brand archetype framework By Carl Jung. Carl Jung believed that archetypes are models of people, behaviors, or personalities, thus making them more recognizable and connectable with target audiences. Jung identified 12 archetypes. The idea is that any brand can refer to one of the 12 archetypes that help define the brand.
https://iconicfox.com.au/brand-archetypes/
As you evaluate the brand’s archetype framework, start by thinking about the following:
- Does your brand connect to one of the archetypes better than another?
- What personality traits do your customers tend to value and strive for?
- Which brand archetype feels right?
- Make sure your brand messages support your brand personality.
Finally, there is the Integrated brand archetypes and brand personal frameworks. This model combines the brand archetypes and dimensions of the brand personal frameworks mentioned above.
https://conversionminded.com/brand-personality/
The flexibility of this method allows you to create your own framework using your best judgment.
In conclusion, your brand personality is one of the most powerful strategic tools to humanize your brand. Defining your brand personality will help you make better decisions in every aspect of your business. Start building your brand leadership today. you’ve got it!
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