I have an adage that I like to repeat often: “Brands are created by people, for people.” In light of this truth, it makes sense that brands are given some of the same characteristics or qualities as people, in order to strengthen their connections to certain groups of people, also known as audiences.
Brand personality is a set of identifiable, customer-facing characteristics that are associated with human traits, attributes and behaviors. It encompasses emotional, thought, and behavioral patterns unique to a brand that are consistent over time. Brand personality is developed and honed during the brand strategy process and it has value for the brand and its consumers.
What is/should be my business brand personality?
Our relationships with brands are not unlike our relationships with people. We attach different levels of importance, significance and value to our relationship with brands, which we also do with people. Think for a moment about your closest friends that you have known for some time. Now, consider the brands that you most ardently support, the ones that you repeatedly consume, advocate for and/or contribute to/invest in. It is likely that the same ways that you think or speak of your favorite people are the same ways in which you think of your favorite brands.
With people, personality cannot be separated from relationships. To a large degree, the same may be said of a brand’s personality. The stronger our connection to a person’s personality, the more that enhances our relationship with them. In the same way, the stronger a brand’s personality resonates with an audience, the more that person will want to engage with that brand. This goes beyond the product or service the brand provides– this is about connection, which is the essence of all relationships, person to person and person to brand. In our complex, modern marketplace, a consumer can often get similar products or services from a number of providers. Brand personality can be a key differentiator in driving a consumer decision for one brand over another.
Think for a moment about someone you know but do not have a close relationship with with. Personally, I don’t know anyone who has a true, close relationship with someone they do not know, like or trust. In the same way that it is difficult to like or trust someone who has a personality that rubs you the wrong way, consumers do not engage with brands that have personalities that they do not agree with or connect with. Brands with personalities that are disconnected from reality or not a great fit for the business type of target customer all run the risk of being at best, dismissed or at worse, discredited. Not only must brands have a clear, likable personality, they must establish and extend that personality in their marketing communications, product and service offerings, and customer experiences they foster and create.
The cautiously optimistic small business eager to grow into a major player; the boldly and brashly confident new kid on the block, the venerable and time-tested voice of reason in a disrupted market, the effusively jovial and welcoming community builder; these are just a few brand personality types that can be adopted by businesses seeking to define and differentiate their position in a competitive market and the hearts and minds of consumers.
More than ever before, well-informed consumers are looking for brand interactions that are genuine and meaningful. Consumers are relentlessly bombarded with brand and marketing-related messaging all day through numerous channels. According to recent survey by marketing software company Marketo of more than 2,200 consumers worldwide, 63 percent of respondents said that they are highly annoyed by the way brands continue to rely on the old-fashioned strategy of blasting generic advertising messages repeatedly. For brand stewards, there are obvious lessons to be learned and room for growth here.
Brand personality is an excellent way of distinguishing and communicating a brand’s uniqueness and ability to connect with an audience in all branded marketing materials on all media and platforms. Personality creates expectations (good or bad) for interaction and relationship. Brand marketing and messaging that is not aligned with personality can create the appearance of inauthenticity which will drive consumers away, hindering the prospects for relationship. Conversely, a well-defined, likable brand personality increases the likelihood for engagement and facilitates relationship.
The increase in modes and methods of communication and buying and selling-related decision making, makes all this an increasing challenge for today’s brands and the people in charge of them, but, as we will see, it is worth the investment. Developing and building the right brand personality can lead to more authenticity and stronger connections, which in time can win over consumers and win new business opportunities, positively impacting the bottom line.
In part 2 of this series, we’ll explore how to develop a business brand personality, including some tools that are helpful for jumping in to the process.