Just like people, brands have personalities. At least, they should. So the question is: what is your brand’s personality?
Essentially, brand personality is how the public perceives and relates to your brand. It can generate feelings of excitement or confidence; it can express sophistication or fun. Whatever your brand says to consumers, you want to make sure that it’s the image you want to project.
Creating a memorable brand personality involves exploring exactly who and what make your company what it is. Defining your business keeps you on the right branding path with your marketing campaigns and materials. Whether you’re establishing a brand, or embarking on a rebranding initiative, consider the following critical questions:
1. What is my current brand personality?
How do people perceive you? Do you even know? Reach out to a few target customers on social media and through your website. Ask them to give you feedback about what your brand means to them. You could create an online survey or hold an in-person focus group. Consider offering an incentive for participating, such as a free download or promotional offer.
2. How do I want people to perceive my brand?
Answering this question is instructive because it can help you see if you and your customers are on the same page. Using the information you get from your survey or discussion and compare it with your own ideas about how you want people to perceive your brand. If there’s a gap, you will want to think about adjusting your brand personality to better align with your customers’ values and expectations.
3. In human terms, how would I characterize my brand?
It may sound funny, but brands do, in fact, have human characteristics. Think about your brand’s human personality. Is it assertive and confident? Is it authoritative or goofy? Elegant or casual? If it was a person, what profession would it have? What name would you give it?
Just like people, your brand’s personality draws some to it and repels others. Defining it in human terms makes it easier to identify the audience that will be attracted to it. Knowing this audience, in turn, makes it easier to develop effective buyer personas and target them with the right marketing campaigns.
A brand always says something about the person who buys it. So it stands to reason that your brand needs to speak to the people who use your products or services, or else it’s missing the mark. Build a brand personality that reflects not only who you are but what your target market wants, and you have the foundation for a brand that succeeds.
