What is ‘brand personality’ and why does it matter?
“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room” – Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO
You’ve probably heard this quote from Amazon’s CEO before because it sums brand up quite nicely. In a nutshell, brand personality is the way people see your brand. It’s the set of human qualities that make your brand unique and memorable, the traits and characteristics that customers can relate to.
Humanising a brand enables the customer to feel as though they are talking to one person, generating attachment and loyalty. Some businesses may choose to focus of their brand’s sense of humour, others will focus on their brand values.
Brand personality will shine through in every touch point a client has with your brand so consistency is paramount. These touch points include your tone of voice and communication style, visual presence (images/videos/website) and marketing campaigns. It’s ultimately about how you communicate with your customers and how you make them feel about your brand.
“A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”
– Seth Godin, entrepreneur and author
A strong brand personality can help a brand stand out from the competition, build loyalty, attract new customers, and drive sales.
Tips for creating a strong brand personality
- Define your brand values
What is your brand all about? What are its core values? Once you know what you stand for, you can start to develop a personality that reflects those values. - Define your target audience
Who are you trying to reach with your brand? What are their needs and wants? - Choose your brand’s tone of voice
How do you want to communicate with your customers? Friendly? Professional? Experienced? How do you want your audience to feel about your brand? Your brand voice should be consistent across all of your marketing materials, from website and social media to printed materials. - Create a visual identity
What colours, fonts, and images will you use to represent your brand? All of the visual elements of your brand should reinforce your brand personality. - Be consistent
Use the same tone of voice and visual identity in all of your marketing materials to create a cohesive and memorable brand image. - Be authentic
Your brand personality should be genuine and authentic. Don’t try to be someone you’re not – your customers will be able to tell if you’re not speaking from the heart.
Some examples of well known brands and their personalities
A brand like Apple is known for being stylish, innovative and competent. Amazon is a brand that is known for its convenience and reliability. Whereas Disney is known to be family-friendly, fun and magical.
How would you describe your brand personality? Gentle. Authoritative. Empathetic. Insightful. Kind. Honest. They might sound like words we’d use to describe a person’s personality, but they can equally be applied to a business. People like to buy from people, not corporations.
“Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business.”
– Steve Forbes, Editor-in-Chief of business magazine Forbes
Creating a strong brand personality takes time and effort, but it’s worth it. A well-defined brand personality can help you connect with your customers on a deeper level and build a lasting relationship.
If you’d like my help in crafting your brand imagery to strengthen your brand personality, and to help you connect with your audience on an emotional level, stand out from the competition, and build a loyal following, get in touch. We can arrange a virtual cuppa to chat about how I could help your business!
