Guest Post by Jill Tooley
Although many brands have embraced the idea of personality in the public eye, some still turn up their noses at it. Big mistake! A company or organization needs to appear human to the public—especially regarding social media and marketing efforts—because it helps consumers establish an emotional connection. Without that connection, your brand could become just another faceless corporation lost in the background.
Don’t believe me? Let’s use Apple as an example. Whether you love the company or love to hate the company, you have to admit they’re good at reinforcing their personality! Apple sells sleek, stylish, high-demand products and they know it; their brand’s confident attitude is evident in every commercial and advertisement they release (think of the Mac vs. PC commercials). They’re renowned as being ahead of the curve and they’re not afraid to mention that every chance they get. Through their straightforward ads, Apple continuously lets the public know that their brand is relevant and that their products are edgy enough for the most zealous of computer geeks but also simple enough for grandma and grandpa to use.
Just as Apple demonstrates, brand personality is all about the attitude you adopt and the impression your audience gets from you. If your prerogative is for customers to see you as peppy and enthusiastic, then your advertisements and commercials should always reflect that. If your goal is to be known as the cynical and witty brand, then the same rules apply. Your attitude should never deviate from the persona you’re trying to achieve. It’s tough to reach customers if they’re confused about who you are and what you’re telling them!
Finding Your Personality
When implemented correctly, personality ties together all aspects of a brand by appealing to the senses. It’s easier for customers to identify with a personality than with a product on a shelf. However, in order to make that emotional connection apparent, you need to eat, sleep, and breathe your brand’s personality and convey that in any public capacity. This means coordinating all efforts to reflect the persona you’ve chosen; any inconsistencies could confuse customers and potentially hurt your brand long-term.
If your brand is seriously lacking in the personality department, then it’s time to start choosing a persona and showing it off throughout all of your marketing and PR efforts. It doesn’t have to be scary…in fact, it’s kind of fun! I’d suggest starting by asking yourself the following questions (remember, dishonesty will only hurt you in this case):
If your brand were a person, how would you describe it? Hip and innovative? Knowledgeable and experienced? Wacky and sarcastic? Serious and focused? Does the description you chose match the current tone of your public persona?
Taking Control of your Brand Personality
Once you’ve determined your personality, you need to decide if it’s the best one for your brand and go from there. If you don’t like the attitude you’re currently displaying, then change it and adjust your advertising accordingly. Here’s the kicker, though: if you don’t decide what your brand personality is going to be like, then the public will do it for you (and you may not like what they come up with). The key is to take control of your desired persona and let it show within every advertisement, commercial, email, and status update. Take the time to reaffirm your personality in all aspects of your advertising and public relations campaigns; doing so will strengthen your brand, deem you approachable, and encourage your audience to connect with you.
Going forward, try to think of your brand’s personality as a single thread that loops through every other aspect of your business. Is yours strong enough to tie everything together, or are you losing customers along the way?
Jill Tooley is a content nut who plays with words and manages posts at the Quality Logo Products Blog.
For more on Brand Personality, check out:
Branding U: Revive, Refresh, Revitalize Your Brand (free recorded branding webinar)
Building an Awesome Brand: The First Step
The Brand-Building Checklist
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