Creating Your Brand's Personality

Our personalities make us insanely unique. Our values, emotional patterns, likes and interests, and our major traits set us up to be labeled on the big personality tests like Myers-Briggs, Enneagrams (I’m a 2!) and DISC gives you glimpses into your personality and can uncover strengths and weaknesses.

For your brand, personality is huge. Imagine getting an invitation for a dinner-date with your favorite brand. Which would it be?

I think I would pick Google. They have plenty of information to soak my knowledge-craving brain, and they have answers to just about anything. On the flip side, they might act superior and like a know-it-all. Maybe Panera is a better choice.

Think of your favorite brand (if you say Sephora, you’re lying) and picture going on a date with them. What would you have in common? What interests would you share? Could you carry on a conversation?

We relate and are inspired by brands who mirror similar values to us and brands who inspire us to be a better version of ourselves. Ben Harmanus, Head of Brand Marketing at EMEA, says it best, “A brand’s personality is a set of human traits that define a brand. These traits set one brand apart from others and make it unique.”

So how do you DO that, exactly?

Define your target audience

We’ve chatted about target audiences in the past, but as a refresher:

Your target audience is a group of people you’ve identified as being likely customers or clients of your business. Target audiences share similar traits such as age, gender, location, education, and socioeconomic status. 

These are your peeps!

Determine your brand's values

Alright we know about our people, but what are your values?

Brand values are your guiding principles defining your brand’s culture, purpose, and core beliefs. When your brand values align (or come close) to your customers’ values, it creates that delicious trust and brand loyalty. This allows for attracting like-minded individuals, customers, employees, and partners.

Stuck on figuring out how to identify these?

• Look deep inside: Take a few moments to identify what your brand stands for, ask yourself what the purpose of your brand is, what your brand believes in, and what you hope to achieve through your brand.

• Analyze the audience: You already know a lot about your people, but dig deeper to understand their values and beliefs. This helps you create a brand that resonates with them beyond a surface level.

• Research the market: The most important (but often overlooked) step which is research! Check out the competitors and other successful brands in your industry. Identify their values and see if they resonate with you.

Define your brand's voice

A quick note as we’re talking about tone and voice.

I’m guilty of this but these words are NOT synonymous - they’re actually very different. Tone refers to the attitude something is said with while voice is the personality. 

Okay moving on!

Your brand’s voice is the tone, style, and personality you use to communicate with customers. It’s how your brand speaks (“Hey, you deserve this!”), and the language you use to convey messages. Defining this voice is crucial to create consistency in your words, marketing, and helps your brand stand out!

Let’s look at a few high-profile examples with descriptors:

Duolingo: the internet’s most unhinged owl

Goofy, abnormal, humor (mostly nonsense humor)

Nike: some of the best sportswear and shoes out there

Serious, powerful, straightforward, customer-centric

Now because I’m a gal who enjoys a good chart, here’s a fun breakdown on tone for you to determine what works best for your brand.

Choosing the visuals 

Ready for a little fun?

A brand’s visual identity are all the elements used in your marketing. This includes a logo, color scheme, typography, pictures, graphics, and more!

These visuals should be consistent with your overall brand personality and help you stand out in your industry. Your choices in visuals should be consistent with your brand’s aesthetic and overall message. Choose visual elements that reflect those values and beliefs like we talked about earlier. 

Part of this is choosing an appropriate color scheme that resonates with your audience and reflects you. Colors are powerful in evoking emotions and play a huge role in your brand’s visual identity.

Summary

Creating a distinctive personality you know aligns with your audience will allow you to foster a stronger emotional connection with your people. This increases brand loyalty, drives long-term success, and ultimately leads to a successful brand.

Whether your brand is playful and lighthearted or serious and authoritative, a clear and consistent personality helps you stand out from the crowd!

Now go on, have fun with it, and let your personality shine.