What’s a Brand Personality?

It’s exactly what it sounds like: if your brand was a person, what would their personality be? Adjectives like “bold, funny, sophisticated, silly,” are used to describe brands in order to personify them and use that “person” to build the brand.

Even if your brand is a person, like an artist or public figure, your audience will not know you, they will only know parts of your personality and amplify those. You get to decide which parts of you are your “brand.”

Why Personify a Brand?

Because your brand will ultimately need to connect to real people.

The personality of your brand is a starting point for all your client or consumer facing projects. If you want to get the best return for your investment in design, marketing, and sales, it all depends on figuring out how to get you and your audience to connect.  All our jobs and processes are different, but none of us can do what we do without a deep understanding of who your brand is and who its audience is.

Think about how you would describe Channel or Apple as brands. The adjectives are personality descriptors, and that’s intentional.

Brands that Last are Known for Something

Personifying your brand is beneficial if you are aiming for longevity. Sure, you may be making a profit now, but this is something you must consider if you want to scale up.

The brands that last, the brands that make an impact, have audiences that have bought into them financially AND emotionally, to the point where there is an uproar whenever there is a change in their branding. That emotional connection is the key.

In the next part of this series, we’ll discuss how to create and leverage that connection.