Brand Personality. What Do People Really Think About Your Business?

The best brands understand that they must mean something, be relevant to somebody and be known by people.

We wrote on the topic of Brand Personality many years ago, and reading the post again recently, we decided to republish same, with a few amends. The thing is that the core message hasn't changed. You still have to be smarter about your marketing.

4 Useful Headings to Review Your Brand Personality

Some of the business owners we meet in MX3 are not sure what they need, from a marketing perspective. Many have specific enquiries about a website, an identity or a sales campaign. This is a good sign, in that the business owner has noticed that there is some issue they want to solve. Sometimes though, we have to convince them that it's not always about a sales drive.

The truth is usually, that SME owners simply haven’t had the time to sit down and think about how their marketplace is changing. The original business, probably based on their personality, is also changing, due to different business demands.

The day to day operation of a business, and keeping its head above water is challenging enough, in this day and age. Accordingly, during an initial meeting with them, we discuss the current and future strengths of their business, their customers and how they engage with them.

We call this our business hub session. In other words we talk to them about being smarter about their marketing activity, based on an underlying business objective. Being smarter can apply to businesses that already undertake marketing activity and need support or those that need to outsource.

Either way, our focus is on helping them to achieve their business objectives by communicating in a more engaging way.

Looking at the big picture, such as a brand's personality, is always a good place to start. Reviewing how your business engages with your customers and their reaction, will be the driver of your business growth. We find that there are four useful headings under which to review your brand personality. They are; Positioning, Digital Visibility, Customer Engagement and Networking.

For the purpose of this post, I will concentrate on the positioning.

With regard to positioning, there are three critical elements of any brand that must be understood by the owner.

The first one is its raison d'être. Is it positioned to help solve a person's want/need/problem? What is that solution? Is it still working?

The second is relevancy. Let’s face it, you cannot determine if you are relevant, if you don’t know who your audience is. If the audience has been clearly defined, then ask yourself – do you know who the loyal ones are? Why do they choose you over the competition? Are they online and/or offline? Are you engaging, where your audience wants you to?

The third important element is awareness and recognition. Are people aware of the brand and its personality? Research can be a vital feedback resource to determine this, and competitive advantages.

Making Your Brand Real

Nowadays, perceived quality has to fight hard against financial value and function. Many customers may have shifted their purchasing online, but rest assured, people are still looking for authenticity and reassurance in brands.

There is much more cynicism towards businesses, marketing, and messaging. In the current turbulent and hyper-connected times. It has been suggested that function is the new emotion. For marketers, this relates to brand personality. As a result, brands are being forced to get real again.

To differentiate themselves (and survive), businesses need to build/rebuild their personality. Preferably one that is real and personable. This will not be achieved as the result of smarter communication only.  People should feel that you want to make their lives better. Not only might this facilitate charging a premium price but it should also help retain and attract customers.

In order to project your personality professionally, it's probably best to have a customer engagement strategy. This is 'walking the talk' as such. A focus and guideline for everything you say and do. Touchpoints such as bricks-and-mortar experience, colours, logos, messaging, and your online activity, are all just a reinforcement of your brand values, your brand promise, and your personality.

A good customer engagement strategy will assist with the perception of your brand being authentic and transparent. Because, how you engage with people, is your real brand.

Brand Perception

We’ve written many posts previously, reminding readers of what they already know about sales – that most purchase decisions are based on emotion. In our opinion, businesses that place value ahead of price considerations are going to be better placed to succeed into the future.

In this context, brand perception really matters. What you do to create and position your brand among your customers, will be determine the sustainability of your organisation. Here are some points to bear in mind when considering what you want people to feel when they encounter your brand.

• That you are authentic – the experience of your customer should be consistent across all platforms.
• They feel part of a community – their family and friends think of your brand in the same way.
• They can rely on you - you deliver on your brand promise.
• They can connect with you – you are available when they need you and your staff live the brand values.
• They are the ‘hero’ of your story – you can empathise with them and contribute to their community.
• They can trust you – you are honest with them, if something goes wrong.

I suppose what you could say about the above list of ‘feelings’ is that people just want your business to be real.

Times are changing.

Every business should review its brand positioning, on an ongoing basis, to ensure they are still 'in touch' with their customers. Yes, they should adhere to branding guidelines. However, they shouldn’t lose sight of what the customer actually wants – a great experience.

Sometimes, all people want is for you (your business) to be yourself and have a real personality.

Somebody once said that '"a brand’s desirability comprises a unique balance of energy, substance and connection, qualities that have a profound effect on the brand makes the consumer think, feel and act”. We couldn't agree more.

If you would like a chat though our 'business hub' session contact any of us here. 

Cheers Jim.