A quick scroll on your phone and you’re met with multiple marketing messages, all carefully crafted by brands hoping to connect and convert. But in many cases, it’s the same old sales jargon – making them instantly forgettable. And with AI-generated content gathering momentum amongst the masses, there’s a risk of things continuing to get all a bit vanilla.
So, what can you do to cut through the noise to resonate with your audience and encourage loyalty? Two words: brand personality.
Brand personality refers to human traits and characteristics attributed to your brand – it’s your opportunity to humanise your business. To create a character that customers can connect with, relate to and trust. No more bland basics – but quality content that’s full of soul.
But how do you add a distinct personality to your brand that stands out? Here are 9 easy steps to help you get started…
1. Define your brand persona
Get your team together and start identifying the characteristics, values and traits that represent your brand’s identity. Consider what makes your brand unique and how you want to be perceived by your target audience.
There are several frameworks that categorise brand personalities into different types. One widely recognised framework is the one developed by behavioural scientist Jennifer Aaker, which outlines five core dimensions of brand personality:
- Sincerity: Brands with a sincere personality are perceived as genuine, down-to-earth, and honest. They emphasise sincerity, kindness, and family-oriented values. Examples include Dove, M&S, and Disney.
- Excitement: Excitement brands are daring, spirited, and imaginative. They seek to inspire and thrill customers with excitement, adventure, and daring experiences. Examples include Red Bull, Nike, and GoPro.
- Competence: Competence brands are reliable, intelligent, and successful. They are characterised by their efficiency, reliability, and high-quality products or services. Examples include Microsoft, IBM, and Mercedes-Benz.
- Sophistication: Sophistication brands are elegant, glamorous, and charming. They emphasise luxury, exclusivity, and high-class status. Examples include Chanel, Rolex, and Tiffany & Co.
- Ruggedness: Ruggedness brands are tough, outdoorsy, and strong. They are associated with durability, ruggedness, and a sense of adventure. Examples include Jeep, The North Face, and Harley-Davidson.
These dimensions provide a framework for brands to shape their personalities and resonate with specific consumer segments. Brands often blend these personality types to create a unique identity that appeals to their target audience while differentiating themselves from competitors. Understanding and effectively communicating your brand’s personality helps build emotional connections with consumers, strengthen brand loyalty, and influence brand perceptions in the marketplace.
So… are you fun and quirky? Sophisticated and professional? Innovative and daring? Your brand persona should align with your business goals and resonate with your ideal customers.
Example: If you’re a tech startup targeting millennials, your brand persona might be adventurous, cutting-edge, and forward-thinking. This persona would guide your tone, style, and communication strategies.
2. Understand your audience
To effectively add personality to your brand, you must understand your audience – their preferences, values, lifestyles, and aspirations. Conduct market research, analyse customer demographics, and gather insights through surveys or social media engagement. This knowledge will help you tailor your brand personality to align with what resonates most with your target audience.
For example, if your audience values eco-friendliness, incorporating this into your brand’s personality can create a deeper connection and build trust.
Example: Ecoffee Cup produces reusable coffee cups made from plants. The brand’s audience values sustainability, so its brand voice emphasises these key areas via a straightforward (‘there’s no excuse for single-use’) and informative tone to reflect its commitment to reducing waste and promoting sustainable lifestyles.
3. Develop a unique voice
Once you’ve defined your brand persona and got to grips with your audience, it’s time to develop a unique voice that reflects your brand’s personality. Your brand voice encompasses the tone, style, and language used in all communications – from social media posts and website content to customer service interactions.
Dare to be different in order to stand out amongst your competitors. Embrace your brand’s unique identity and own it – your audience will appreciate your individuality and distinctiveness.
Example: Innocent Drinks, a UK-based leader in smoothies and juices, stands out with a friendly and humorous brand voice. It uses quirky product names, witty packaging, and playful marketing campaigns to connect with consumers seeking a light-hearted approach to healthy living. Despite its fun persona, Innocent Drinks prioritises sustainability and transparency, emphasising natural ingredients and ethical practices. The brand’s active engagement on social media and interactive initiatives further strengthens its brand identity, fostering a community-oriented image that resonates with health-conscious and environmentally aware customers alike.
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4. Tell your story
Every brand has a story. Storytelling is a powerful tool for adding personality and building emotional connections with your audience. Share your brand’s journey, values, and mission through compelling narratives that resonate with your customers’ experiences and aspirations.
Example: Biscuiteers, a luxury biscuit boutique based in the UK, has crafted a distinctive brand personality through storytelling focused on creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of gifting. Founded by husband and wife team Harriet Hastings and Stevie Congdon after spotting a gap in the gifting market for luxury food gifting, Biscuiteers emphasises artisanal craftsmanship in hand-icing each biscuit, showcasing meticulous detail and dedication to quality.
Its brand narrative celebrates special occasions and the joy of personalised gifting, incorporating British heritage and cultural motifs into bespoke collections designed for birthdays, weddings, and holidays, including a ‘Bridgerton’ range that perfectly aligns with its image of ornate luxury.
Biscuiteers engage customers through personalised and customisable options, fostering a connection that blends tradition with modern creativity in creating unique, heartfelt gifts.
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5. Use visual branding
Visual elements such as logos, colours, typography, and imagery play a crucial role in conveying your brand’s personality visually. Consistent visual branding helps reinforce your brand identity and makes your brand instantly recognisable to customers.
Example: Sister Jane. Specialising in fashion, Sister Jane has cultivated a unique and whimsical aesthetic that blends vintage-inspired designs with contemporary elements, with ‘romance and nostalgia’ at its heart. Its visual identity is characterised by intricate patterns and whimsical eccentricity, which are consistently applied across its website, social media platforms, and physical stores. High-quality photography featuring stylised settings and models further enhances the brand’s image. Even its product packaging reflects its distinctive style. Sister Jane’s meticulous attention to visual detail has successfully differentiated the brand in the fashion industry, appealing to fashion-forward consumers seeking originality and creativity.
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6. Engage with your audience
Building a strong brand personality requires active engagement with your audience across various channels. Interact with customers on social media, respond to comments and messages, and encourage user-generated content. Engaging with your audience in a genuine and authentic manner strengthens relationships and reinforces your brand’s personality.
Example: Pip & Nut specialises in nut butter and stands out for its exceptional audience engagement strategies. Through active interaction on social media platforms like Instagram and X, the brand fosters meaningful dialogue with its customers, promptly responding to enquiries and sharing user-generated content. The brand also organises engaging events and workshops where customers can connect in person, learn about their products, and participate in health and wellness activities. Pip & Nut’s transparency in sharing behind-the-scenes stories about ingredient sourcing and sustainability efforts further builds trust and authenticity. Its creative campaigns and collaborations resonate with its health-conscious audience, solidifying a loyal community that values their interactive approach and commitment to quality.
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7. Be consistent
Consistency is key to maintaining a strong brand personality. Ensure that your brand’s tone, voice, visuals, and messaging are cohesive and aligned across all touchpoints. Consistency builds trust and reinforces your brand’s identity in the minds of consumers.
Example: Flower delivery company Bloom & Wild maintains a charming, thoughtful, and customer-centric brand personality consistently across all channels. Its website features a clean, elegant design with warm, inviting language, emphasising the care and love in each bouquet, using phrases like “we treat every order like it’s our own” and “letterbox friendly.” The brand even has a ‘Customer Delight’ team, as well as a Flower Journal blog featuring flower tips, DIYs and new product info.
On social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, Bloom & Wild shares beautiful images of its floral arrangements accompanied by heartfelt, engaging captions. This cohesive approach ensures that customers experience the same delightful and thoughtful brand personality, whether browsing its website or engaging with its social media content.
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8. Tread carefully with your tone
While you want to stand out, don’t take it to a point where you alienate segments of your customer base. Consider your tone carefully and how it can be interpreted across various platforms and campaigns.
Example: Coffee company and café chain Grind, nails the right tone in its trendy, urban, and sustainable brand personality. Its sleek, modern website features a minimalist black-and-pink design, with casual yet sophisticated language emphasising eco-friendly efforts like compostable coffee pods. On social media, Grind shares high-quality images capturing an urban lifestyle vibe, with witty, engaging captions highlighting its sustainability message. Its packaging mirrors its personality with sleek designs and clever eco-friendly messages like “Great coffee, doing good,” ensuring consistency across all channels.
9. Harness humour
Making someone laugh is one of the most effective ways to make a connection. While attempting humour scares off some brands, get it right and you’ll be flying! The key is to use it appropriately and in a way that aligns with your brand personality.
Example: Trunki, a company known for its ride-on suitcases for kids, effectively incorporates humour into its brand personality. Its website is filled with playful, light-hearted language and engaging product descriptions like “Harley (ladybird Trunki) is a handsome ladybird who’s ready to fly away with his favourite travelling buddy. Always on the go, he’s easy to spot and loves to visit new and exciting places.”
On social media, Trunki shares fun, humorous content, including entertaining videos of kids enjoying their Trunki suitcases, funny travel tips for families, and witty captions. Its packaging and product designs also reflect the brand’s humorous tone, featuring bright colours, playful patterns, and whimsical characters. This consistent use of humour across all channels makes Trunki’s brand personality fun, approachable, and family-friendly.
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Adding personality to your brand is a deliberate and strategic process that requires understanding your audience, defining a clear brand persona, and consistently communicating your brand’s values and identity. By following these 9 steps, you can begin to create a brand that stands out, builds meaningful connections with customers, and drives long-term success in a competitive marketplace.
Don’t forget – you’re selling to humans! Be human in your approach, focusing on the needs and interests of your audience to find the right tone and focus on the things you offer that matter most to them. This will give your business the best chance of forming those important connections with customers that not only make sales but build a customer base that’s loyal to your brand.
