In today’s data-driven, AI-saturated marketing world, your brand personality (its unique and relatable voice, tone, and perspective) is the X factor that allows your brand to connect with consumers and become ride-or-die best friends.
And according to Harvard Business Review, on a lifetime value basis, emotionally connected customers are more than twice as valuable as “highly satisfied customers.” Making building a brand personality a high-octane ROI machine.
So, how does one go about building a brand personality? Well, like anything worthwhile, it takes some serious brain work—ideally with the help of the universe’s favorite ad agency (convenient example: one aspect of our brand personality is “authoritatively nonsensical”).
But before you meet with said agency (they sound great), let’s lay a solid foundation with this free and useful 3-step Person-Up-Your-Brand starter kit.
Step 1:
Look to the past
The Brokaws, circa 1979.
Brands, like people, have a history. Some good. Some bad. Some stuck in matching-tracksuits, regrettable-bowl cut purgatory.
Regardless, to understand where your brand is (and where it might go), it helps to learn from its past. So, dredge up those old brand books, TV spots, social campaigns, sell sheets, company swag, etc., and look at each piece individually. Try to take a detached, consumer-like perspective. It can be as simple as asking yourself: “How does this make me feel?” or “Do I even like this?”
Then rate each piece from 1–10 (1 being bereft of any discernible personality; 10 being personality plus).
Now, based on the work you’ve reviewed (and especially those pieces you’ve rated 8 or above), describe your brand’s personality in one paragraph.
Now, do it in 10 words.
Now, do it in one word (preferably an adjective).
For example: Hamburger Helper is handy. White Castle sliders are small. Lake View Cemetery is death-positive (hyphens are allowed). You get it. Then, grab a tasty beverage of your choice. Because you just completed Step 1.
Step 2:
Look to the present
You’ve seen (and harshly judged) your brand’s past. Now, let’s review some more recent work—especially from your social feeds and website (lots of robust content in those two spots).
How does your present brand personality compare with the past?
Does it reflect the brief descriptions you wrote of your brand?
Is it in line with any of the one-word adjectives you narrowed your personality down to?
Are there any new adjectives you’d add to that list?
Next, let’s put the person (or person-like object) in your brand personality. To better understand what your brand sounds like, it can help to put some faces to the voice. Make a list of celebrities, characters, animals, professionals—whoever and whatever may reflect the ways you’ve described your brand personality. It doesn’t have to be a perfect fit. Your brand is likely a combination of several sentient beings.
Relevant example: the Brokaw brand personality includes some mix of an astronaut (smart + daring) and a river otter (playful + curious).
Step 3:
Look to the future
Okay, you have a basic idea of your past and present brand personality, along with a list of people or things that describe your current brand voice. That’s great. Now we need to think about what you want your brand personality to become.
So, grab your notepad, a favorite four-color ballpoint clicky pen, and tell us a story. One of the most powerful exercises in reaching future goals is to create a positive vision. And writing down a narrative for that vision helps to cement it into your subconscious—making it seem not just possible, but wholly attainable.
All to say: write a very-informal vision for your brand. A day in the life that just so happens to be your best brand day ever. Talk about what kind of press it’s getting. The sales results. The accolades from industry leaders. The positive feedback on the socials. Describe the mood in your offices and the morale of the people working there. Have fun. Dream big. Smoke ’em if you got ’em. In simple terms, write what’s getting you excited about your brand and how it’s going to achieve heights previously unknown.
You did it!
Congratulations. You’re now in excellent position to move forward in building a lasting brand personality, optimizing it with relevant data, and achieving what we in the biz call brain-melting results.
And that includes having a meaningful heart-to-heart with a weirdly helpful ad agency partner to fully construct your brand personality, bring it to market, and meet + exceed your goals. So, when you’re ready for a quick meeting, tee time, tea time, or beer-thirty: hit this link, mash that “I want to work with Brokaw” button, and let’s chat.