BRAND PERSONALITY: THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND ADVERTISING

Jun 17, 2020

What kind of personality does your brand have?

The personality that your brand embodies has a huge impact on the message your business projects, which in turn determines the kind of audience you attract. When appealing to your desired audience, it's super important to project something that they can identify with or aspire to, with aligning values and mantras.

Just like it sounds, a brand's personality is a set of traits which people attribute to it as if it were a person. Think of some of the brands you aspire to. You should be able to instantly conjure a handful of distinct images, words, and emotions that you associate with them. That's the power of having a strong brand personality and a kickass marketing strategy in place! Basically, a brand tells its story via the persona it projects, so it's vital to really understand and manage the image you want your business to embody. Understanding the personality that your brand emits can be tricky at times, but breaking it down into a simple framework is an easy way to see which category your brand falls into and get you on your way to understanding how you can capitalise on that. Separated into 5 main categories, the brand personality framework is a great starting step to figuring out which audience you appeal best to and why.

Brand personality framework

sincerity (down to earth, honest, cheerful, wholesome)
excitement (daring, spirited, imaginative, up-to-date)
competence (reliable, intelligent, successful)
sophistication (higher-end, charming)
ruggedness (outdoorsy, tough)

Now that you've started to figure out a broad sense of the image your brand promotes, you can start to think about what your brand specifically says about your business through a more focused lens. There are lots of dos and don'ts when it comes to branding, so we've summed up a couple of key points to consider when establishing your brand and the impact they can have in the long run.

Repositioning

Repositioning your brand is a great way to reach a broader or more targeted audience - but only if it's done correctly! Rebranding several times and constantly changing your slogan or message can be confusing for consumers, and can make your brand seem flighty and unreliable. So if you're planning on repositioning, make sure you put the work and put your hand up invest in the help of a professional if you need to, so you don't have to change it again!

Brand Iconography

Using a continuing character when advertising is a great way to associate a symbol with your business and can be super helpful when trying to tell the story of your brand. Keeping your business at the top of people's minds is an important way to stay relevant, and a fictional character or symbol can be the perfect way to remind people of your brand even when they aren't actively looking for it. People are also drawn to familiar icons because they are comfortable, so brand iconography can also be a really helpful tool for combating the challenges and risks of repositioning.

Pricing

If your brand leans more toward the luxury end of things and is moderately to highly-priced, it's good to embrace this and use it to your advantage. Exclusive distribution can be a great way to build on the theme of sophistication and exclusivity that your brand portrays, and is a good way to make high prices more appealing to first-time customers.

Sales Promotions

When products are frequently available for special deals or lower prices, it can end up deterring customers from purchasing the product on normal sales - so sales promotions should be used strategically and sparingly! Sales promos are great for boosting sales quickly in the short term and are a great incentive for first-time buyers. If used too frequently, a business also runs the risk of seeming cheap or uncultured - so make sure your promotions are planned and purposeful!

Extension Lines

Brand or product extensions are when you expand into a new product category by leveraging off your established spot in the market and current brand equity. It can be a great way to broaden the reach of your audience, and is typically more appealing to your existing customers than a product from a different brand. Not only are extension lines a great way to capitalise on your existing customer base, but also further builds your brand as versatile and adaptable.

With all that being said, the best way to polish or build your brand personality is first understanding where it currently sits. Knowing how your brand is perceived will help you figure out which parts are working well and which parts might need some tweaking, so you get to be in control of the story your brand tells.

If you're stuck and need a helping hand, we're here and ready to hold it!

Email the team to get started on writing (or re-writing!) your brand story hello@thelifestyleedit.com.au