Brand personality is what makes a brand unique. In essence, it is the way a brand behaves and speaks. As such, it is a bundle of traits that help the brand stand out on the market and differentiate itself from its competitors.
A brand expresses its personality through human traits assigned to its brand identity or brand image. Moreover, each brand has a different personality that can also be passed onto the consumer. For example, if a certain clothing brand stands for value, intellectualism, and uniqueness, an individual who wears their clothing will emulate those traits as well.
However, there are two ways brands can express brand personality. The first one refers to actual people who embody certain traits; for example, John Abraham and Castrol, as well as Shahrukh Khan and Airtel. The second one assigns distinct traits to brands. Thus, people most often associate Dove with femininity, optimism, and honesty. Still, one mustn’t forget that brand personality derives from consumers’ experiences. As such, it is entirely unique, and its effect, as well as the overall impression, can last for a very long time.
Brand personality vs brand image
When talking about these aspects of branding, one must notice one simple difference. The brand image consists of both functional and physical attributes and benefits. Meanwhile, brand personality refers to the emotional traits that we can link to a certain brand.
Therefore, there is a clear difference. The brand image may affect the consumers in terms of benefits and why they should use a certain brand. However, brand personality is the aspect that will inspire emotions in consumers. It will help them link a brand to certain positive traits.
Why is brand personality important?
- It leads to the development of brand equity and the brand attitude
- Any marketing activity or form of brand communication depends on it
- It helps the brand learn more about how its consumers feel about it
- It also sets apart brands that may look and seem similar, yet they are not (Panasonic and Sony, for example)
- It’s an important aspect of brand strategies, as it helps to implement them
- It shows what kinds of relationships customers have with a certain brand
- It serves as a tool with which customers can express their own identities
Finally, it’s important to remember that celebrities go hand in hand with the brand personality. If a celebrity is trustworthy, the brand can boost its awareness and build an air of optimism around itself. Furthermore, having well-known and reliable celebrities represent a brand can greatly influence the customers. With them, they’ll become loyal to a brand and trust it. Thus, a brand is often memorable and easily trusted when its personality consists of positive traits.
However, while creating a brand personality, one cannot just pay attention to the traits. We also have to adjust it to the audience we are targeting in terms of age, social class, gender and psychographic features.
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