Brands are more than logos or catchy slogans. They have personalities, attitudes, and invoke emotional responses. Businesses have always used this to build brand loyalty with those who like or identify with their brand. Studies have shown that brands can shape people’s personalities and self image. People feel more athletic with Nike or Adidas shoes, tech savvy with an iPad, or rebellious with a Harley Davidson motorcycle.
It is important for businesses to identify those traits within their brand that rub off on their customers. Tapping in to this emotional connection provides you with a loyal following. As your brand becomes an expression of their personality, these followings become your brand ambassadors who are more than happy to share their allegiance to your brand. They become a walking, talking, and fully interactive advertisement for your brand. Their personality, shaped by your brand’s, is experienced by those they interact with on a daily basis.
Business can help their loyal followings express their allegiance by giving them tangible ways to express their loyalty. Promotional items and apparel allow them to proudly display their loyalty and your logo. Getting this merchandise into their hands though drawings, loyalty programs, or company store can help cultivate a strong following.
On the other hand, business can take advantage of brand personalities by associating their brand with another that shares the same characteristics that they have or desire. This can happen several ways. One would be to sponsor an event targeted to a particular niche with personality that align with your brand.
Another way is to co-brand by joining forces with a complimentary or non-competing brand in your advertising efforts. Both parties can appeal to each others audiences and take advantage of the shared personality traits of the brand loyalists. This can be a cost saving measure too as both parties split the cost of the advertising.
Utilizing well known brand name promotional merchandise helps people associate the personality and prestige of the well known brand to another. For instance if a brand wants to be known for high performance, they would place their logo on Nike golf shirts for their sales force to wear in the field. Anyone who sees the two logos together will attribute performance aspects of the Nike brand to the other.
The power of brand personality can’t be ignored when developing marketing campaigns. It can affect who you target and how you target them. Brands with loyal following must also take care not to do anything to drastically change the personality of the brand or risk alienating their loyal following.
What are some brands with personalities the people identify with?