Finding The Right Brand Personality

Today's Marketing Cookie is about the difference between character and personality.

Our clients often hire us to help them develop a compelling brand personality. Somewhere along the way, they have either lost their identity, have never really had an identity, or they do not like the identity they've become. This is among the most important missions we are recruited to perform, and when we accept the challenge, we do so with uncommon seriousness. As part of this exercise, we first investigate who they think they are today, we look at who they say they want to be, and most importantly, we ask them to consider who they have the potential to be.

Yes, I said potential.

In some cases, companies want most to be airbrushed into something they just don't have the capacity or capability to become. They attempt to dictate a prescription they want us to write for them, so they can self-medicate, but it doesn't work that way. No, their personality is a reflection of who they truly are, not the other way around. I will say, however, that we do see companies who wish to "play it safe" and paint themselves with muted conservative colors, when they should be moving up in their marketplace.

The personality we develop and recommend for our clients must fit the needs and expectations of the target audience. Being true to the needs of the customer, of course, is the easy part. The more difficult aspect of identifying a brand personality is that it must also fit the character of the company. If the outward personality and inner character of a company are not aligned, the facade is likely to fall away, revealing the wizard behind the curtain. If your customers discover that you are not who you say you are, you will lose their trust. Without trust, your company will have nothing upon which to stand.

Remember, all the charm in the world cannot make up for a deficit in character. As a wise person once said, "Don't be short-changed by choosing personality over character." If your company has the right principles and works to practice and protect their values, their character will serve as a strong foundation for the correct brand personality. If you have that foundation, your image will accurately reflect who you really are, and as today's fortune says, "You will always get what you want through your charm and personality."