{"id":143554,"date":"2023-08-03T09:53:19","date_gmt":"2023-08-03T08:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/?p=143554"},"modified":"2023-08-03T09:53:19","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T08:53:19","slug":"getting-to-know-you-how-to-build-a-brand-personality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/blog\/getting-to-know-you-how-to-build-a-brand-personality\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting to know you: How to build a brand personality"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brand personality – isn\u2019t that just the realm of the marketing team? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Successful communications strategy means creating campaigns that resonate, build reliability<\/a>, and even likeability – and that\u2019s the role of PR.<\/p>\n

A strong brand personality can really help with the day-to-day – after all, how will your messaging land if you don\u2019t really know your brand, and yourself, you know?<\/p>\n

But before booking in couples counselling for you and your brand, here is expertise from PRs pros who know how to pack personality<\/a> into every campaign\u2026<\/p>\n

Brainstorm: What is your brand – and your team – all about?<\/h2>\n

Before you start building a brand personality, you\u2019ll need to figure out what the brand you\u2019re working on actually IS. What does the company stand for, what is it for, what is it offering to your audience? The team behind the brand is worth considering – after all, everyone is on the team for a reason:<\/p>\n

\u2018A great starting point is to get the team of internal stakeholders together and brainstorm who they are and what they stand for,\u2019 advises Pace Communications<\/a>\u00a0client director Caroline Anson. \u2018The team behind the business needs to breathe the values and persona of the business, so it helps if they are integral to creating them.<\/p>\n

\u2018Ask questions about why they do what they do, how they are different from everyone else, what style is their output, etc. – this will soon start to create a picture of personality type.\u2019<\/p>\n

Learn from the best: which brand personalities draw you in?<\/h2>\n

\u2018Once you\u2019ve got some thoughts about yourself on paper, it\u2019s time to look outward,\u2019 says Malineo Makamane, digital PR specialist at Sweet Digital<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Figuring out what you and your team like about established brands is another way to uncover aspects of your own brand\u2019s core traits:<\/p>\n

\u2018Study those you admire and write down their defining characteristics,\u2019 adds Malineo. \u2018Reverse-engineer the things that make these brands special, and figure out how to put your own personal twist on it.\u2019<\/p>\n

Know thyself: If your brand was a person, who would they be?<\/h2>\n

Considering a company\u2019s traits alone can lead to something cold and robotic. Choosing human traits is how you get to an engaging personality (and, in turn, engage your team or clients in the journey, too).<\/p>\n

For Nicholine Hayward, brand strategy director at Teamspirit<\/a>, clients must be involved in the workshopping process from the start:<\/p>\n

\u2018Take them through a series of exercises to uncover the ‘human’ attributes of their brand, for example, projective exercises – if the brand was a famous sportsperson, a figure from history, a politician, etc. Which causes would they champion? What would they be like to work with? How would they deal with success or failure? It’s also looking at the archetypes – which of the 12 do they feel best reflects their brand and why?\u2019<\/p>\n

The basics: \u2018Which three words describe you?\u2019<\/h2>\n

Still not sure where to start? Begin with adjectives. Think of the age-old interview or first date question – which words would you use to describe yourself, or in this case, the brand?<\/p>\n

\u2018Ask your team (or even the wider business) to choose adjectives they associate with your company\u2019s public face \u2013 for example, at DivideBuy<\/a> we are \u201cauthentic\u201d and \u201cempathetic\u2019,\u201d says senior content and PR manager Heather Wilkinson.<\/p>\n

\u2018This will give you a strong foundation on which you can build your comms personality.\u2019<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re working with a client that doesn\u2019t know what their brand story is yet, dig deep and listen, says Mia Hodgkinson, head of consumer PR at Sway PR<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u2018Our role as PR professionals is to dig deep into their story and find those nuggets of information that are PR gold dust.<\/p>\n

\u2018This could be anything from the reason for the company\u2019s inception, the stories of the people behind it, the processes they use or even just their vision.<\/p>\n

\u2018Active listening is essential. This means focusing on what the client is saying and also not saying in order to understand what they are hoping to achieve as a brand. It\u2019s amazing how many clients don\u2019t realise their PR potential until they start talking to an agency. Once a client has established their brand identity they can engage better with their audience, attract new audiences and we can get the best level of media coverage for them.\u2019<\/p>\n

What definitely isn\u2019t part of the brand\u2019s personality?<\/h2>\n

\u2018The most successful brand personalities are rooted in the business culture. You can\u2019t pretend to be something you aren\u2019t,\u2019 says Susannah Morgan, deputy MD at Energy PR<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018Getting your culture clear and codified is important. Then you can define what that looks like in terms of behaviour \u2013 what you do and don\u2019t do, what you do and don\u2019t say. Your personality should become clear from that process.<\/p>\n

The ideal: Who do you want to engage with your brand?<\/h2>\n

Once you know your brand\u2019s core values, it\u2019s time to figure out who your ideal audience is.<\/p>\n

For Brand Building Co.<\/a>, this makes for a much deeper connection and loyalty long-term:<\/p>\n

\u2018The goal here is to connect with consumers in a deeper way, give them access to a more memorable and brand values-driven story that differentiates a brand from their competitors,\u2019 explains founder and director Rachel Humphrey.<\/p>\n

\u2018Look at the brand\u2019s target customer or customer profile, if there is one. If they haven’t defined this yet, then we work with our clients to refine it through workshops and strategy sessions. We then get under the skin of this customer, looking at the psychographic piece. This is looking at what the customer consumes, from media to other brands, their stage of life, their general lifestyle. Once this area is clearer, we then look to produce PR plans that will align and meet this customer – through relevant copy, the target media we work with and the themes and angles we integrate into our plans.<\/p>\n

\u2018We also align this vision with the business goals. To really tighten the strategy to ensure it is meeting the brands goals commercially too\u2019.<\/p>\n

Understand your audience: Will they actually like this personality?<\/h2>\n

Compatibility is as important in consumer and brand relationships as it is in human relationships.<\/p>\n

\u2018It sounds simple, but understanding who a company wants to speak to and how they want to be perceived by those people, is critical,\u2019 says Laura Price, partner at Pagefield<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018Companies should research and understand their target audience’s demographics, psychographics, preferences, and needs. This knowledge will help shape the brand personality to resonate with the audience effectively.\u2019<\/p>\n

If your audience really, really like you, they\u2019ll be with you for the long-haul:<\/p>\n

\u2018Work out who your audience is, what they would react positively to and how your brand personality can resonate with them and turn them into brand advocates,\u2019 says Fizzbox<\/a>\u2019s head of marketing Tom Bourlet.<\/p>\n

Finding your voice: What is the right tone?<\/h2>\n

\u2018Having established audiences and values, companies should think about brand archetypes \u2013 based on common human characteristics \u2013 which will help define the brand\u2019s character and personality,\u2019 believes Pagefield\u2019s Laura Price.<\/p>\n

\u2018This will then help shape the tone of voice, the style of public content and the way in which the company is talked about.\u2019<\/p>\n

Authenticity is key, here – forcing a \u2018fun\u2019 personality on a decidedly unfun service or company, for example, isn\u2019t going to cut it:<\/p>\n

\u2018A brand cannot just bootstrap itself personality overnight, it will come off as inauthentic, and audiences are just too smart and too savvy not to notice,\u2019 advises Rosser Jones, head of PR at Unlimit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018When a company is searching for a tone of voice and looking to inject some personality into its communications, it needs to ask itself important questions, like: Who are we? What are our values? Do we have a unique perspective? What do we want to be, and to whom do we want to matter? The search for a company\u2019s personality starts with some introspection.\u2019<\/p>\n

Be bold\u2026 but just how bold should you be?<\/h2>\n

Going viral with a ballsy brand personality might be tempting. Being bold with responses on social media to the public, and even calling other brands out, has worked for Wendy\u2019s, Lidl, and Tesco Mobile, for example. But hold back before you build in too much sass\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s no surprise that in today\u2019s competitive marketplace, brands are looking to stand out from the crowd,\u2019 says Sophie Baillie, associate director, head of client services at Conscious Communications<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018But, reward doesn\u2019t come without risk and brand should always be memorable for the right reason.<\/p>\n

\u2018Being bold can undoubtedly generate buzz but there is something equally admirable when brands exercise caution and reliability. Not all brands should be disrupters. It\u2019s the brands that strike a balance between bold campaigns and vigilance that will stand the test of time, who will continue to effectively engage with their target audiences while avoiding alienation and reputational risk. Through careful evaluation of the market and of the potential impact of marketing decisions, brands can navigate the fine line between risk and reward to achieve long-term success.\u2019<\/p>\n

Considered Content<\/a> founder Jason Ball adds: \u2018Trying to make a conservative accountancy practice into the life-and-soul of the party when it\u2019s not will never work. On the flip side, if the firm is that extroverted in the real world, this could be a major source of differentiation\u2019.<\/p>\n

Assemble your assets: What does your team need?<\/h2>\n

A team of one with a clear idea of what a brand\u2019s core traits are can create comms across all platforms, all in-line with the personality. A team with multiple people is going to find it harder (despite the greater resource) if there are no shared guidelines.<\/p>\n

Tank<\/a>\u2019s head of PR Martyn Gettings advises getting assets – from tone of voice guides, to image banks, even glossaries – assembled early on:<\/p>\n

\u2018Our PR team takes the brand identity and refines the key messages we want to resonate across all of our comms. Creating these messaging documents in workshop-style sessions also helps to engage key decision makers with the PR process and ensure everyone is on the same page before we start speaking to journalists and other external audiences.\u2019<\/p>\n

Keep consistent: Do your comms back up your brand identity?<\/h2>\n

Brands can – and should – evolve with the changing times – people change, and so should brand personalities. But change things up too much, too quickly, and you risk losing consumers who have previously been devoted to you.<\/p>\n

\u2018Communication and personality needs to be consistent, from web content to social posts and emails out, so everyone in the company needs to be in-tune with each other and the brand communication methods,\u2019 says Tom Bourlet at Fizzbox.<\/p>\n

Rebellion Marketing<\/a> founder Jade Arnell agrees: \u2018Consistency is key, so ensure your personality shines through in all communication channels. From marketing materials to customer interactions, let your brand’s personality take the spotlight. And remember, as your company evolves, keep refining and adapting your personality to stay relevant and captivating.\u2019<\/p>\n

Keeping in touch: Are you giving your audience enough attention?<\/h2>\n

Making a strong first impression and then disappearing isn\u2019t going to do your brand any favours. Back up your personality by communicating across channels, regularly, says Impression<\/a>\u2019s head of digital PR Damian Summers:<\/p>\n

\u2018Creating a rounded brand personality requires multiple channels all working in tandem to communicate the same themes and messaging. From a PR point-of-view specifically, it\u2019s important that there\u2019s consistency across all comms and messaging.<\/p>\n

\u2018PR and comms teams should ensure they have a dedicated spokesperson, someone that can build authority, expertise and trust among customers, and the industry.<\/p>\n

\u2018An authentic brand personality through PR is formed over time and comes naturally through consistency and expertise.\u2019<\/p>\n

Sign up for the upcoming Vuelio white paper \u2018Stand out from the crowd: A guide to personality-packed PR<\/a>\u2019 for more on brand personality, and watch our webinar \u2018How to build a reliable reputation in the press<\/a>\u2019 for original research from Vuelio Insights. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Brand personality – isn\u2019t that just the realm of the marketing team? Successful communications strategy means creating campaigns that resonate, build reliability, and even likeability – and that\u2019s the role of PR. A strong brand …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":423,"featured_media":143556,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7365,7272,3725,3729],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143554"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/423"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143554"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143554\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":143562,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143554\/revisions\/143562"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/143556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}