Your brand’s personality: Making it relatable and memorable

What’s a brand personality?

In 2024, brands are everywhere you look. But how many of them actually feel like, well, people? Sometimes, not so many. That’s where brand personality comes in. It’s about giving your brand a vibe, a way of talking, and a set of characteristics that make it relatable. Think of it like your brand is your coolest / most knowledgeable / most reliable, etc. friend—the one you want to hang out with or do certain things with because they get you.

Why brand personality is important

So why bother creating a personality for your brand? It’s not just about knowing how to write a website headline and how to design your logo. Here’s the reality:

• People love connections: We connect with folks who get us, and brands are no different. A strong personality lets your brand click with your target audience on a deeper level, building trust and loyalty.
• Standing out in a crowded room: Imagine a party full of people in the same boring shirt and pants. A unique brand personality is about showing up in a different outfit—it grabs attention and makes you memorable.
• Setting the mood for customer experience: Your brand personality should be the music to your customer experience. From how you write your website headlines to how you answer customer emails, it should all feel like it comes from the same awesome (or funny, or chill) person.
• Finding your tribe: The right brand personality attracts the right kind of people. It acts like a magnet, pulling in customers who share your values and vibe, creating a community around your brand.

Building your brand persona: From zero to hero in 5 steps

Crafting a brand personality isn’t about fancy marketing speak. It’s about figuring out who your brand would be if it hung out with you. Here’s how to get started:

1. What makes you tick? What are the core beliefs that drive your business? Is it about making people laugh, helping them explore, or creating something together?
2. Who’s your friend? Imagine your ideal customer. What are they into? What makes them tick? Understanding your target audience is key to crafting a personality that resonates with them.
3. Check on the competition. How do the brands you compete with present themselves? What can you learn from them? How can you be different? What type hasn’t been taken yet? Use this info to find your unique spot in the personality spectrum.
4. Wordplay time! If your brand was a person, how would you describe them? Hilarious? Adventurous? Reliable? These words will shape your brand persona, the baseline personality framework that guides your voice.
5. Be consistent. Don’t change all the time and don’t try to be too many things! Your personality should shine through in everything you do, from your social media posts to your product packaging. A minimal approach (clearly communicating one thing is better than trying to say five words at the same time) and consistency are critical to building a brand that people recognize and love.

Real-world examples: How other brands create personality

Let’s see some A-players who are good at the personality game:

• Skims, the solution squad leader: Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand, Skims, is all about body positivity and inclusivity. Their social media presence is full of real people of all shapes and sizes rocking their products, creating a community of self-acceptance and solution-oriented shopping.
• Patagonia, the eco-warrior with a cause: Patagonia is a brand on a mission. Their adventurous and outdoorsy personality is intertwined with their fight for environmental activism. They walk the walk, donating a significant portion of their profits to environmental causes, making them a brand that customers can feel good about supporting.
• Glossier, the Minimalist BFF: Glossier’s brand personality is the cool girl next door who keeps it simple but chic. Their social media is full of effortless beauty tips and tutorials, making makeup feel approachable and fun rather than intimidating.
• Peak Performance, the gear guru: This brand doesn’t just sell action cameras or fitness trackers; they’re your ultimate adventure buddy. Their personality is all about pushing limits, conquering challenges, and capturing every epic moment. Imagine them as the friend who’s always down for a hike, a bike ride, or a weekend camping trip. Their social media is packed with action shots, behind-the-scenes glimpses from sponsored athletes, and helpful tutorials on using their products to get the most out of your adventures. The brand voice is encouraging, informative, and humorous, making them relatable to guys who love the outdoors and capturing those experiences.

How to make your brand personality part of your brand design

Now that you’ve identified your brand’s core personality—the witty one, the adventurous explorer, or the reliable problem solver. But how do you translate those traits into something visual? Brand design isn’t just about creating a memorable logo; it’s about creating a visual language that reflects your brand’s personality and resonates with your target audience.

Here are three ways to make brand personality shine through your design:

• Color palette: A playful brand might lean towards bright, energetic colors, while a sophisticated brand might count on darker tones. Understanding how colors affect us can help you choose a palette that reflects your brand’s personality.
• Fonts: Fonts can be classy or modern, playful or approachable. Choose a typeface that reflects or complements your brand voice. Similarly, select images that visually represent your personality. Think action shots for the adventurous brand or clean, minimalist lines for the tech-savvy one.
• Logo symbol: Many brands use logo symbols or mascots to support their personality. These can be a fun way to connect with your audience, especially for brands targeting a local community.

Your brand design is only one part of your brand identity. Try not to package too many things you want to say into one element—may it be the colors, the logo, the font, or the way you say things (voice of tone).

Instead, distribute personality aspects among those elements. Usually, some aspects lend themselves to be one thing over the other more easily. And sometimes, aspects can contradict each other.

Designers figure out the best combination of all things. It’s easiest if you follow the five steps for “Building your brand persona: From zero to hero” above and then thoughtfully apply one word to one design element after the other; for example, “funny” could be the way you write headlines and “reliable” is having a blue color palette (granted that your competitors aren’t blue). You could switch it and have a color palette to express the “funny” part of your brand personality and then write serious headlines that show reliability.

By inserting your brand personality into your marketing work, you’ll create a memorable and cohesive experience that sets you apart from the competition.

In a nutshell: Be you, be real, be memorable

Investing in brand personality isn’t a trend. It’s the powerhouse that builds brand loyalty, creates fans, and propels your business toward success. So, take some time, figure out who your brand really is, and let its personality go live. After all, people don’t connect with robots; they connect with cool people (even if those cool people don’t technically exist). Make your brand that friend people want to hang out with.

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