If you're familiar with the concept of brand personality, you might have a general idea of its meaning. In this article, we will explore the origins of brand personalities, how to identify yours, and how to leverage it effectively to enhance customer recognition and loyalty.
What is a brand personality?
Many brand specialists including myself use the theories of Carl Jung, the eminent psychologist and colleague of Freud. He discovered there were a limited quantity of unique personalities that every individual aligns with.
We use twelve of these archetypes to describe the most common brand personalities that mirror our own values, strengths and weaknesses. These archetypes are called; the innocent, the sage, the explorer, the outlaw, the magician, the hero, the lover, the jester, the everyman, the caregiver, the ruler and the creator.
By identifying with one of these archetypes as a business, you can communicate with your intended audience with clarity, creating a common and strong thread that holds together your brand story, message, tone, intonation, aesthetic and values more effectively. This fosters a deeper connection with your clients, customers or users beyond mere transactions. From a psychological perspective, this gives customers an expectation of who they understand you to be which makes them feel safe.
Where do I start?
The diagram shows the twelve archetypes split into four quadrants. These are a good place to start to help you identify your brand's purpose and drive. Once you have read through the archetypes, you can note down which brand voice you most resonate with for you own brand.
Review the values to see which overlap with your own. Full descriptions and more detail of the psychological links can be found at iconicfox.com.au
How do I know which personality my brand is?
Try to rule out obvious choices for your industry and focus on simply picking the archetypes that most align with your brand's mission, voice and values. It's important to narrow it down to one or two as a maximum to avoid a confusing brand voice.
If you select two archetypes, one should become your primary personality and the other a secondary or supporting role. For more guidance on the archetypes, how to select yours and what they represent in more detail, consider viewing our mini course on the basics of branding.
What do I do once I know my archetype?
Once you have established your brand archetype, you can begin to apply the attributes or personality characteristics to all parts of your brand identity. Starting with your brand story, writing it in such a way that it sounds like the brand voice of your chosen archetype.
You may even wish to rewrite your mission statement and refine your brand values to make sure they are all in alignment with your personality. You can start to create a distinct tone of voice that represents your personality, this helps to reinforce resonating traits with your audience.
Could it be time for a rebrand?
If you have never done this work before, discovering your brand personality can highlight that the current visual identity may no longer align with your direction. In such cases, it can be challenging to integrate your new personality into an outdated version of your branding.
Just as it is difficult for us to revert to our previous selves after evolving, it is essential to approach your brand in the same manner.
Let go of old perceptions of your brand that no longer reflect your personality. Realign everything, and be open to a brand refresh that will bring the identity together, enabling you to operate from a position of strength and confidence.
If you would like to discover more about the magic of branding and how it can shape your customer experience or to work with me direct on your branding, please get in touch.
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