Successful brands often adopt personalities to make them seem more personable to their target audience.
Although it's ridiculous to state that customers see brands as people, companies can become more relatable and encourage customers to see them as less of a cold corporate entity and more of a welcoming brand they'd be open to spending their money with.
Brands with personality improve the chances of customers becoming emotionally invested in their company and what they do.
The different types of brand personailities
There are 12 different brand personalities commonly used in the world of branding.
Each have a certain goal and message they want to portray in order to position themselves effectively in their customers mind.
The Lover
To create intimate relationships with audiences by providing premium, elevated experiences — based strongly on intimate connection, passion and sensation.
Victoria Secrets has pioneered the lover archetype since the beginning, connecting their products with sexy women who embody the personality traits and flawless visual appearance the brand wants to be known for.
The Explorer
To discover and experience new, exciting adventures with the objective of achieving maximum self-fulfillment.
Patagonia is a complex brand with a simple mission; to make the world a better place and encourage you to explore it. A fantastic brand to take inspiration from.
To forever absorb immense knowledge and teach others on the journey as a mentor, nurturing them to also become wise.
National Geographic wants to be portrayed as the world leader in geography, cartography and exploration. Being a beacon of wisdom in those three areas helps the brand to be seen as the trustworthy source for people interested in those topics.
The Jester
To bring joy and entertainment to the world through fun and light-hearted laughter.
Innocent Smoothies is sometimes mistaken as being linked with the Innocent brand personality. But the brands witty ads and overall approach to their communications is unapologetically funny, so I personally feel that they fit more as a Jester.
The Ruler
To exude intense success and power (as a leader) that attracts a cult following.
British Airways is proudly British, and isn't shy about it. The brand want to be seen as the ruler of the skys. A position of authority and power which helps them portray their service offerings as high-end.
The Magician
To understand and transform the universe through innovation, making special dreams come true for everybody — on a personal level.
Everyone knows Disney helps create magic with their theme parks and movies. Children across the world all know the Disney brand before they can likely walk. The brand has been creating magic for children and adults alike for almost a century.
The Caregiver
To care for, protect and help others.
Johnson & Johnson have many brands they manage, but their caring approach to messaging and creating the best products for the customer does not go unnoticed. A brand which truly has their hart in the right place, and backs it up with action.
The Innocent
To spread optimism, freedom, happiness, simplicity and purity.
Evian embraced their innocent personality with an incredible campaign showcasing adults with baby alternatives. The adverts showcased Evian (who basically sell bottled water) as the brand who are innocent and pure (dance the babies).
The Everyman
To befriend and be accepted by everybody. Most importantly — to be relatable.
Coca Cola is the one brand you can find wherever you are in the world. This places them firmly as a brand everyone (to different degrees) can enjoy and be around. You could say the brand is vanilla. They don't take huge risks and like to keep on everyones good side.
The Hero
Radically improve the world or concepts, in a way that is awe-inspiring.
On the alternative side, Nike love taking risks. This advert caused an incredible amount of controversy. But it helped the Nike brand position itself as being brave enough to stand up for the greater good of humanity.
The Creator
To create value — innovating and inspiring through unique vision, artistic expression and individuality.
Apple are one of the best examples of a brand being creative. Their adverts, retail experience and overall approach to marketing is as creative as they come. It could be argued Apple have lost their 'touch' since Steve Jobs passed, but the brand still looks to pioneer the creator brand personality and help creatives to do their best work.
How to decide which brand personality is perfect for your brand
The process of choosing which brand personality is right for your brand is a simple one.
The best way I suggest business owners do this is to imagine their brand/company as a person.
Who are they? How do they behave? What do they look like? What do they wear? How do they engage with they world?
These questions should get you on the right track and ignite the process of thinking about your brand as a living breathing person... because your brand is a living breathing thing.
The famous MAC vs PC advert is a prime example of Apple personifying their brand and showcasing it as a living breathing person. By showcasing the differences between PC & MAC in the form of people, it helped them communicate in a more unique and effective way.
So as weird as it sounds, look at your business and your brand as a person is the simpliest way to find out which brand personality suits your brand best.
If you feel like you need some additional help, please feel free to get in touch with us and we'll be happy to give you some advice or guidance.
