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November 2020 · 3.5 Min Read
Ok, we’ll stop right there. We’re offering good advice above but something about it just doesn’t feel right. If you’ve read our articles in the past, the above paragraph will probably have felt a little off. We’re serious about making your audience think, feel and take action but our content is usually pretty light and often, playful. We like to take you with us, as a more experienced friend might if they were to lead you on a hike. We’ll guide you using our knowledge and expertise but in the end, we’re happy to let you choose your own path. We may well offer a similar message to other marketing companies but we do it our way. In the end, it all comes down to our brand personality.
For some, even the idea of a brand having a personality might feel a little too abstract. It’s an inanimate object after all. In fact, it’s not even an object! Many see a logo for the likes of Coca-Cola, McDonalds, John Lewis, Tesla, The New York Times etc. and think of that as their brand. It’s a big part of what makes them stand out and it attracts their audience so why not? Well, can you imagine John Lewis or The New York times writing content in the style of McDonalds or Coca-Cola? What would their customers think? How about if they changed the fonts on their website to be more “Tesla-like”? We’d probably all feel a little icky to say the least. A logo, on its own, is a (sometimes beautiful) empty design that means nothing. It is only when it is representing something deeper that it comes to life. It’s only when it feels like the logo is expressing itself in the same way as every other piece of communication that we start to get a real perception of the business behind the branding.
Remember that guy at that party. You know the one? He occasionally nodded, had no real opinion on anything, seemed to somehow be wearing the same clothes as everyone else and had no distinguishing features whatsoever? No? Well, there’s a surprise! For those who haven’t caught onto the concept of sarcasm yet, that was it. Now, it’s probably a good thing for that guy that nobody remembers him. Lots of us just want to blend in when it comes to our day to day lives but if your brand just blends in, it’s failing at its primary objective:
TO STAND OUT
Let’s go back to basics for a second. A great brand will be clear, consistent, relevant and different. Yet, standing out and being different doesn’t mean being something you are not. Faking differences will make it a lot harder to stay clear and consistent. Your personality won’t fit your values, your purpose or any other part of what makes you, you. Standing out is about understanding who you truly are and embracing it. It doesn’t matter if you’re a freelancer, a small business or a huge conglomerate, there will be a style to what you do that makes you unique. When you take the time to truly analyse that style, define it and stick to it, you will stand out for all of the right reasons. Too many businesses err on the side of caution and restraint because they worry about “what people might think” but remember: it’s better to have a few people think badly of you than to have nobody think anything of you at all.
Everything above comes down to how your audience feel about you. Your brand personality isn’t something that most people think about on a day to day basis but your potential clients will form an opinion of you based on the style of your brand. For companies that haven’t defined their brand, that feeling is often one of confusion. Confusion breeds uncertainty and an absence of trust. That’s why your brand personality isn’t some abstract concept, it’s the basis for attracting and connecting with your current and future clients. Your brand personality extremely important, in fact, it's the foundation of many a successful business.
It’s not always easy to dig into your own brand personality but don’t worry, you don’t have to do it alone. [email protected] and ask us about a Defining Your Brand Workshop.
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