We all have our own range of quirks which make us unique. These traits mark us as distinctly different to others. And, often, they’re what our family and friends love the most about us. Brands are no different. In order to stand out from the crowd and build up an affinity with consumers, it’s vital that a business is more than just the products that it sells – but a personality in its own right.
An important part of what differentiates each of our personalities is the way that we communicate. This includes the vocabulary that we choose to use. Without being consciously aware of it, we all have a mix of words and phrases which others associate with us. This combination of what we say and how we say it gives us our own, unique tone of voice.
The building blocks of brand personality
Leveraging this concept is one of the most important steps in building a relatable brand personality. After all, while a business can exist without a recognisable brand, it makes life far more difficult than it needs to be.
These days, where there are more businesses, there is increased competition and less consumer loyalty. ‘Deals’ are commonplace, and people switch far more frequently in search of a bargain. Therefore, more often than not, people need an additional reason to choose you over your competitors. This is where personality and tone of voice comes in to play.
If your brand was a person, who would it be?
It can seem more than a little daunting figuring out exactly ‘who’ your brand is. But assigning human characteristics is a great place to start and will really help in the process of figuring out exactly how you’d like to communicate with your customers.
Importantly, remember to remain authentic. The personality behind the brand needs to be an extension of the values of your business. Perhaps you’re a recruitment business with a ‘work hard, play hard’ culture, this should be reflected in what you say and how you say it.
It may be that you’re a toy manufacturer, in which case fun and playful would be top of your list. Maybe, as part of the healthcare sector, your personality is kind and compassionate – this can be showcased in the way that you communicate and the language you use.
Putting it all into words
Once you’ve established what your brand personality is all about, it’s time to put it into words. A favourite past time of ours, as we’re sure you can imagine!
It’s time to think about what you’ll say and how you’ll go about saying it. Mapping out the vocabulary that is, and isn’t, to be used is a must. Remember to adjust tone of voice when needed. As a modern female fashion brand, ‘hun’ might be a frequent greeting but it could just be the thing that pushes a complaining customer to boiling point – so beware!
Similarly, while social media and email marketing is a fantastic place to unleash this newly established personality and tone of voice, tweaks will be needed in other areas. One size doesn’t fit all, and what works in consumer facing communications, won’t necessarily translate so well to a corporate press release, for example.
We love nothing more than to help brands to build and share their personality with their customers, their colleagues and the media. If you’d like to chat to us about the next steps in your brand building journey, and what else you can expect from PR, call a member of the team on 01924 862477 or email us at info@opencomms.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you!