The Power of Personality

WAYS TO UNLOCK YOUR BRAND’S

PERSONA

When you think of Virgin Atlantic, what’s

the first thing that pops into your mind? Odds are it isn’t their

low airfares or the obscure fact that the company was ranked

sixth-best air carrier in the world for 2015 by Forbes. It’s

most likely the latest exploit of the billionaire entrepreneur

behind the company, Sir Richard Branson.

Likewise, it’s difficult to think about Apple as an entity without

giving a passing nod to the genius of Steve Jobs. And how can

you even begin to think about a certain tower on New York

City’s Fifth Avenue without associating it with a flamboyant

presidential candidate?

In each of these cases, the organization’s Brand identity has

been inextricably linked with the powerful personality who

leads or once led it. Take the Trump brand for example. Love

him or hate him, when you see the name Trump gracing a

piece of real estate, you know exactly what to expect: The

property will be over the top. Walk into Trump Tower and

you’ll see miles of polished marble, sparkling 24-carat gold

trim, super-efficient staff and all the perks and amenities

you’d expect from a premier address.

Sure, you may say, it’s easy for billionaires to create a Brand Image based on personality, but how can a normal organization possibly do that?

THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION

THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION

Once such a linkage between Brand and personality is made

in the minds of your potential clients, donors, employees,

the public, etc. you have achieved priceless marketing

shorthand. Apple, for example, doesn’t have to spend a

fortune telling potential buyers that its products are intuitive

and innovative. We already assume that; it’s simply part of

Apple’s personality to create products that are in tune with

its corporate image.

Sure, you may say, it’s easy for billionaires to create

a Brand Image based on personality, but how can a

normal organization possibly do that?

To learn how, look no further than your favorite corner coffee

shop. You know the one, where the owner always remembers

your name, asks about your kids, and often anticipates your

order. Maybe they are sweet, perhaps a touch sarcastic, but

there is something about his or her personality that keeps

you coming back to where you feel welcome, time and time

again.

If developing this cult of personality works for small mom

and pop shops, and it works for megafirms, how can mid-

size organizations like yours tap the power of personality for

marketing impact? Let our experts at #BrandInspiration

show you how!

THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION

Have other folks within your organization ask and see how the answers differ when someone else is posing the questions.

Like it or not – and whether you even realize it or not - your organization already has its own distinctive personality. This persona is what your clients,

consumers, donors, students, employees, the public, etc.

automatically thinks of when they hear your organization’s

name.

How do you find out what these diverse groups really

think about you?

You Ask!

Ask everyone.

Ask your employees.

Ask your best clients.

Ask those somewhat testy, “trouble-making” customers.

Ask your competitors.

Ask the vendors you do business with on a regular basis.

Ask your family.

Ask the FedEx guy who routinely delivers your packages and

probably sees a more revealing glimpse of the inner workings

of your staff than you do.

STEP 1DETERMINE YOUR PERSONA

THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION

Once you have your answers, have other folks within your

organization ask and see how the answers differ when

someone else is posing the questions. Of course, you can

always bring in Brand or marketing consultants to do

the heavy lifting on this for you, or you can take the

time needed to do it yourself.

At the end of this process, you should have a white board

filled with adjectives and descriptors. At this point, realize

that there are no incorrect answers, only perceptions about

your Brand that you will either want to reinforce or rebut as

you follow the next steps in the process. The key is to come

out of this step with a clear understanding of your Brand’s

existing perceived personality.

STEP 1DETERMINE YOUR PERSONA

The key is to come out of this step with a clear understanding of your Brand’s existing perceived personality.

THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION

Now is the time to determine what you want to be known for

-- and to claim that Brand as your own.

Now that your organization has an understanding of what your Brand’s perceived personality is, you have a golden

opportunity to ask what you actually want it to be – and to

change it if you’re not quite where you want to be.

Are you a tech company that wants to be known as a hotbed

of innovation? Are you a financial services firm that wants to

be seen as a rock of stability amid troubled waters? Are you an

institute of higher education that wants to be known for placing

its graduates on paths to prosperous and rewarding careers in

their chosen field? Now is the time to determine what you want

to be known for – and to claim that Brand as your own.

Of course, at Brand Inspiration, we tell our clients that what

you want your organization to be should be carefully informed

by in-depth market research on what your clients really want

and need. It should be shaped by what your salespeople

tell you your customers are asking for. It should always be

influenced by what your collective common sense as

well as your organizational Mission and Vision dictate.

It should be forward-thinking and lead you in the direction

where your marketing or brand managers tell you you’ll need to

go in the future.

To bring these varied pieces together into a seamless whole,

don’t be afraid to consult with outside experts like our team at

Brand Inspiration. There’s a huge disparity between knowing

where you want to go and understanding the path you need to

get there. This is where bringing in some fresh eyes can make

all the difference, injecting new ideas and energy into a re-

branding campaign.

STEP 2DECIDE WHO YOU WANT TO BE

THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION

Get everyone on the same page and make certain that they understand the WHY behind your Branding plan so they can execute the WHAT flawlessly.

STEP 3SHARE YOUR VISION INTERNALLY

Just as it does on a purely personal level, changing or reinforcing your organization’s image really begins from the inside out. For this reason, it’s essential that every

employee in your organization is brought into the loop so

that they understand what your Brand vision is and how it

impacts their individual role on a daily basis.

Let’s face it. Changing a Brand’s personality is a big deal.

It should be something that every employee in your

organization gets fired up about. You have to create

excitement and build a groundswell of internal support

around a major transformation or it simply won’t last. No

matter how many ads you execute about your organization’s

new identity, it’s how your employees translate your

vision into their daily habits that will make or break

your personality Branding process.

At Brand Inspiration, we often recommend bringing in some

external support to reinforce these key points. Outside

experts sometimes bring more credibility than the managers

your team is accustomed to dealing with each and every day.

Bring in some exceptional motivational speakers; sign up

that outstanding trainer; hire that celebrity for an afternoon.

Get everyone on the same page and make certain that they

understand the WHY behind your Branding plan so they can

execute the WHAT flawlessly.

THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION

This is where it makes sense to give your internal marketing department

all the assistance it needs.

As an organization, you know what you are now and where you want to go, and your employees are fired up about taking you there. But the next question you’ll likely

be asking is how exactly do you get there?

In the workplace, it’s often said that you are what you

wear, and we at Brand Inspiration feel that’s true for

what your Brand wears as well. We’re not talking about

designer suits and high-end ties or shoes here, although it’s

possible that they may be a component of your re-branding

process. For your organization, the clothes it wears are

your public-facing elements: Your logo, the colors and fonts

you choose to use in your digital and print presence, the

skeletons of your social media pages and more.

This is where it makes sense to give your internal marketing

department all the assistance it needs. Odds are, these folks

work each and every day to create pertinent, meaningful

materials for your Brand. Make their job easier by giving

them the guidelines they need to keep your new materials

consistent and the oversight they require to ensure that

all of your messaging – both internal and external – is in

agreement with the new Brand you want to convey.

STEP 4DRESS FOR SUCCESS

THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION

Don’t be afraid to showcase your new personality in a manner that really displays it.

STEP 5SHOUT IT OUT!

Now it’ time to spread the word. Don’t be

afraid to showcase your new personality in a manner that

really displays it. Be innovative. Break from tradition. Reach

out to key markets in new ways.

Need some inspiration? Look no further than Pabst Blue

Ribbon beer. For decades, this Milwaukee beer has had

a working-class reputation as an inexpensive beverage

of choice for cash-strapped college students. A few

years ago, the company wanted to expand its reach and tap

into the burgeoning beer market in China, which is by some

estimates the world’s biggest consumer of beer. Chinese

beer drinkers, however, favor more highbrow beverages and

are not afraid to pay for them.

To compete, the company re-branded its beer as Blue

Ribbon 1844, a reference to the year in which the company

was founded. While the beverage itself is indeed different

than what college-age consumers swill in the U.S. – it features

a brew of German malts and is aged in oak barrels – the

image is a world away and the price reflects it, retailing for an

amazing $44. New high-end packaging and lots of publicity

about the beer’s unique foreign pedigree justified the high

price point for discerning consumers, who were grabbing it

off the shelves after it was launched.

THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION

STEP 5SHOUT IT OUT!

If Pabst can change its image so dramatically with a new take

on luxury, imagine how some innovative thinking can re-

awaken your organization’s Brand. Just remember that some

of the best ideas on how to connect with the audience you

most want to reach may come from your own team. Don’t

neglect advice from your employees on how to best spread

the word about what you do day in and day out.

Don’t be afraid to showcase your new personality in a manner that really displays it.

THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION

Your brand cop might not be the most beloved person on your

staff, but they ultimately will be the most essential member of

your marketing team.

One of the most challenging aspects of Brand marketing is executing your message well across all platforms every single time. In the crush of getting materials out for

daily or weekly deadlines – whether that’s client statements,

trade show handouts, print ads or social media posts – it’s

easy to occasionally veer off track.

So how do you stay in gear? You need someone on your

team who is empowered and expected to remain singularly

focused on keeping your messaging consistent. This is your

Brand cop; the person who is able to and feels confident

enough to look at that glossy brochure your team has

been working on for weeks and ask the question no one

has considered about whether the piece plays to your key

strengths. The person who can look at the promo video your

marketing firm has put together and asks whether the tone is

appropriate for your new Brand image.

In the short term, your Brand cop might not be the most

beloved person on your staff, but they ultimately will be the

most essential member of your marketing team. If you don’t

feel comfortable having an insider tackle the role, don’t be

afraid to outsource it to a trusted Brand consultant.

STEP 6CONSISTENCY IS KEY

THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION

It’s time to double down to see what’s working and change what’s not.

STEP 7MEASURE TWICE…

Once your strategy is in place, it’s not time to rest on your laurels, It’s time to double

down to see what’s working and change what’s not.

Of course, you’ll want to check the efficiency of your

advertising campaigns, note how many emails you gather

through various lead generation projects, and track the

metrics that matter most to you. But you’ll also want to

monitor how people are engaging with your Brand to see

if it’s in the ways and manner in which you hoped and

expected when you began your Personality Branding

program. Go back to the basics you started with – those key

words and ideas you want your Brand to convey. In ways

large and small, weekly meetings and occasional memos,

bring your staff full circle and ask them how they are working

each and every day to convey your organization’s desired

persona.

Are you ready to put these steps into practice in your own business and

learn even more about building a brand that gets noticed?

Let’s talk about it!

Spill the beans about what you do over #cofffeewithMD and I’ll show

you how to perk up your image with a double shot of creative direction

and brand marketing.

BRAND INSPIRATION