Brand Personality

What is brand personality?

Brand Personality is a set of human

characteristics associated with a
brand
Personality is how the brand behaves
Gender, age, socio-economic class,
psychographic, emotional
characteristics
 Some examples

Marlboro is masculine while Virginia

Slims is feminine
IBM is older while Apple is younger
India Today is old-fashioned while
Outlook is trendier
Coke is conforming while Pepsi is
irreverent
 About brand personality
Brand Personality, like human personality, is
both distinctive and enduring
Both are built over a period of time

Refers to the outcome of all the consumers

experiences with the brand
In other words, the brands personality is the
weighted average of previous impressions
In consumers mind, these impressions merge to
form an overall concept of what to expect from
brand
 More about it

Brand Personality is eagerly searched by

brand strategists and researchers

Differences in responses by different

consumers provide useful insights

For example, users of a product will

perceive a brand different from non-users
 In essence

Personality traits are what

the brand will live and die for
 Examples

Axe
Seduction, masculinity, inviduality,
unconventionality

Marlboro
Masculinity, freedom, adventure

Levis
Rebellion, sensuality, being cool
Example: Spinz
Young
Modern
Active
Outdoor
Cheerful
Friendly

Life of the Party

 Why use brand personality?
Enriches understanding
Helps gain an in-depth understanding of
consumer perceptions of and attitudes
towards the brand

Can provide more insight than is gained by

asking about attribute perceptions

For ex., Microsoft, IBM etc.,

 Why use brand personality?
Contributes to a differentiating identity
Can differentiate brands especially where
brands are similar in product attributes

In fact, it can define not only the brand but

the product class context and experience

Mercedes Vs BMW; Clinic Plus Vs

Pantene
 Why use brand personality?

Guides the communication effort

Communicates the brand identity with
richness and texture

If the brand is specified only in terms of

attribute associations, very little
meaningful guidance is provided
Is Nike shoes or sports, performance and
attitude?
 Why use brand personality?

Creates brand equity

Builds long-term brand equity

Differentiates the brand and makes it

distinct from other competitive offerings

Serves as a powerful relationship device

 How to create brand personality?

Personality of a person is affected by

everything associated with him friends,
neighbourhood, activities, clothes etc.,

So too is a brand personality

 Product-related characteristics

Product-related characteristics can be primary

drivers of a brand personality
Even the product class can affect personality

Banks, Insurance etc., tend to be Competent,

Serious, Masculine, Older and Upper-class

Athletic shoes tend to be Young, Lively, Rugged,

Outdoorsy, Adventurous etc.,
 Product-related characteristics

Product attributes can often affect brand

personality

A light beer would largely be classy,

sophisticated etc.,

A high-priced brand will be considered

wealthy, stylish and perhaps snobbish!
 User imagery

Can be powerful driver of personality

because user is already a person and so
conceptualizing the personality is reduced

User Imagery can be people who use the

brand or those portrayed in advertising
 Sponsorships

Activities such as events sponsored by the

brand will influence its personality

Ponds sponsoring Feminas Miss India

contest

Budweiser sponsoring the blimp in

American sporting events
 Age

How long a brand has been on the market

can affect its personality

New entrants like Apple, Outlook etc., tend

to have younger brand personalities than
IBM, India Today etc.,
 Symbol

A symbol can be a powerful influence on

brand personality since it can be controlled
and can have extremely strong
associations

Some examples
Apples bitten apple
Nikes swoosh
MetLifes Peanuts character
 How it creates brand equity?
The ways brand personality can create brand
equity are summarized by 3 models:

1. The Self-Expression Model

2. The Relationship Basis Model

3. The Functional Benefit Representation Model

 The self-expression model
The basic premise is that for some customers,
some brands become vehicles to express a part
of their self-identity
This self-identity can be their actual identity or
an ideal self to which they might aspire
Apple is perceived as friendly, unpretentious,
irreverent and willing to go against the grain
This is because Mac is easy-to-use and also due to
its symbol, advertising, user groups etc.,
The use of Apple expresses a personal identity of
being non-corporate and creative
 How brand helps express personality?

Feelings engendered by brand personality

There can be a set of feelings and
emotions attached to a brand personality,
just as there are to a person
The use of such brands can cause feelings and emotions to
emerge

Feelings, when using a Harley-Davidson

or Apple would not emerge when using a
Honda or Compaq
 How brand helps express personality?

The brand as a badge

A brand could serve as a consumers
personal statement

Cars, cosmetics, apparels lend

themselves to personality expression
because their use occurs in a social
context with relatively high involvement
 How brand helps express personality?

The brand becomes part of the self

The ultimate personality expression occurs
when a brand becomes an extension or an
integral part of the self

The executive who wears Allen Solly on a Friday

feels semi-casual and waiting to welcoming the
weekend!

The potential to create this oneness with some

people can represent a significant opportunity
for a brand
 The relationship basis model
Some people may never aspire to have a certain
personality trait but would like to have a
relationship with one who has that

A trustworthy, dependable, conservative

personality might be seen boring but sought
nevertheless, from banks or financial products

The concept of a relationship between a brand

and a person provides a different perspective on
how brand personality might work
 The Relationship Basis Model
To see how this model works, consider
personality types of people with whom we
have relationships and the nature of those
relationships

Spirited, young, up-to-date, outgoing

Pepsi
On a weekend evening, it might be enjoyable
to have a friend who has these personality
features
 The Relationship Basis Model

Two elements affect individuals

relationship with a brand

1. Relationship between the brand-as-person and

the customer
Which is analogous to the relationship between two
people

2. The brand personality

The type of person the brand represents
 Functional benefit representation model

The previous two models provide contexts

in which brand personality can be the
basis for a brand strategy and a link to the
customer

A brand personality can also play a more

indirect role by being a vehicle for
representing and cueing functional
benefits and brand attributes
 Functional benefit representation model

Marlboros personality of a macho,

freedom-loving, adventurous person
suggests that the product is strong

Harley Davidsons personality of a rugged,

macho, I-am-different-kind suggests that
the product is a powerful, liberating vehicle
 Functional benefit representation model

When a visual symbol or image exists that can

create and cue personality
the ability of the personality to reinforce brand
attributes will be greater

The Energizer rabbit is an upbeat, indefatigable

personality who never runs out of energy
Just as the battery it symbolizes runs longer than
others
 Functional benefit representation model

A brand personality that represents a

functional benefit or attribute may be
relatively ineffective if it lacks a visual
image established in the customers mind

A country or region of origin can add

credibility to an identity
It can generate a strong personality that
provides a quality cue and a key point of
differentiation
 To sum up
A brand personality can help a brand in several
ways:
It can provide a vehicle for customers to express their
own identity
A brand personality metaphor helps suggests the kind
of relationship that customer has with brand
Brand personalities serve to represent and cue
functional benefits and product attributes well

Importantly, brand personality is often a

sustainable point of differentiation
Sustainable because it is very difficult to copy a
personality