Your brand preempts customers' perceptions and affects their likeliness to buy from you. Creating a clear, consistent, and strong brand personality strengthens your connection with your target audience and controls your brand's narrative. It's crucial to take control of your brand personality to send the best message to your customers.

Jeff Bezos once said, "Your brand is what other people say about you when you're not in the room." Seth Godin adds that it's a combination of "expectations, memories, stories, and relationships." When you meet or exceed expectations, create meaningful memories and relationships, and develop a strong brand story that resonates with your audience — you control what people say about you when you're not in the room.

While it will never be easy, you can do it. Here are some of our top tips on developing brand personality, what it is, and why you should be prioritizing it in your marketing.

What Your Brand Personality Is

Brand personality is a set of characteristics and behaviors that are part of your customer interactions and what they come to expect. Every touchpoint will define your personality and set the stage for what consumers can expect at the next touchpoint. And then, it will be discussed among consumers to set the stage for what new customers will come to expect.

It builds credibility, attracts new customers, and retains customers when done correctly. While this refers primarily to customer interaction and engagement, it also touches on product and service quality.

High-quality products/services may not be able to sell themselves without creating a killer brand first, but branding can get them in the door regardless.

Quality products will keep them returning. It's essential to strive for both and be open about your offer (i.e., lower quality—lower price). At least 86% of consumers prefer authentic and honest brand personalities. That's crucial to keep in mind when building brand awareness and introducing your products or services to the market.

How to Control Brand Personality 

The big question: can you control your brand personality? YES. Here's how.

You can take measures to influence your brand personality. More specifically, you will need to do the following.

Decide What You Want Your Brand to Be

The only way you will be able to control your brand personality is to know who you are and how you want to be perceived by the public. That often starts with a lot of self-examination and consideration.

What sets you apart from the competition? Are you more open and honest? Socially and environmentally conscious? Do you want to be known for the best customer service or just the most reliable products? Maybe both?

You should also consider your 'why?' What's your purpose beyond making a profit? Incorporate that into who you want your brand to be. Then cement it into a guide that everyone in your company can access and follow closely to ensure touchpoints are positive and consistent.

Learn Who Your Audience Is

Who is most likely to gain value from your product or service? Identify your target audience and their needs so you can lay out ways your business will resolve or satisfy those needs. Learn everything from their needs to their aspirations to better understand them, so you can clearly and consistently convey the ways your brand can make their life easier or better.

You can do this by:

• Evaluating your Existing Customers 
• Monitoring your Direct Competition's Customers 
• Working with a Research Partner
• Conducting In-House Studies/Research
  
  

Master Your Brand Voice

It cannot be emphasized enough how important it is to master your brand voice across all platforms and channels. While each channel may have its language and successful formats (i.e., Instagram is visual, Twitter is mainly text, YouTube is video, etc.), you must still stay true to your voice.

The best way to reach your audience is by being true to your brand. You want your voice to stay consistent and relevant to the right people. You will have mastered your brand voice and maintained control of your brand personality if you can do that.

Craft Your Messaging Around It

The best way to influence your brand personality is by crafting your messaging around your brand personality. You can make this easier by creating a style guide that details how to represent your brand voice and make it easier to replicate on each channel. It will need to include:

• Brand Story 
• Logo Guidelines 
• Designated Colors 
• Brand Voice 
• Your Visual Style 
• Typography (Font Styles, Sizes, etc.), and More
   

Achieving this will not be a one-and-done project. You must continue to update and modify your style guide for crafting messages. After all, your brand will evolve as your audience changes and must adapt to maintain a regular client base. You can do this by planning your marketing to keep learning about your audience, so you can adjust and respond adequately.

Are You Ready to Gain More Control of Your Brand Personality?

The entire process will take a lot of time and effort, and many brands are still falling short of the mark. But with the proper understanding of brand personality, the correct guidance on creating and controlling it, and messages crafted with your personality in mind — your brand will be well on its way to being the select few to achieve it.

Consider working with a trusted media partner in the Carolinas for the best results. Not only do we have a thorough understanding of the Carolina audience, but we can help you gain more clarity on specific audiences in South Carolina that will resonate most with your brand. Then we'll use that insight to strengthen your branding and get you front and center of the right people.