When you think about the brand Red Bull, what jumps to mind? Perhaps extreme sports such as Formula 1 racing, BMX, motocross, and alpine skiing come to the forefront. And what about the brand Dove? Maybe thoughts of body positivity, inclusivity, and challenging traditional beauty standards emerge. Nevertheless, these brand associations are not accidental. They are crafted through the development of a brand persona, which serves to reshape consumers’ perceptions of a business, elevating them beyond merely their products and services. By creating a brand persona, companies enrich the customer-business relationship, fostering brand loyalty and consumer advocacy. But what exactly is a brand persona, and why are they important in today’s fiercely competitive market?
In this article, we explore the concept of brand personas and reveal three compelling reasons why they are essential for businesses today. By unpacking this complex topic, we aim to provide a clearer understanding of brand personas and their significance in helping businesses develop lasting relationships with their customers.
What Is a Brand Persona?
A Brand Persona is a combination of human characteristics and traits that a brand communicates to its audience through every touchpoint to create lasting relationships with its customers. It encompasses a company’s values, voice, visual identity, attitudes, ideas, and opinions. These qualities are communicated to consumers in several ways, including advertising, social media, website content, customer interactions, product design, and packaging. Here are a few examples of popular brand personas to help further your understanding:
Lululemon — Lululemon, the person, is someone who lives an active lifestyle and prioritizes physical fitness, wellness, and mindfulness in their daily life. Lululemon is community-oriented and believes in advocating for sustainability, inclusivity, and equality. While passionate about physical activity, Lululemon embraces fashion and wears clothes that make them feel confident, trendy, comfortable, and empowered. Those closest to Lululemon describe them as creative, adventurous, motivated, and unafraid to push beyond their limits.
Harley-Davidson — Harley-Davidson, the person, is someone who lives life one moment at a time, chasing adrenaline, riding motorcycles, and exploring the world around them. Harley-Davidson embraces a lifestyle of self-expression and individualism, searching to break away from societal norms. While they enjoy their nomadic lifestyle, Harley-Davidson seeks connection from people within their community, developing bonds with those who share a love for the open road and living life on the edge. People within their inner circle describe Harley-Davidson as rugged, authentic, and rebellious.
Apple — Apple, the person, is a technology enthusiast with a keen eye for design and an appreciation for the beauty of artistic expression. They have a powerful imagination, which they use to explore the world around them in search of new possibilities and a better way forward. With their charismatic and confident personality, Apple inspires others to think differently, dream big, and believe that anything is possible. Behind their cool, stylish, and sophisticated exterior lies a self-starter with a burning passion for their craft and precise attention to detail. Those closest to them describe Apple as innovative, bold, and forward-thinking.
Why Is Creating a Brand Persona Essential for Your Business?
Historically, businesses have grown customer loyalty by consistently delivering high-quality products and services to consumers. While this remains foundational for sustained business success, relying solely on quality is no longer sufficient in today’s highly competitive market. In response to this challenge, companies have increasingly embraced the brand persona as a way to build a community of loyal followers, for three main reasons.
Brand Personas Build Emotional Connections and Brand Loyalty
Today’s consumers expect more than quality products or services from the brands they buy; they seek meaningful connections and lasting relationships. To customers, each purchase is a reflection of their values and brands are often seen as an extension of themselves. Think about the age-old debate of Apple versus Android. Despite being comparable in quality, performance, and functionality, loyalists of either brand could spend hours debating why theirs is superior to another. By crafting a distinct brand persona, businesses cultivate trust and familiarity with consumers, meeting their desire to connect emotionally with brands. Over time this fosters loyalty and advocacy as consumers grow a deeper fondness and connection with the brands they love.
Brand Personas Promote Consistency and Coherence
Consumers interact with brands daily through various touchpoints and channels. From a brand’s website to its social media and even its customer service, each of these engagements conveys the brand’s values, beliefs, opinions, and overall personality to consumers. As such, businesses must communicate clear and consistent messages, ensuring a positive experience across all facets of the brand. Through the creation and implementation of a brand persona, businesses establish guiding principles for all aspects of the company, ensuring consistency across communication channels, marketing endeavours, and customer interactions. This helps to align internal stakeholders and external messaging presenting a cohesive identity that reinforces the brand’s positioning and values.
Brand Personas Set You Apart from Your Competitors
Regardless of the industry, consumers are overwhelmed by the abundance of choices in today’s crowded marketplace. Consider, for instance, the television sector, which features several brands, including LG, Samsung, Hisense, Sony, and Neptune. With such a wide array of options available, it has become increasingly critical for brands to differentiate themselves from their competitors. By crafting a unique brand persona, companies are better equipped to stand out in the market, making it easier for customers to recognize and remember their brand, providing businesses with a substantial competitive advantage.
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As competition intensifies with the rise of new enterprises and innovations, achieving success in today’s crowded market is becoming increasingly challenging. While producing high-quality products and services remains essential, brands must also explore alternative avenues for differentiation, including a brand persona. By investing the time and resources in building a brand persona, businesses can cultivate stronger brand loyalty, maintain consistency across all customer touchpoints, and ultimately, gain a substantial competitive advantage in the market.
To learn how your business can benefit from developing a robust brand persona, contact us today!
Vertical Motion is a trusted Canadian software development and entrepreneur assistance company that has supported the global efforts of startups, non-profits, B2B, and B2C businesses since 2006. With headquarters in Calgary and Kelowna, and team members coast to coast, Vertical Motion is recognized as an award-winning leader in the technology industry. Our team of executive advisors, project managers, software developers, business analysts, marketing specialists, and graphic designers have extensive experience in several industries including — Energy, Finance, Blockchain, Real Estate, Health Care, Clean Technology, Clothing & Apparel, Sports & Recreation, Software as a Service (SaaS), and Augmented & Virtual Reality (AR/VR).
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Marketing | Communications | Sales Specialist at Vertical Motion