In recent years, we’ve witnessed the growing trend of brands truly becoming alive on social media, showcasing their personalities for all to see. And let’s be honest here, there are just some brands that we’d rather hang with at parties than others. Innocent Drinks? You’re my plus one. Denny’s? First on the dance floor for sure. Taco Bell? Please, go ahead, shower me with your witty one-liners whilst I tuck into the all-you-can-eat buffet.

The reality is that today’s consumers are drawn to brands that they find relatable, trustworthy, and human. Just like we quickly develop first impressions of people around us, we often form very strong gut reactions to brands too. The billboard ads, news articles, TV ads, and social media posts we see on a daily basis spark an instant reaction in us. That could be a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, a little giggle to ourselves (or rather a slight twitch of the mouth partnered with a particularly long nose exhale), or at times, an instant dislike. The way a brand presents itself through marketing channels is kinda a big deal when it comes to appealing to today’s consumer. Simply having a great product or service isn’t enough. You need a cracking brand personality that shines throughout your communications to match. “But what even is a brand personality?” we hear someone shout from the back of the room. And what difference does it really make anyway? In this blog, we will run you through the basics of brand personality, how it can improve business, and why social media managers should pay attention.

What is a Brand Personality?

The term “personality” is something we are all familiar with in everyday life. It refers to all the combinations of individual characteristics and qualities that make a person recognizable. Personality embraces all the different moods, attitudes, and opinions of an individual, all working together to make a human being distinguishable from another. This very definition can be applied in pretty much a similar way when talking about branding. Just like we humans have personalities that set us apart from others, the same can be said for every brand. And just as the individual characteristics and qualities of each and every person we meet impact how we view and interact with them, a brand’s personality will impact the way consumers view and interact with the business. The most memorable brands that win over consumers are those whose personalities stand out and resonate with the target audience - whether that’s through being hilarious, being consistently caring, informative, and so on.

Brand personalities on social

In recent years, we have witnessed the trend of brands becoming much more playful with their marketing, showcasing much stronger and more memorable brand personalities than ever before.This rise in powerful brand personalities can be attributed to the advent of social media platforms, giving brands the outlet in which to get their voice out there. Through experimentation, brands from all kinds of industries are taking more and more risks when it comes to their marketing and communications. Gone are the days of playing it safe and sticking to formal, professional (and frankly yawn-inducing) social updates in concern of turning away potential customers. In today’s hyper-competitive era, brands are realizing that in order to reap the juiciest of rewards, you need to be willing to take risks. Now, let’s get right into what the benefits are of having a strong brand personality.

#1 — Boost your engagement

Showing your brand personality is one of the most fun and creative ways to boost your customer engagement on social. With competition on the rise, it’s become more difficult than ever to grab the attention of your target audience. According to Forbes, the average American is exposed to over 4,000 advertisements per day. And so, in 2022, if you want to have a chance at standing out above the fierce sea of competition, showcasing a unique and memorable brand personality through marketing communications is a must. 

UK smoothie brand, Innocent Drinks, is a prime example of a brand that really knows how to leverage a genius social media marketing strategy and brand personality to create some noise. The brand has accumulated hundreds of thousands of followers across its social media platforms, has a net worth of around $500 million, and has the majority share of the UK smoothie market.

How? The brand has perfected the ability to captivate its audience through its content creation. Innocent Drinks often use humour to attract attention, regularly comment on current events, and share human content that makes their brand extremely relatable. Furthermore, the social media professionals behind Innocent Drinks are always interacting with its audience, no matter the platform or topic of conversation.  With the attention spans of today’s consumers growing increasingly short, this is a brand that truly recognizes the need to add a dash of personality to marketing communications in order to create a far more enjoyable and engaging experience for its audience.

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A post shared by innocent (@innocent)

#2 — Stand out above the competition

Following on from the above, one of the key benefits of developing a brand personality is the opportunity it brings to differentiate your brand in a market that is bursting at the seams with stiff competition. Today’s consumers are spoilt for choice when it comes to options, and you can be well-assured that they will be doing their research and comparing brands ahead of making a purchase decision. To be in with a chance of being first choice for your target audience, you want to be standing out out on social media platforms — a key channel that consumers are looking at when carrying out product or service research. A strong, consistent brand personality is needed to cut through the noise and capture your audiences’ attention.We hope this article was a great help in kickstarting your live event coverage game plan. Be sure to follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on Slate’s product offerings, as well as our latest blog posts!

#3 — Build a more approachable and authentic brand

Developing a brand personality offers businesses the opportunity to be more human, with social media platforms giving brands a powerful medium for which to project their stand-out personality and share human-centric content. From the sharing of humorous memes and posts on trending news to engaging with community discussion — this human element is crucial in establishing connections, building authenticity and just being more approachable to consumers. 

The sharing of relatable content injected with the brand’s personality can help build connections with the target audience better than just streams of cold, emotionless sales posts ever could. Today’s social media marketers should aim to create content that powers authentic conversations, engages with the community, provide values, and sparks discussion.

Tell us which fictional character you have a crush on, and we'll tell you what to order for lunch.

— YOU BROUGHT BACK THE MEXICAN PIZZA (@tacobell) March 17, 2022

#4 — Foster emotional connections with your audience

Humans are emotional beings. Emotion is what drives purchasing behaviors and ultimately, decision-making in general. In fact, neurological studies have shown that people whose brains are damaged in the area that generates emotions are incapable of making decisions. This, of course, highlights the importance of building meaningful connections with consumers in order for success in sales and marketing. Brand personality will enable your business to boost emotional connections with your target audience who feel they resonate with your brand in some way. Loyal, long-lasting consumers are those who are seeking more than just a product or service — they are drawn to brands via the stories they share and the values they communicate.  Those individuals who grow familiar with your brand personality and feel a personal connection will be much more likely to approach your business to fulfill their needs as opposed to competitors. Without a strong brand personality and the inability to forge emotional connections with your target audience, your business may struggle to maintain a competitive advantage.

#5 — Help communicate your brand values

A brand’s personality is what helps a business convey its values — referring to what a company believes in and stands for. Brand values are a really crucial part of a strong brand, helping to create a sense of connection with your employees and customers as well as helping you stand out from the crowd. 

A well-developed brand personality is one in which these brand values are communicated. This helps to strengthen your brand by effectively and consistently reinforcing what your business stands for, which ultimately increases consumer trust and converts sales.

Our philosophy is basically this: pic.twitter.com/OaCvw9HKOD

— Denny’s (@DennysDiner) February 21, 2022

Building a brand personality on social media is essential to standing out in today’s market. It’s how you can guarantee to develop emotional, personal relationships with your customers that are built to last. A couple of tips before we leave you:

• Fully commit to your brand personality and be consistent with it, ensuring the whole marketing team is onboard.

• Continuously monitor your brand personality to ensure it is resonating with your audience and is a true reflection of your business’s core values, mission, and vision.

Need help ensuring your brand personality is reflected visually and consistently throughout your content? Let us show you around with a demo of Slate’s content creation platform today.