Brand character can be defined as the set of human attributes and characteristics associated with the brand, giving it a unique personality and recognition in the market and in the minds of consumers.
The factor of Brand Character is such that a consumer can relate to it, thus creating an emotional connection with its values, fundamentals, and unique selling points.
Some brands are serious or even somber, and some are whimsical, fun, or playful. Some brands are youthful, while some are like silver-haired sages.
Analysis of the Brand Character
To attain success and fame along with elevating the equity of the brand in the market and industry as a whole, the company needs to have a consistent set of traits and characteristics to its brand so that the targeted set of the consumer market is able to connect with it
In addition to the functional benefits and attributes, the brand character is the qualitative addition that the brand offers to its consumers working as an intangible benefit and is evident in the marketing and promotional strategies and collaterals.
The varied elements of brand character, such as tonality, typography, colour palette, and all the related brand expressions create an emotional connection with the consumers that result in the affinity towards the brand and the long-lasting consumer loyalty.
It is the structural framework that helps the company to define its mission statement, vision statement, brand architecture, and offerings of products and services.
The essence of the brand character is evident in the features, characteristics, and functional attributes of the products and services offered to the target market and consumers. Plus the marketing and promotional tools and techniques ranging from print advertisements, television commercials, digital banners, social media posts, packaging of products, hoardings, and signages should have their significance and an innate feel to the creative elements and artworks.
A perfectly defined brand character has the power to elevate the normal brand to an iconic brand.
Marketing and branding insiders vouch that the consumers are more likely to indulge in the purchase of a specific product or a service if its character is similar to their own.
Questions to Answer while Working on the Brand Character
Many a time the management of the company along with the branding and marketing departments get so engrossed in the designing of the logos, taglines, mascots, and other creative elements that they forget to pay due attention to defining the brand character, which essentially should be the starting point of the entire branding process and the foundational base of the brand architecture.
These are some important and crucial questions that should be asked and discussed in the process:
- What is the sweet spot of your brand? Or its unique selling point?
- Creating an emotional connection with the target audience is key. What do you want them to feel and perceive about your brand?
- What should be the voice and tonality of your brand that astutely conveys the features and benefits of your brand and its offerings? (This ties in with all the future copywriting developed for the brand.)
- What are the words and phrases that should come into the minds of people when they think and discuss your brand in their social circle? (It will have an effect on your follow-up digital marketing efforts.)
- What should be the colours, textures, and other visual elements of your brand that will convey your brand story? (Or what should your brand identity look and feel like?)
Advantages of Building a Brand Character
Here are three key advantages of having a clear and well-defined brand character
- Helps to enhance the brand expressions
Building a brand character helps the brand express and enhance the brand expressions through the tonality of voice, creative and visual elements such as logo, tagline, brand colours, and the other marketing collaterals such as brochures, leaflets, print advertisements, and social media posts, among othersFor example, the products from the brand Nike are characterised as cool, youthful, and are targeted to the consumers who are fitness freaks and are sticklers for sports products that are fashionable and stylish along with offering the various functional benefits. - Helps design the brand guidelines and the marketing program
It helps to figure out and intricately decide the brand guidelines and the overall architecture of the brand like where should be the logo placement, the colour shades of packaging boxes, and more.
Additionally, the promotional and marketing programs have to be in tandem with the brand character as it helps in deciding which promotional channels and tools to opt for, that is in line with the character and the overall branding, while maintaining consistency.
- Competitive Advantage
With a well-defined brand character, the elements and the promotional strategy of the brand attain the desired marketing goals of increased brand awareness, emotional connection with the target audience, elevated brand value, recall factor, brand affinity, easy recognition of the brand and its offerings and the loyalty from the consumers that gains a competitive advantage to the brand.
Create and Define that Brand Character for a Unique Branding
Looking to start a new brand or looking to revamp your branding? Seeking guidance on defining the brand character for your business? You can surely tap on the help of a good branding agency Singapore.
I Concept Singapore is a creative agency specialising in brand consultancy. We can help guide new businesses to carve out a niche of their own, picking and placing the brand elements together to form a whole. Businesses looking for refreshed branding can also seek our assistance in remaking and revamping.
Contact us now and get that headstart you need in the branding game. May the brand character help your business connect to the masses.
