How to Treat Your Brand like a Person

A brand can have such a strong sense of identity that it’s almost possible to think of them as people. And why not? After all, a good brand has his own personality. He has his own voice and relationships. And once he’s out in the open, he can grow in some pretty unpredictable ways.

If you like the idea of your brand being his own, unique person, I’ve got a few tips so you can make it happen:

If you would rather listen to this article, here is a podcast by our resident media ninja, Nikki Kat:

Figure out Who He Is

Most people go through adolescence on a quest for identity and self-discovery, and you should do the same thing for your brand. Without a sense of self, your brand is going to wind up a generic, contradictory mess. He won’t know who he’s speaking to and why they should care, and he won’t be able to make his customers happy because he doesn’t know why they keep him around in the first place.

Solidify your brand’s identity and define what he is and what he means to his customers. You might have to change outfits a few times and see which one fits, but it’ll all be worth it once he starts attracting the right kind of attention.

Give Him a Voice

The way we speak can define us just as much (if not more) than the way we look. Letting your brand express himself in his own unique way can set him apart from his competitors, making his messages that much more interesting and appealing. You can do this with the tone of your advertisements, picking the logo design or right mascot, or even how you word your website.

It’s not just the way your brand talks, either. It’s also what he says that makes a big difference. Try to tailor your brand’s message so that what he and the customer find valuable match up.

Introduce Him to New Friends

Even brands need friends. In marketing speak this is called cross-marketing. Partner your brand up with other related brands and have them work together on something. Maybe you can both participate in the same raffle or contest, with the both of you contributing prizes. Or maybe you can tie up with a media company and do some product placement in a show or movie. Your brand can also sponsor an event (or maybe even launch its own) in support of a worthy cause.

The point is, your brand shouldn’t stand apart from the rest of the world like a loner. Shoo him out of his room and let him circulate with the outside world! Just remember to make him pick his friends carefully. Just like with real people, hooking up with the wrong friends can be very bad for his health.

Let Him Make Mistakes

Your brand won’t get everything right his first time out; not even on his second. Your brand will stumble and fail as he tries to figure his audience out and make a meaningful connection to his customers. Let him. If he (and you) can learn from and adapt to these mistakes as they happen, then you’ll all be better off for it—even your customers.