The Commons

This button, inspired by a remark that Dean Martin supposedly made about his Rat Pack buddy, reminds us of the value of a strong brand personality. A brand personality isn’t a nicety — nor is it a color palette, a logo or guidelines for photographic style.  Think of how human personalities you’ve known have inspired you to fall in love or sign on for a cause.  Similarly, a strong brand personality transfers that same kind of influence to a product or institution. It humanizes and enables brands to command attention.

You don’t have to be a “heavy hitter” to have a successful brand personality — just look at Altoids, or Trader Joe’s.  They prove that a brand personality can be a critical asset when resources are tight. When price and convenience begin to rule the marketplace, institutions blur together quickly. A brand that engages, that maintains its sense of dignity and humor, is a brand that people will want to hang with.  It can also be cheaper to maintain than a brand that conjures up a weaker mental picture, and therefore needs more marketing amplification.

So what’s your brand personality?  Hint — don’t look in your mission statement. That’s like telling someone why you love your significant other by showing them the definition for “wife” or “boyfriend” in the dictionary.

We find it useful to think instead of along these lines:

• There’s a party going on. Fifteen minutes after your institution walks into the room, what would people being saying about it? Note that it may take a few words to describe it — few personalities can be summed up in one word that’s useful.

• If your brand was embodied by a public figure (living or dead), who would that be? Yo-Yo Ma?  Warren Buffet? Rachel Maddow? The vivid personalities of public life can help you think about how your institution or organization fits into the world.

Remember, it’s worth investing your time to strengthen your brand’s mental picture.   Brand personalities can be rich without being complex. A brand personality can and should embody everything you do: from how much you charge for your services to whom you hire.   Above all, a brand personality must be consistent for all audiences.

- Libby Morse, Senior Vice President & Creative Director

Tags: brand personality, nonprofit branding