Discovering the Brand Personality of Your Business –
First Steps in the Branding Adventure
One of the most revealing and interesting conversations we have with new clients is when the process of branding their new business begins. It is during these early days of discovery that we ask a lot of questions, encourage lots of reflection, and talk.
Once you pinpoint your business identity you can easily move on to the next steps of branding. The following exercise is used to help people make deliberate choices about how their business personality will be expressed.
Your brand personality refers to the human characteristic traits, emotions, and attributes that will be embodied by the brand.
By expressing your brand personality consistently and in every way possible, your customers learn to know what they can expect from your business. This inspires trust and faithfulness that in turn leads to formed relationships. A healthy business relationship is like a healthy human relationship. Both are built on a foundation of shared values and great experiences.
In this post we will show how you can discover your brand personality by reflecting on a List of Character Traits.
Discover your brand personality traits by following these simple steps, and then use them in future communication and marketing actions. Build your brand with these characteristics incorporated in every way possible including your logo, fonts, and colours, your brand story, and finally. You are the face of your brand so choose traits that you can live up to and care about.
Part 1: Self-reflection and Introspection – Getting to Know Yourself
Throughout the exercise consider these questions:
- What makes good relationships?
- What do I hope people to think about me?
- How do I interact with others?
STEP 1: Use the list of List of Character Traits below and think carefully about those that you strongly identify with. Start by crossing out the ones that definitely do not apply to you!
STEP 2: Consider the list you are left with and carefully start prioritizing. You may come up with traits that are not listed. That is great! Put them on your list. This is a true sign that you know yourself well.
STEP 3: Choose 4 or 5 traits that you identify with and place them in order of importance to you. What is your #1?
- Accurate
- Adventurous
- Artistic
- Authoritative
- Conservative
- Creative
- Dependable
- Edgy
- Empathetic
- Energetic
- Enthusiastic
- Environmentally Responsible
- Friendly
- Funny
- Future Focused
- Glamorous
- Global
- Healthy
- Helpful
- Honest
- Imaginative
- Intelligent
- Inclusive
- Liberal
- Luxurious
- Local
- Natural Earth
- Nurturing
- Passionate
- Relaxed
- Resourceful
- Rugged
- Socially Conscious
- Socially Conscious
- Spiritual
- Successful
- Strong
- Tech-Savvy
- Trendy
- Whimsical
- Wholistic
- Youthful
Part 2: Your Core Business Values – They Relate to You!
Now repeat the process but with your business personality in mind. During the exercise consider these questions:
- Which traits best speak to my vision of the business?
- Which traits best represent values that I aspire to?
- Do these traits attract the type of customers/people that I am seeking?
Now that you have narrowed down the personality traits that are most important for your business, all future branding and marketing can then grow to incorporate them. Written content will reflect these traits in the form of the business’ persona and tone. Visual content will do the same. It is much easier to develop engaging content when you have identified and understand your business personality.
About the Forward Creative Brand
Forward Creative’s brand personality has a lot to do with who we are as people and our life values – and yours might too. Creativity is the absolute core of our identity. Our #1.
We find joy and happiness in our creative work – playing with colours, fonts, photography, and layouts… writing stories, and making things beautiful. We love it when we collaborate to find creative solutions for unique and sometimes difficult problems. Art Galleries are our playgrounds, and painting with our kids and grandchildren is our joy.
The intrinsic values of honesty, kindness, and dependability are the backbone of our commitment to people. This is the way we live our lives and the way we do our business.
We are also great believers in the importance of quality. In our personal lives we place a high value on quality conversations, quality time, and quality experiences. Quality of life makes beautiful memories. Quality is the result of commitment. That’s us!
When your business branding and communications positively resonate with your audience, you’re well on your way to finding and reaching your ideal customer.