We live in an era where logos and designs are everywhere — ads on the side of buildings, within social media, on TV — EVERYWHERE. Because we are immersed in brands and content all the time, companies need more than a clever logo to establish brand recognition and loyalty. Another essential piece of setting your brand apart is personality. Personality helps people connect emotionally and remember not only what your brand is, but also how it makes them feel.
Creating a personality for a brand can foster long-term allegiance; once people can associate an identity with a logo, they can decide whether they want to stay connected to it. According to a recent report from Ogilvy, consumer loyalty is shaped by four dimensions: emotional connection, shared values, consistent experience and mutual growth. In other words, today’s consumers crave real connection. Recognition without connection does not inspire commitment — it leads to forgettable impressions.
This is a difficult thing to achieve, however. A brand can easily seem disingenuous or try-hard — but these are a few companies that are getting it right. Nike, Red Bull and Duolingo all have distinct identities and capitalize on connecting with their audiences. Duolingo, for example, turned its green owl mascot into a social media sensation by creating consistent TikTok, Instagram and X content that its audience finds funny. Nike’s simple check mark logo has become synonymous with its slogan, “Just Do It.” Over time and through clever marketing, consumers associate Nike with endurance, and that began with the slogan. Red Bull’s adventurous, thrill-seeking personality has extended far beyond its energy drinks, from guerrilla marketing to social media to extreme sport sponsorships — its uniqueness has helped it become a household name.
So, where do you start? If your brand doesn’t have a personality yet, start thinking about traits you admire in other brands. Think about how you want your audience to see you and what characteristics you’d like to be known for — beyond what you’re selling.
Look at how your competitors present themselves. If they have clear personalities, study what works for them and what doesn’t. If your competitors aren’t distinctive in this way, building your own identity could give you a real advantage. Even if you feel that brand personality is not something your company needs right now, it is worth considering if your goal is to reach new audiences or strengthen the relationship with existing ones.
In today’s saturated market of brands and content, the companies that have baked an identity into everything they do are the ones worth remembering. Don’t be one of the ones left behind with a fancy logo and no substance.