By M. Isi Eromosele

Brand Personality is the emotional side of the brand image of a company, created by all the experiences its customers have had with its brand. Brand personality is mostly created with the influence exerted on consumers by advertising. As such, advertising plays a significant role in the creation of brand personality. Thus, brand personality rises from a combination of marketing (brand equity + advertising), communication design and psychology.

Brand personality, one of the core aspects of brand identity, is a result of consumers’ developing attachment to a product brand, thereby developing a personal relationship with it. Advertising has been a tool heavily utilized in building personality around a brand. It then follows that specific personalities (such as celebrities) are predominantly useful in the creation of brand connections.

Brand associations have widespread influence on consumer purchasing behavior. All advertising affects brand personality creation, especially when a human endorser is involved.

Brand personality is a derivative of brand image. Brand image is construed from the kind if image (ordinary or ornate) that consumers has built in their minds about a particular brand. As such, perceptions of that brand by consumers are directly related to their perceived association with that brand and its image.

Consumers build brand image in their minds through associating the brand with the company behind it, the product itself, the country of manufacture, the product’s aesthetical personality and its artifacts. The above brand associations feed on each other’s aura. The product exudes a positive brand image when its associations with consumers are brilliant, beneficial and exceptional.

A company benefits from strong brand personality if its corporate attributes are in synch with the high quality of its products as well as its previous reputation. Product association is also related to the country of product origin, product attributes as well as product capacity. Brand artifacts refer to consumer usage imagery combined with the visual imagery of the brand. Promotional tools, such as advertising help reinforce the imagery of the brand in the minds of consumers.

Brand personality gives a brand more depth. It gives consumers the means of differentiation between products. With differentiation, consumers can make informed choices on what to purchase. As such, brand personality influences consumer purchase behavior.

Direct or indirect contact with a brand influences the brand personality traits formed in a consumer’s mind. This is made up of a collection of perceptions of the brand in the consumer’s mind. Consumers’ acceptance of marketing message enables them to apply human traits to product brands.

User imagery is one way to form and influence brand personality. Brand product endorsers can be used to form and influence a brand’s personality traits. Brand advertising spokesmen can have personalities that suit those of the brands they endorse. After a period of time, the personalities of these spokesmen are transferred to the brand. The marketing mix for the brand creates its unique personality over a period of time.

There are several advantages to creation to brand personalities:

• Brand personality enables a brand to acquire its own distinctive qualities
• These qualities help consumers to differentiate the brand from other ones in a meaningful way
• Brand personality gives consumers the ability to do more brand examination
• This enables the consumer to draw on the brand personality

Additionally, brand personality gives life to a brand. This facilitates the development of a long-term relationship between the brand and consumers.

M. Isi Eromosele is the President | Chief Executive Officer | Executive Creative Director of Oseme Group - Oseme Creative | Oseme Consulting | Oseme Finance

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