Slave owners were required to identify their slaves in order to trace them back to their plantations after they fled during slavery. This doesn’t make a slave an exclusive brand. It is, instead, a sign of ownership. It is also a sign of ownership when a product becomes an iconic brand. The power of ownership is not that of the manufacturer; it’s the power of the customers. This means that customers build brands, not manufacturers. A manufacturer must position their product or company so that customers build a brand around them. You need to build a brand personality around the brand you are trying to make.
What is a brand persona? Persona refers to the character or aspect of someone that is perceived by others. A brand persona is simply the brand aspect of your product or company that your customers perceive.
Every brand has a persona. Your brand is like a person. What does the person look like? What can customers expect from the person they meet? Your brand persona, which includes appearance, personality, and everything in between, is what customers will judge and evaluate before doing business with you. Here are four key elements to help you build your brand persona through your product or business.
#1 Make a brand promise:
Your business or product must be able to make a promise to customers. This is a guarantee or declaration that your brand will do something for them. What can your customers expect from you when they choose to patronize your business? This can be described as the satisfaction your customers get from doing business or purchasing your product.
#2 Brand perceptions:
It is the customers or consumers who build brands, not the companies. Perception is how customers see your business and brand. What do you want customers to think about your business? Quality or quantity, competitive pricing or exceptional customer service? You can decide.
#3 Brand Expectations:
Your customers will have expectations about your brand based on what you promise. Your brand promises are what customers expect when they buy your products or visit you. Your customers may become disillusioned if your brand fails to meet their expectations and will eventually abandon your brand.
#4 Brand elements:
Your brand must have tangible elements that reflect it. These elements include your logo and messaging, packaging, customer service, and packaging. These elements all need to work together in order to communicate your brand promise consistently, shape brand perceptions and meet brand expectations.
These factors will help customers build a stronger relationship with you and create a brand personality around you.
Alfred Ade-Ijimakinwa founded BusinessIQ, Africa’s fastest-growing entrepreneurial magazine. Alfred Ade-Ijimakinwa, a well-known Small Business Expert (SBE), is a sought-after personality for entrepreneurs and small and medium scale businesses looking to expand their opportunities and broaden their horizons. He has been studying the psychology of money and business success for over a decade. He’s also interviewed many successful business leaders to help translate abstract theories into practical results. Amazon has his book Turning Idea into Business: The Business Bible.