A powerful brand connects with audiences on a human level, driving both revenue and impact. A well-crafted brand persona – the human embodiment of your brand’s values, voice, and character traits – creates this connection through thoughtful, consistent interactions.
So, here’s everything you need to know about brand personas and how to build your own authentic brand persona that positions your business for meaningful growth.
What Is a Brand Persona?
A brand persona is the embodiment of your brand as a human personality. It can also be called a ‘brand archetype’- but really, two archetypes make up your brand persona along with your other strategic brand message elements. But we will get to more of that below!
For now, you should know it encompasses all of the different parts of your brand, such as your brand mission, visual elements, and character traits, in how your brand would be if it were a real, breathing human being.
The concept of a ‘brand persona’ might be hard to grasp without a concrete example, so here’s one for you. If Nike were a person, they would be a dedicated athlete and an inspiring coach – confident and driven, but at the same time inclusive of all athletes.
This persona would be someone who wakes up at 5 AM for training and believes in pushing past limitations but doesn’t have an air of exclusivity. They’d celebrate both personal achievements and the collective spirit of athleticism, and every interaction with them would leave you feeling motivated to achieve your own potential.
Brand Persona vs. Brand Personality
Brand personality is a combination of personality traits like boldness, nurturing qualities, or adventurousness.
Your brand persona builds upon these traits to create a complete character with defined ways of thinking, acting, and responding to different situations.
Brand Persona vs. Brand Identity
Brand identity typically refers more to the visual elements, such as logos, colors, fonts, and other design aspects, of your brand.
Your brand persona represents the core essence behind these visuals and informs these design choices. Basically, your brand identity visually communicates your brand persona.
Brand Persona vs. Buyer Persona
Buyer persona details your ideal customer’s profile – their aspirations, challenges, and motivations. It’s a personification of your target audience. You might have heard of building your ‘client avatars’ – that’s what a buyer persona is. It should include an active story about a ‘person’ who embodies the demographics, buyer type, and psychographics of your clients.
Your brand persona represents who your brand needs to be to form meaningful connections with these potential customers. It’s a personification of your brand.
Brand Persona vs. Brand Mascot
A brand mascot is a visual character that represents your brand’s personality traits, such as Tony the Tiger or the Geico Gecko.
Your brand persona operates on a much deeper level and guides everything from communication style to customer service approaches.
Why a Brand Persona Is Important
There’s no other brand with your story, and a strong brand persona makes it easier for you to establish a distinctive presence in your industry and build an authentic emotional connection with your customers.
According to research, 57.5% of customers buy from brands with strong personalities, and 51.2% of people have purchased from a brand because of the way they speak online.
So, figuring out your brand persona profile should be one of the first steps that influences things like:
- Visual presentation and design
- Marketing efforts and brand messaging
- Client experience & customer service
- Product development approach
- Business partnerships and collaborations
- If you have a team, internal company culture
Essentially, your brand persona translates your unique story into a relatable character that your audience can connect with.
It bridges the gap between being just another business and becoming a meaningful presence that helps your customers understand who you are, what you stand for, and why they should choose you over competitors.
How To Create Your Brand Persona?
1. Define Your Mission and Brand Values
Go back to your core purpose. Identify what drives your business operations on a deeper level and the non-negotiable values that drive your decisions.
Then, think about what your mission statement and values would look like if they were an actual person. How would they act? What kind of presence would they have?
For example, if sustainability is a core value, your brand persona might be environmentally conscious and advocate for ecological responsibility.
2. Understand Your Target Audience
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Your brand persona has to resonate with your target audience, so research their preferences, behaviors, and communication styles.
Go beyond the simple demographics, such as age and location, and pay attention to their psychographics – the psychological characteristics that influence their purchasing decisions.
This includes their values, aspirations, lifestyle choices, spending habits, social media preferences, and the emotional drivers behind their decisions.
For example, if you’re a beauty brand focusing on empowerment and self-acceptance like our client Revival Beauty Tools, your target audience may value authenticity over perfection, and seek products that enhance rather than mask their features. They’re also likely tired of unrealistic beauty standards.
3. Identify Your Brand Archetype
Brand archetypes are collections of personality traits that we already know and naturally gravitate toward as humans. There are 12 brand archetypes, and you can use them to guide and inform your brand personality.
Carl Jung coined the term ‘archetype’ in the late 20th century, and many businesses use these concepts to create their branding. Here’s what brand archetypes are:
- The Expert: Values knowledge and truth. Shows up as the trusted advisor, thought leader, or educator in their field. Communicates with authority and depth, focusing on research, expertise, and proven solutions. Examples: IBM, Google.
- The Creator: Driven by innovation and artistic expression. Values originality and craftsmanship. Communicates through inspiring visuals and emphasizes the creative process. Examples: Adobe, LEGO.
- The Explorer: Seeks new experiences and pushes boundaries. Values freedom and authenticity. Communicates with a spirit of adventure and discovery, inspiring others to step out of their comfort zones. Examples: REI, Jeep.
- The Caregiver: Motivated by the desire to protect and nurture others. Values compassion and selflessness. Communicates with warmth and understanding. Examples: Johnson & Johnson, TOMS.
- The Ruler: Projects confidence and authority. Values structure and excellence. Communicates with sophistication and prestige and emphasizes the importance of quality. Examples: Mercedes Benz, Rolex.
- The Human: Represents authenticity and relatability. Values genuine connections and shared experiences. Communicates in a down-to-earth manner and celebrates everyday moments and real stories. Examples: IKEA, Target.
- The Jokester: Brings joy and lightness to life. Values fun and spontaneity. They make others smile when delivering their message! Examples: Skittles, Old Spice.
- The Innocent: Embodies optimism and simplicity. Values honesty and happiness. Communicates with pure intentions and straightforward messages, making people feel good. Examples: Dove, Snuggle.
- The Hero: Champions achievement and improvement. Values courage and determination. Communicates with inspiration and motivation, encouraging others to overcome challenges. Example: Nike, Army.
- The Lover: Celebrates relationships and beauty. Values passion and pleasure. This archetype’s communication is all about elegance and emotion. Examples: Victoria’s Secret, Godiva.
- The Visionary: Innovates and transforms. The Visionary communicates with imagination and wonder, showing people what could be possible. Examples: Disney, Mastercard.
- The Rebel: Challenges the status quo and communicates with boldness and edge, appealing to those who want to make a statement. Examples: Harley-Davidson, Virgin.
You should make your brand unique, but you can use these archetypes as a starting point to create a brand persona. Your brand persona can also be a mix of two archetypes. For example, our client, Slade Copy House, is both the Jokester and the Caregiver.
4. Analyze Competitors
Study your competitors and recognizable brands in your industry to look for opportunities to differentiate your brand persona from what’s already out there.
Take note of their communication style and tone, visual identity, and even customer interactions on social media posts to gain a better insight into what’s working, what’s not working, and what kinds of gaps you can fill.
Learn more about building an unmistakable brand on my podcast.
5. Craft Your Brand Persona
Now, it’s time to transform your research and archetype into a living personality. Start crafting your brand personal profile, capturing details like:
- Demographic snapshot: This traditionally includes things like age and location, but try to look beyond the surface-level identity and figure out what it actually means to be a certain age or live in a certain location.
- Life philosophy and driving motivations: What gets them up in the morning? What problems are they passionate about solving? Think back to your mission statement and values.
- Voice characteristics: Define their speaking style. Do they use sophisticated language or are they down to earth? Are they encouraging or authoritative? How do they react to specific situations or responses?
- Personal style: What does this person look like? What’s their visual aesthetic? Beyond the basic color palette, how do they carry themselves visually?
- Social behavior: How do they show up in different environments? Are they a respected thought leader? A warm and inclusive community builder?
- Content preferences: What types of stories do they tell? Do they share behind-the-scenes glimpses? Data-driven insights? Personal transformation stories?
Try to visualize a real person that embodies your brand and describe them in as much detail as possible. It’s helpful to keep a running doc where you can keep accumulating this information.
Brand Personas Examples
Dueta™
Dueta™ is where visionary entrepreneurs can connect with top-tier service providers and start Du-ing all those things that have been sitting on a growing list. They’re a business matchmaker (and job board), and their brand persona is all about being energetic, relatable, and fun.
As a person, they’d be a well-connected matchmaker at a high-end networking event – someone who lights up the room with their magnetic presence and remembers everyone’s strengths and aspirations. Basically, that savvy friend who always knows “just the right person” for any project and has a solid reputation for spot-on introductions.
Meg Kendall Copywriting
Meg Kendall is a botanist turned copywriter. She works specifically with biotech companies that are changing the world. You may assume that since Meg is a solopreneur, her brand persona should be just her, but it’s important to think about your brand positioning even if you don’t have a team.
Meg’s brand persona would be a science professor who traded their lab coat for a laptop. Someone sharp, articulate, and deeply fascinated by innovation. She’s your brilliant friend who can translate complex climate research into compelling stories over coffee.
SALT – The Label
SALT – The Label is an athleisure brand that’s as real as you are. Beverly Pesony & Samantha Hiles created SALT to empower women to show up as the best versions of themselves whether they’re in a business meeting, on a date, or simply running errands.
As a person, they’d be that effortlessly composed friend who transitions seamlessly from morning yoga to client meetings to school pickup. They move through life with graceful efficiency but aren’t afraid to show the real moments between the highlights.
You can see more examples of brand personas & storytelling in the Portfolio.
FAQs
What Is Nike’s Brand Persona?
Nike is the ultimate high-performance coach and athlete. They’re someone who pushes boundaries, celebrates victories both big and small, and believes in the potential within everyone. They see greatness in you before you see it yourself and know exactly when to challenge you just a little more. They’re all about helping you become your best self – whatever that looks like.
What Is Apple’s Brand Persona?
Apple personifies the innovative designer who values simplicity. They’re a visionary, and they see technology as not just a tool, but as a way to transform your life. They have an eye for details that others might miss. To communicate, they use clean and precise language and carry themselves with confidence.
What Is McDonald’s Brand Persona?
McDonald’s is a friendly neighbor who always knows how to bring people together! They’re the reliable friend, and they always feel accessible and familiar. There’s something nostalgic about this brand persona – they’re the constant in a changing world, offering comfort and consistency – but they’re also aware of the modern world and keep up with it.
What Is Dove’s Brand Personality?
Dove is the supportive friend who champions real beauty and self-acceptance. They encourage everyone to embrace their natural selves in a nurturing yet empowering tone. They’re someone you turn to when you want to feel that you’re enough, just as you are in the overwhelming world of beauty and self-care.
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There’s a lot that goes into building an unmistakable, psychology-backed brand that resonates with your target audience on a deeper level – from your brand persona to the type of language you use.
If your current brand identity doesn’t match the value you bring to the table, learn more about our brand design services and start standing out with a brand presence that functions seamlessly across every touchpoint.
