Module 2C

What is brand personality?

Set of human characteristics associated with a brand

What are example characteristics?

Demographics: age, gender, social class, race

Lifestyle: activities, interests, opinions

Personality traits: extroversion, agreeableness, dependability

Nike brand characteristics example

Demographics: Younger consumers and athletes.

Lifestyle: People who enjoy sports, fitness, and an active lifestyle.

Personality traits: Athletic, confident, and driven.

What are two characteristics of brand personalities?

Distinctive: different from other brands

Enduring: lasts over time

What can brand personalities provide insights into?

Group differences (how groups differ from eachother)

E.g. Jeep attracts adventurous people, while Lululemon attracts people interested in fitness and wellness. This shows how different groups of people may prefer different brands.

How do consumers interact with brands?

Consumers interact with brands as if they were people

What are the dimensions of brand personality?

• Sincerity

• Excitement

• Competence

• Sophistication

• Ruggedness

What characteristics are associated with sincerity?

Down-to-earth, honest, wholesome, cheerful

E.g. Tims, Hallmark

What characteristics are associated with excitement?

Daring, spirited, imaginative, up-to-date

E.g. Red Bull, GoPro, Crayola, Crumbl

What characteristics are associated with competence?

Reliable, intelligent, successful

E.g. Honda, Banking, FedEx, Microsoft

What characteristics are associated with sophistication?

Upper class, charming

E.g. Gucci, Channel, Mercedes Benz

What characteristics are associated with ruggedness?

Outdoorsy, tough

E.g. Jeep, Harley-Davidson, Trucks

How is a brand personality created?

Through product-related characteristics and non-product-related characteristics

What are examples of product-related characteristics?

• Product class

• package and design

• product attributes

• price

What are examples of non-product-related characteristics?

• Advertising style and symbols

• sponsorships and celebrity endorsers

• user imagery (typical and idealized users)

• company image

• country of origin

• CEO

• age

Why use brand personality?

• Enrich understanding of consumer perceptions and attitudes

• Differentiate the brands identity

• Guide communication efforts across ads, packaging, promotions, etc. (IMC)

What is the self-expression model?

Brands are used to express self identity

• Actual or ideal self.

• Brands express personality and lifestyle.

• Goods/possessions provide meaning and organization to life.

• Brand meanings help construct and maintain social identities.

How does a brand help to express a personality?

Feelings: How the brand makes the consumer feel (confident, adventurous, sophisticated, etc.).

Brand as a badge: What the brand communicates about the consumer (personality, values, status, etc.).

Brand as part of self: How the brand becomes part of who the consumer is (lifestyle, identity, and the extended self).

What are multiple personalities in branding?

Brand preferences vary by situation or context, especially among high self-monitors.

E.g. Someone wears Nike to the gym to look athletic but wears Ralph Lauren to a formal event to look sophisticated.

High self monitors

People who adjust how they act or present themselves depending on the situation.

When do brand personality and self-expression needs have larger effects?

For high-involvement, public products.

E.g. Choosing a luxury car like Mercedes-Benz because it reflects your personality and status.

What are the dimensions of the Brand Personality Scale in the relationship basis model?

Sincerity: down-to-earth, family oriented, genuine, old-fashioned

Excitement: spirited, young, up-to-date, outgoing

Competence: accomplished, influential, competent

Sophistication: pretentious, wealthy, condescending

Ruggedness: athletic, outdoorsy

What are the two brand relationship types?

The brand as a friend

The brand as an active relationship partner.

What characteristics describe the brand as a friend?

• Trust, dependability, understanding and caring.

• Types: fun, serious, reliable, comfortable, etc.

• E.g

  • Toyota: Reliable and dependable

  • LEGO: Fun and creative

  • Hallmark: Caring and thoughtful.

What are the types of active brand relationship partners?

• Committed partnerships / best friendships

• Casual flings

• Arranged marriages

• Childhood friendships

• Enmities.

Committed partnerships

A strong, long-term relationship with a brand that the consumer trusts and stays loyal to.

Example: Someone who always buys Nike running shoes.

Casual flings

A short-term relationship with a brand that the consumer enjoys for a while but doesn't feel strongly loyal to.

Example: someone who buys Starbucks occasionally but doesn't have strong loyalty to it.

Arranged marriages

A relationship with a brand that the consumer uses because they have limited choice or feel obligated to use it.

Example: someone who uses a bank because their parents chose it for them when they were young.

Childhood friendships

A relationship with a brand that has developed over many years, often because the consumer grew up using it.

E.g. someone who still buys LEGO because they loved it as a child.

Enmities

A negative relationship where a consumer dislikes a brand or has had bad experiences with it.

E.g. Avoiding an airline after a terrible travel experience.

What are the three dimensions of brand relationship quality?

• Behavioural ties

• Emotional and identity connections

• Perceptions of the relationship

What are behavioural ties in brand relationship quality?

Behavioural interdependence and personal commitment.

What are emotional and identity connections in brand relationship quality?

Love and passion, self-concept connection, and nostalgic connection.

What are the two perceptions of the relationship?

Intimacy and partner quality

What is the functional benefit representation model?

• Using brand personality as a way to represent and cue functional benefits and brand attributes.

• Symbol or image: reinforces brand attributes

• Country or region of origin: adds credibility to an identity

What is the difference between brand personality and user imagery?

Brand personality: Human characteristics associated with the brand itself.

User imagery: Human characteristics associated with its typical or portrayed users

How can user imagery be used strategically?

Make a brand contemporary: Attract new audiences without losing the brand’s history.

Create a sense of belonging: Help customers feel connected to a group, creating an emotional tie.

Use aspirational user imagery: Show people customers want to be like if the brand’s current users are not appealing.

How can brand personality create a sustainable advantage?

A unique brand identity that is difficult for competitors to copy.