Branding gives organizations the chance to create ourselves in our own best image. We decide who we want to be, and present that face to the world. As we discussed on this blog, then it’s up to us to clearly and consistently present that brand in everything we do. That’s what is necessary to present an authentic brand.

Since branding is aspirational, we get to decide who we want to be. What is the personality we choose for our brand? How will we act, day in and day out, that will feel authentic to us long-term? That is our brand personality.

Most business owners aren’t used to thinking of their business in terms of a brand or a personality. So here are some ways to help you uncover the personality that makes your brand unique.

Describe your brand as a room.

Following are several photos of rooms. Does one feel exactly like your brand? Or is your brand a combination or two or more of these? Try to get a picture of what your brand would look like as a physical space (if money and practical considerations were no object). Here are some photos (all from Unsplash) to jump-start your thinking.

Describe your brand as a person.

What does it look like? How old? What does it do for fun? How does it dress? What does it like to eat? Where does it go on vacation? What values are important to it?

Pick some adjectives that describe the personality of your brand.

There are many possible options. This list is a great start – it is modified from a comprehensive list on DesigningtoDelight.com.

[columns][one-fourth] Adventurous
Affectionate
Ambitious
Amusing
Appreciative
Artistic
Athletic
Aware
Bold
Brave
Brilliant
Broad-minded
Calm
Capable
Caring
Centered
Classic
Colorful
Comforting
Compassionate
Confident
Conscientious
Conservative
Cool
Courageous
Cozy
Creative
Daring
Decisive
Determined
Diligent
Dynamic
Earthy
Easygoing
Edgy
Effective
Efficient
Elegant
Empathetic
Energetic
Excellent
Exciting
Expressive [/one-fourth][one-fourth]Extraordinary
Exuberant
Fearless
Flashy
Forceful
Forgiving
Formal
Frank
Free
Fresh
Friendly
Functional
Funky
Funny
Generous
Gentle
Genuine
Glamorous
Good
Gorgeous
Graceful
Gracious
Grateful
Grounded
Happy
Helpful
Hip
Homey
Honest
Hospitable
Humorous
Imaginative
Independent
Industrial
Informal
Imperfect
Innovative
Inspiring
Integrity
Intellectual
Interesting
Intuitive
Inventive [/one-fourth][one-fourth] Irresistible
Joyous
Kind
Light-Hearted
Loving
Lux
Magical
Minimal
Modest
Modern
Natural
Open
Optimistic
Organized
Outgoing
Passionate
Patient
Peaceful
Persistent
Pioneering
Philosophical
Playful
Plucky
Plush
Polite
Posh
Positive
Powerful
Practical
Proactive
Proper
Prosperous
Purposeful
Quality
Quick-witted
Quiet
Radiant
Rational
Regal
Refined
Relaxing
Reliable
Reserved [/one-fourth][one-fourth] Resourceful
Rich
Romantic
Rustic
Seductive
Self-confident
Self-disciplined
Sentimental
Sensible
Sensitive
Serene
Showy
Simple
Sincere
Smiley
Soothing
Sophisticated
Special
Straightforward
Strong
Stylish
Successful
Supportive
Sure
Sympathetic
Thoughtful
Timeless
Tough
Trustworthy
Unassuming
Understanding
Unexpected
Unique
Unpretentious
Versatile
Vibrant
Vintage
Vital
Warm
Whole
Wild
Witty
Youthful

[/one-fourth][/columns]

Where do you fall on the Brand Personality Spectrum?

Where do want to be between these pairs of words? There are no good or bad answers, just select what is most authentic for you. Put a dot on the lines to indicate where you fall between these pairs of extremes. This is from Big Brand System.

Personable and friendly ____________ Corporate, professional

Spontaneous, high energy ____________ Careful thinking, planning

Modern or high tech ____________ Classic and traditional

Cutting edge ____________ Established

Fun ____________ Serious

Accessible to all ____________ Upscale

Pulling this all together is where the magic happens.

With all this information in hand – rooms, descriptions of people, adjectives, and dots on the spectra – we will create a brand that perfectly communicates who our client is, and who they want to be. Then, the real hard work begins. The client needs to live the promise of this brand every day.