Brand Personality And Its Effect Marketing Essay

Imagine that when you just meet a new classmate in classroom or meet a new colleague in office, and he or she want to be friend with you, however, you have no idea about this person, and don’t if he or she worth to be a friend. Therefore, it is needed to know that personality of this person whether suitable for you or similar with you, and how about the image of the person, finally, you can decide that if develop a further relationship with this person.

Likewise, it is a same situation to apply in business environment. From the beginning of a brand, which is just a loaded word or symbol (Bentler,1990). Besides, it stands for more, just like all of idea, values and stories that have been built into it over time. It is a simple reference for the gut feeling people have about something, some group, or even someone or some place (Church & Peter, 1994). Therefore, if suppliers would like to develop a good relationship between customer and brand, and they want to increase brand equity. They need to create a brand personality from some brand images. In the paper, to discuss

Brand Building process

Just like herein before described, people’s perception of brand personality are an important part of brand equity. It is also known as a brand building process. Brand equity mean what the brand is worth to a customer, it not only distinguish one brand from another, also make own brand to be unique (Bentler,1990), it is an accumulated reservoir of goodwill and good impressions(Aaker,1997). To increase brand equity, suppliers will use brand image to be a mental image that reflect the way consumers perceive the brand, including all the identification elements, the product personality, and the emotions and associations evoked in the mind of the consumer (Bentler,1990). For example, just like brand of McDonald, it tend to build up the brand from point of “have a jolly time” with friend and happy.

Brand Personality

When brand image has been established, to deepen the impression of product to customer, it need brand personality.

Actually, brand personality is created from a set of brand image, according to Aaker (1997), brand personality is defined formally as “the set of human characteristics associated with a brand.”. For instance, one of wine brand, vodka, personified tends to be described as a cool, suitable for people of 25-year old, whereas Stoli’s personified tends to be described as an intellectual, conservative, older man, it shows that brand personality tends to serve a symbolic or self-expressive function (Aaker,1997). Besides, the symbolic use of brands is possible because consumers often involve brands with their own personality traits and easily can think about brands as if they were reputations or famous historical figures (Rook 1985) and as they relate to one’s own self (Aaker,1997). Just like personality of human which have a “Big Five” model, brand have five type of personality as much, which is including sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication and ruggedness.

Some strategies used by advertisers to involve a brand with these personality traits such as anthropomorphization( Pendergrast, Mark, 1993), to apply in Hong Kong, like “M&M’S Chocolate Candy”. The other way to imbue is personification, such as “Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger”, and the star mouthpiece who is suitable for the brand, such as SKII hire Carina Lau to be the mouthpiece of brand. Through such techniques, the personality traits associated with a brand, such as those associated with an individual, tend to be relatively enduring and distinct.( Aaker,1997)

Brand personality effect on customer

To discuss about effect of brand personality, it cannot be denied that brand choice as a feeling choice, just like descript in introduction, brand personality can affect your feeling and emotion toward the brand directly, and influence purchase decision making of customer.

A good brand image and personality like a good person who have a great personality, every one tend to find something which is similar with self personality, if personality of brand are similar as target customer, it support to increase the first impression and gut feeling effectively(Aaker, Jennifer & Durairaj Maheswaran,1997), it is because of that people have tendency to believe everything of oneself, so increase the similarity between customer and brand personality, that will also increase the customer’s loyalty and safe feeling towards brand. Accordingly it increases the brand equity.

Moreover, every brand choice says something about target customer and self of customer, as well as to other. It may say that the target customers are smart, successful, strong, or stylish, same as the brand personality, this can increase customers’ pleasant feeling which will condition desire, such as discovery, fun, reward, a sense of belonging, increase self-esteem, on the other hand eliminate their unpleasant one which condition aversion, such as boredom, risk, pain, reduced esteem. (Alt, Michael and Steve Griggs, 1988) If additional strategy is added such as brand holds a high-level user group conference, or encourages design input to its new product and services through a secure website. This may appeal to customer’s desire to belong, or to feel connected and well informed, and then they will tend to purchase this product of brand.

Beside, brand personality can link with ideal self of customer (Alt, Michael & Steve Griggs, 1988), to apply in one Hong Kong brand, “Bonaqua”, which is a drink water brand and have a personality as a “sporty”, therefore if anyone who want to be image as sporty, then they would like to choose Bonaqua when they are thirsty, because it can fulfill their actual self to be close with ideal self.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is no doubt that brand personality is very important point of brand equity, and brand equity are one unit of marketing, therefore if supplier create a good brand personality, customer tend to be commit with brand, because as I said before, brand choice as a feeling choice.