A brands positioning encapsulates the brands core values and its very purpose for existence; it is that one snapshot which emanates in your mind when you think of a brand and if it is communicated effectively, a strong association is built between the brand and its positioning. For example, protection and Colgate go hand in hand, however Close Up stands for freshness. There are brands in the market which dont stand for anything because of the nebula of various communication points being tried, which is a perilous proposition for a brands longevity.
In order to effectively communicate your brands positioning, the brand needs to come to life, which is possible by creating a personality for the brand. Brand personality helps us add texture and richness which help us enlighten and inspire creatives, by bringing the brand to life. For example, if we have to personify the soap Lifebuoy, he would be a male, 25 years old, in all probability, a sportsman. The strategic intent in creating a brand personality is to evoke from the target customer a response I see myself in the brand. This becomes the basis for a relationship between the customer and the brand, which is stronger than the functional attributes of a brand.
The desired personality may not resonate with every customer, which is perfectly fine, as long as it resonates with the desired target audience. Its ideal to have a strong bond with a certain set of customers, rather than being neutral to everyone. The sharper the personality, the stronger the customers connect with the brand.
Often organisations, on developing the brands positioning and personality, seek to communicate the same primarily through advertising. But is this sufficient? Ideally, the personality has to be communicated through the various touch points of the brand. The personality of the brand should reflect in the product or the service offered, staff employed, name, packaging, advertising, promotions, pricing, distribution, display etc. There needs to be a coherence of the personality across all these touch points, such that the customer feels he is interacting with the same person. This experience will leave the customer with immense clarity as to what to expect from the brand and in turn will create loyalty.
Therefore, as custodians of brands, one has to live the brands personality and track all the touch points of the brand periodically to check if the person is still the same or has the person changed his attitude. Just like how every relationship a human makes with every other being, it is important that a brand which is more or less like a human being becomes immortal with its target audience and this only happens when we communicate the true positioning personality based on its core values and competencies.
Brands do live in the minds of the owners but brands thrive, enjoy and celebrate in the minds of the customers. Brands are their lives. So, in reality for the brand to have a longer life, it is important that we communicate the soul of the brand which is nothing but its positioning - personality. To sum it up, any communication about a brand must in its heart carry the soul of the brand, carry the
Brand Positioning.
