Like it or not – and whether you even realize it or not - your organization already has its own distinctive personality. This persona is what your clients, consumers, donors, students, employees, the public, etc. automatically thinks of when they hear your organization’s name. As an influential storyteller, a conceptual strategist and an idea generator, Michael and his associates at #BrandInspiration inspire your team’s most creative minds to develop original concepts and create their best work. Led by a discovery-focused strategy and backed by more than 15 years of industry-leading experience, Brand Inspiration is adept at sparking meaningful connections between brands and customers to achieve business goals.

1. The Power
of Personality
WAYS TO UNLOCK
YOUR BRAND’S
PERSONA

2. When you think of Virgin Atlantic, what’s
the first thing that pops into your mind? Odds are it isn’t their
low airfares or the obscure fact that the company was ranked
sixth-best air carrier in the world for 2015 by Forbes. It’s
most likely the latest exploit of the billionaire entrepreneur
behind the company, Sir Richard Branson.
Likewise, it’s difficult to think about Apple as an entity without
giving a passing nod to the genius of Steve Jobs. And how can
you even begin to think about a certain tower on New York
City’s Fifth Avenue without associating it with a flamboyant
presidential candidate?
In each of these cases, the organization’s Brand identity has
been inextricably linked with the powerful personality who
leads or once led it. Take the Trump brand for example. Love
him or hate him, when you see the name Trump gracing a
piece of real estate, you know exactly what to expect: The
property will be over the top. Walk into Trump Tower and
you’ll see miles of polished marble, sparkling 24-carat gold
trim, super-efficient staff and all the perks and amenities
you’d expect from a premier address.
Sure, you may say, it’s easy for
billionaires to create a Brand Image
based on personality, but how can a
normal organization possibly do that?
THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION

3. THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION
Once such a linkage between Brand and personality is made
in the minds of your potential clients, donors, employees,
the public, etc. you have achieved priceless marketing
shorthand. Apple, for example, doesn’t have to spend a
fortune telling potential buyers that its products are intuitive
and innovative. We already assume that; it’s simply part of
Apple’s personality to create products that are in tune with
its corporate image.
Sure, you may say, it’s easy for billionaires to create
a Brand Image based on personality, but how can a
normal organization possibly do that?
To learn how, look no further than your favorite corner coffee
shop. You know the one, where the owner always remembers
your name, asks about your kids, and often anticipates your
order. Maybe they are sweet, perhaps a touch sarcastic, but
there is something about his or her personality that keeps
you coming back to where you feel welcome, time and time
again.
If developing this cult of personality works for small mom
and pop shops, and it works for megafirms, how can mid-
size organizations like yours tap the power of personality for
marketing impact? Let our experts at #BrandInspiration
show you how!

4. THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION
Have other folks within your
organization ask and see
how the answers differ when
someone else is posing the
questions.
Like it or not – and whether you even
realize it or not - your organization
already has its own distinctive
personality. This persona is what your clients,
consumers, donors, students, employees, the public, etc.
automatically thinks of when they hear your organization’s
name.
How do you find out what these diverse groups really
think about you?
You Ask!
Ask everyone.
Ask your employees.
Ask your best clients.
Ask those somewhat testy, “trouble-making” customers.
Ask your competitors.
Ask the vendors you do business with on a regular basis.
Ask your family.
Ask the FedEx guy who routinely delivers your packages and
probably sees a more revealing glimpse of the inner workings
of your staff than you do.
STEP 1
DETERMINE
YOUR PERSONA

5. THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION
Once you have your answers, have other folks within your
organization ask and see how the answers differ when
someone else is posing the questions. Of course, you can
always bring in Brand or marketing consultants to do
the heavy lifting on this for you, or you can take the
time needed to do it yourself.
At the end of this process, you should have a white board
filled with adjectives and descriptors. At this point, realize
that there are no incorrect answers, only perceptions about
your Brand that you will either want to reinforce or rebut as
you follow the next steps in the process. The key is to come
out of this step with a clear understanding of your Brand’s
existing perceived personality.
STEP 1
DETERMINE
YOUR PERSONA
The key is to come out of this
step with a clear understanding
of your Brand’s existing
perceived personality.

6. THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION
Now is the time to determine
what you want to be known for
-- and to claim that Brand as
your own.
Now that your organization has an
understanding of what your Brand’s
perceived personality is, you have a golden
opportunity to ask what you actually want it to be – and to
change it if you’re not quite where you want to be.
Are you a tech company that wants to be known as a hotbed
of innovation? Are you a financial services firm that wants to
be seen as a rock of stability amid troubled waters? Are you an
institute of higher education that wants to be known for placing
its graduates on paths to prosperous and rewarding careers in
their chosen field? Now is the time to determine what you want
to be known for – and to claim that Brand as your own.
Of course, at Brand Inspiration, we tell our clients that what
you want your organization to be should be carefully informed
by in-depth market research on what your clients really want
and need. It should be shaped by what your salespeople
tell you your customers are asking for. It should always be
influenced by what your collective common sense as
well as your organizational Mission and Vision dictate.
It should be forward-thinking and lead you in the direction
where your marketing or brand managers tell you you’ll need to
go in the future.
To bring these varied pieces together into a seamless whole,
don’t be afraid to consult with outside experts like our team at
Brand Inspiration. There’s a huge disparity between knowing
where you want to go and understanding the path you need to
get there. This is where bringing in some fresh eyes can make
all the difference, injecting new ideas and energy into a re-
branding campaign.
STEP 2
DECIDE WHO
YOU WANT
TO BE

7. THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION
Get everyone on the same page
and make certain that they
understand the WHY behind
your Branding plan so they can
execute the WHAT flawlessly.
STEP 3
SHARE YOUR
VISION
INTERNALLY
Just as it does on a purely personal
level, changing or reinforcing your
organization’s image really begins from
the inside out. For this reason, it’s essential that every
employee in your organization is brought into the loop so
that they understand what your Brand vision is and how it
impacts their individual role on a daily basis.
Let’s face it. Changing a Brand’s personality is a big deal.
It should be something that every employee in your
organization gets fired up about. You have to create
excitement and build a groundswell of internal support
around a major transformation or it simply won’t last. No
matter how many ads you execute about your organization’s
new identity, it’s how your employees translate your
vision into their daily habits that will make or break
your personality Branding process.
At Brand Inspiration, we often recommend bringing in some
external support to reinforce these key points. Outside
experts sometimes bring more credibility than the managers
your team is accustomed to dealing with each and every day.
Bring in some exceptional motivational speakers; sign up
that outstanding trainer; hire that celebrity for an afternoon.
Get everyone on the same page and make certain that they
understand the WHY behind your Branding plan so they can
execute the WHAT flawlessly.

8. THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION
This is where it makes sense to give
your internal marketing department
all the assistance it needs.
As an organization, you know what you
are now and where you want to go,
and your employees are fired up about
taking you there. But the next question you’ll likely
be asking is how exactly do you get there?
In the workplace, it’s often said that you are what you
wear, and we at Brand Inspiration feel that’s true for
what your Brand wears as well. We’re not talking about
designer suits and high-end ties or shoes here, although it’s
possible that they may be a component of your re-branding
process. For your organization, the clothes it wears are
your public-facing elements: Your logo, the colors and fonts
you choose to use in your digital and print presence, the
skeletons of your social media pages and more.
This is where it makes sense to give your internal marketing
department all the assistance it needs. Odds are, these folks
work each and every day to create pertinent, meaningful
materials for your Brand. Make their job easier by giving
them the guidelines they need to keep your new materials
consistent and the oversight they require to ensure that
all of your messaging – both internal and external – is in
agreement with the new Brand you want to convey.
STEP 4
DRESS FOR
SUCCESS

9. THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION
Don’t be afraid to showcase
your new personality in a
manner that really displays it.
STEP 5
SHOUT IT OUT!
Now it’ time to spread the word. Don’t be
afraid to showcase your new personality in a manner that
really displays it. Be innovative. Break from tradition. Reach
out to key markets in new ways.
Need some inspiration? Look no further than Pabst Blue
Ribbon beer. For decades, this Milwaukee beer has had
a working-class reputation as an inexpensive beverage
of choice for cash-strapped college students. A few
years ago, the company wanted to expand its reach and tap
into the burgeoning beer market in China, which is by some
estimates the world’s biggest consumer of beer. Chinese
beer drinkers, however, favor more highbrow beverages and
are not afraid to pay for them.
To compete, the company re-branded its beer as Blue
Ribbon 1844, a reference to the year in which the company
was founded. While the beverage itself is indeed different
than what college-age consumers swill in the U.S. – it features
a brew of German malts and is aged in oak barrels – the
image is a world away and the price reflects it, retailing for an
amazing $44. New high-end packaging and lots of publicity
about the beer’s unique foreign pedigree justified the high
price point for discerning consumers, who were grabbing it
off the shelves after it was launched.

10. THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION
STEP 5
SHOUT IT OUT!
If Pabst can change its image so dramatically with a new take
on luxury, imagine how some innovative thinking can re-
awaken your organization’s Brand. Just remember that some
of the best ideas on how to connect with the audience you
most want to reach may come from your own team. Don’t
neglect advice from your employees on how to best spread
the word about what you do day in and day out.
Don’t be afraid to showcase
your new personality in a
manner that really displays it.

11. THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION
Your brand cop might not be the
most beloved person on your
staff, but they ultimately will be
the most essential member of
your marketing team.
One of the most challenging aspects
of Brand marketing is executing your
message well across all platforms every
single time. In the crush of getting materials out for
daily or weekly deadlines – whether that’s client statements,
trade show handouts, print ads or social media posts – it’s
easy to occasionally veer off track.
So how do you stay in gear? You need someone on your
team who is empowered and expected to remain singularly
focused on keeping your messaging consistent. This is your
Brand cop; the person who is able to and feels confident
enough to look at that glossy brochure your team has
been working on for weeks and ask the question no one
has considered about whether the piece plays to your key
strengths. The person who can look at the promo video your
marketing firm has put together and asks whether the tone is
appropriate for your new Brand image.
In the short term, your Brand cop might not be the most
beloved person on your staff, but they ultimately will be the
most essential member of your marketing team. If you don’t
feel comfortable having an insider tackle the role, don’t be
afraid to outsource it to a trusted Brand consultant.
STEP 6
CONSISTENCY
IS KEY

12. THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | BRAND INSPIRATION
It’s time to double down to see
what’s working and change
what’s not.
STEP 7
MEASURE
TWICE…
Once your strategy is in place, it’s not
time to rest on your laurels, It’s time to double
down to see what’s working and change what’s not.
Of course, you’ll want to check the efficiency of your
advertising campaigns, note how many emails you gather
through various lead generation projects, and track the
metrics that matter most to you. But you’ll also want to
monitor how people are engaging with your Brand to see
if it’s in the ways and manner in which you hoped and
expected when you began your Personality Branding
program. Go back to the basics you started with – those key
words and ideas you want your Brand to convey. In ways
large and small, weekly meetings and occasional memos,
bring your staff full circle and ask them how they are working
each and every day to convey your organization’s desired
persona.

13. Are you ready to put these steps into practice in your own business and
learn even more about building a brand that gets noticed?
Let’s talk about it!
Spill the beans about what you do over #cofffeewithMD and I’ll show
you how to perk up your image with a double shot of creative direction
and brand marketing.
BRANDINSPIRATION