If you’re writing blogs and constantly scouring the web for photos and images for your Site, you may find that what you find doesn't necessarily suit your brand’s personality or identity.
This could be the sign that crafting your own brand’s character is the direction you should start considering.
Creating your own character can give your brand its own unique voice, giving you the opportunity to stand out from the crowd, and importantly, from your competitors. As the ambassador of your brand, your character would connect with and represent your brand’s personality traits, assisting in building an association with your Customers, as well as lifting your brand awareness.
Could it be a viable option for your business? Read on to find out.
Advantages
Creating a character may not be the perfect fit for every business, so we’ve listed both the advantages and disadvantages that a character could have for your brand.
Let’s begin with the good stuff, the advantages. Good news always comes first!
- Brand awareness: If your character really impresses and kicks off, there could be grand results! A recognisable character means it will stick in the head of a consumer and build your brand recognition.
- Connect with your Customers: Communicating emotions and personality isn’t always the easiest task, and conveying these emotions could be a simpler task if you’re utilising a character. The character allows you to be liberal and express the moods of your brand. It gives your brand an emotional outlet and allows Customers to easily identify and relate to your personality.
Become a sharing sensation: If your character really garners attention, there could be the possibility of it going viral. A character has potential to become a shareable force, and it could reach a larger audience the more it gets shared around.
Disadvantages
As exciting as creating your own character might be at this moment, it’s time to stop and think. Sadly, a character isn’t going to work for every brand, and there may be some disadvantages involved to be wary of if you’re thinking of jumping in.
- Disconnect with your Customers: While a personality-driven character may connect you to some Customers, there’s also the danger of it pushing away others. Not everyone is going to feel 100% intune with the look and mood of your ambassador.
- It’s an extra expense: If you don’t have your own design team handy or the skills of an illustrator yourself, the cost of hiring a design expert could be a difficult monetary action for your business. The benefits may outweigh the cost, but do consider your business’ funds before immediately agreeing to any paid-for creations.
Contemplate your brand message and the products/services you provide, as creating your own character may not fit in with what your business stands for.
Creation Tips
If you’ve made it this far and are nodding your head excitedly, ready and keen to begin the creation of your brand ambassador, here are a few tips to get you brainstorming and inspired.
Here are 4 questions to generate ideas for images that will connect with your target audience!
- What problem are you solving? Your brand has a service or product that serves a purpose and solves a Customer’s pain point. Hone in on that.
- How does that problem make your audience feel? Are they angry? Tired? Upset? Hesitant?
- What is your solution? You’ve got what your audience needs to solve their problem. Define it in clear terms, picture it, understand its value.
- How does solving their problem make your audience feel? Now that you’ve come along to save the day, how are they feeling? Happy? Appreciated? Relaxed? Courageous?
- What traits do you want your character to portray? Now that you’ve worked your way through those other questions, it’s going to make answering this question much easier, and give you a clearer view of your character.
Your character can really rock your business to the top if done correctly! If you have a clear understanding of your brand, follow our creation tips and keep up with your target audience’s trends and values, it could give your brand another dimension of connection.