Humanizing a Brand
Think of yourself as a brand. From what you wear, to the decorations in your home, even what you post on social media. Some people call that aesthetic. Even preferring certain brands, is a part of your brand. We all have a style, even if we think we don’t. We all use different forms of art to tell our story and describe ourselves.
Radio
If you don’t have a favorite song, you have a few. If you don’t have a favorite singer, surely you have a favorite band. We express what music we like when we’re in the car, shower, concerts we attend. My favorite radio station has a game they play on Fridays called, “Florida or anywhere else” – which is where they discuss crimes that have happened, and people call in and guess if it happened in Florida, or somewhere else. It’s very entertaining, and I’m quite good at it. (If I do say so myself)
OOH – Out of Home
T-shirts are considered walking billboards. Many of us walk around advertising companies for free. Stickers on your laptop, bumper stickers on your car, sports teams on hats, pins on your backpack, shall I go on? It would be very hard to find someone that doesn’t have at least one of these items. I bet you have all of them.
Some of us have favorite authors, subscribe to magazines, or read really great advertising blogs. You might even still pick up those brochures in hotels to tell you what’s in the area. If none of these seem to be hitting home with you, mail does. (Pun intended) Coupons count, you can’t escape advertising – I promise.
Digital
Your phone, your laptop, your tablet, your TV. We follow accounts we like, post the best of the best, and shop through these devices. We’re served ads based on our behavior and search history. For you chord cutters saying, “Netflix doesn’t have ads, Ariana” – right, but America’s Got Talent still has a tall glass of Coca Cola at the judges table, and we saw a Starbucks cup in Game of Thrones, so when that goes on Netflix, I’ll count that too.
For those who don’t think they know the famous Leo Burnett, you just don’t realize you do. Think: Tony the Tiger, Marlboro Man, Jolly Green Giant. Ahh, see – you do know him! He was the creator of these characters that we still recognize today. You can’t connect to a bowl of cereal, but you can connect with Tony the Tiger – especially if you’re Carole Baskin. Stay tuned for more jokes all you cool cats and kittens.
In my opinion, it’s important that we take advantage of today’s digital world to give brands a voice. That’s what we as people do. We use our own voice and project it across social media. What better way can a company relate to their audience than by expressing themselves to those who use the same tactics to get their voice heard and their point across? It’s brilliant.
One of my absolute favorite examples is the NJGov Twitter account. I may be biased because I’m without a doubt a Jersey girl, but they do one hell of a job representing the types of people that live there – as well as informing their following with news. Bravo. I’m taking notes.
It turns out your initials don’t have to be “AD” for you to put yourself in the words ‘advertising’ and ‘brand’.
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