3 Ways Your Brand Personality Impacts Consumer Behavior

How many times have you bought a product just because it had an attractive color?

How many times have you bought a product just because it had a catchy slogan?

How many times have you bought a product just because it gave you the right vibes?

Plenty of times. Right?

This is nothing but brand personality at play. We tend to develop a natural liking toward products that reflect our self-image in a positive way. Not only do we consume these products, but we also recommend them to others. Statistics show that about 77% of consumers are likely to recommend a brand to others after experiencing a positive feeling about it.  

Whenever brand personality knocks on the door of the consumers, it affects their buying behavior. Now before we venture further, let’s demystify what brand personality is.

What is Brand Personality?

Brand personality is a set of characteristics representing a brand that a specific customer segment tend to connect to and enjoy. It evokes positive emotions that resonate with the consumers to build a strong relationship with the brand.

For instance, whenever we think of Red Bull, two things come to our mind -

• Live off the edge
• Push oneself out of the comfort zone

This is nothing but the brand personality of Red Bull that adventure-seeking people can relate to. As a result, they not only relish Red Bull but also regularly recommend it to others.

How brand personality affects consumer behavior?

Your brand personality creates the perception of familiarity and attraction among your consumers. It bridges the gap between your audience and your products by fostering a relationship. On that note, let us look at the three ways in which brand personality positively impacts consumer behavior -

Builds Loyalty

As you have seen above, a brand personality is nothing but the message served by your brand to the consumers. When this message aligns well with the consumer’s needs, then they will start buying from your repeatedly.

For example, despite the availability of many smartphones that are more capable and powerful than the iPhone, a loyal fanbase remains for it. They are loyal to the brand Apple because their message satisfied their needs at some point in time.

People do not buy a product because of its features and price, but because of the lengths, the brand has gone to establish itself as someone they can trust in the long run.

Alters buying decisions

The process of purchasing is triggered once a problem arises, and customers start looking for solutions to solve that problem. The customers seeking these solutions end up picking one from a multitude of options. Now, as a brand offering one of these solutions, you have the power to make them pick you through the power of brand personality. Your brand should be the answer to the current needs of the customer, and this is conveyed through the brand personality.

Consider a hypothetical situation. Imagine you are a customer buying a television online because your last television broke down in just 3 years of purchase. You are now comparing televisions from 2 really popular brands.

• Brand A costs less, has a better return policy, and better delivery option. However, it has not created any positive brand image within the consumer’s mind.
• Brand B, on the other hand, costs more and has a more stringent return policy and delivery option. However, it has made efforts to create a strong brand personality for itself that the television is long-lasting.

Now, what would you pick? 9 out of 10 people will pick the second option because it serves their current need for a long-lasting television which has been clearly conveyed by brand B.

Converts customers to influencers

Consumers are more likely to trust a brand that is adopted and trusted by their peers and family. A survey shows that about 92% of consumers are most likely to follow a brand that is recommended by their family and peers.

A strong brand personality will not only make a customer purchase your product but also make them recommend your brand to others who have similar tastes as theirs. For example, if your brand personality is all about being eco-friendly, a nature enthusiast will recommend your brand to another nature enthusiast when they meet. Instead of you, your customer will be the one convincing your target audience to purchase from you.

Verdict

Consumers are the real owners of the brand, and the end products are for them to consume. Hence brand personality should be built keeping in mind the self-image of the customers so that they can connect with your brand well. If brands tell their consumers how much value their products add to their lives instead of focusing on their pricing, consumer behavior towards their brand will drastically change.