Twenty years ago, brands used to push out content without any immediate feedback from their customers. Today, social media platforms have given consumers a way to talk to brands. As a result, brands and consumers engage in positive and negative conversations with each other every day.
Consumers now have more power than ever to impact a brand's image and reputation. Many companies have injected a touch of personality into their brands to charm their customers. These brands speak to their audience as if they know them personally and understand what they're going through.
In this article, I'll go through 8 brands that have created magnetic personalities and strategies – that connect with their customers on a human level.
Lego
Lego can proudly claim to be one of the world's most loved brands. Born from and built on imagination, Lego is a brand that opens up a world of fantasy and creativity for kids young and old.
Lego is an old-school company that reminds us of when kids didn't play with their iPads. Founded in 1932, Lego has thrived over the years by constantly adapting to cultural shifts. As a result, today, the brand has associated itself with almost every culturally relevant theme, from superheroes and movies to historical landscapes.
Lego charms their audience by almost always delivering a dose of humor in their ads. Their brand voice is fun-loving and youthful. And their message encourages people to use their imagination and creativity.
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo's brand oozes style and sophistication, as well as a feeling of sensuality. It's Italian, and it speaks like one. Its tagline is "the mechanics of emotion," which gives us an insight into the emotive spirit of the brand. Many car brands seem like a variation of each other, but Alfa Romeo stands in its own class.
Throughout its communication, it appeals to the senses. It has a sleek brand identity, speaks sensually, and evokes emotions of pleasure.
Dove
Dove is one of many brands developed by Univelever. Dove embraces all things pure and shows an appreciation for all that's beautiful and feminine. It sees these qualities in all women and encourages them to see beauty in themselves both inside and outside. Dove has an optimistic personality and communicates simplicity and honesty through its language and tone of voice.
Nike
Nike is a brand that inspires its audience to go out and pursue their dreams. The competitive heritage of their founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman is part of the brand's fabric. Nike has adopted a winner's mentality that goes through the brand personnel and into the relationship with its customers. Nike resembles a sort of personal "coach." One that encourages, guides, and motivates its audience to be courageous and face their fears.
Nike's competitive nature is in everything they do, from its innovation to its branding. Their tagline "just do it" is a call to action, and the brand itself becomes a way of life for its customers.
Mercedes Benz
Mercedes-Benz is an aspirational and exclusive brand that sits on a pedestal among luxury car brands. Their branding conveys the idea that you have to earn the right to join their club — a club of prestige, status, and success. Their brand identity is elegant, their language is articulate, and their tone of voice is authoritative and commanding.
In essence, Mercedes communicates exclusivity and gives its customers a sense of achievement.
Coca-Cola
Whenever you see or hear Coca-Cola, you consciously or subconsciously might think of the word happiness. The reason for this is that Coca-Cola has purposefully aligned its brand to every happy moment that you can think of, from Christmas to the summer holidays. Coca-Cola consistently displays happiness through its advertisements. Their brand identity is radiant, their language is joyful, and their tone of voice enthusiastic.
Coca-Cola's personality is carefree and fun-loving. And they encourage their customers to forget the stresses of life and enjoy the moment by having a Coke.
IKEA
Ikea is a no-nonsense brand that appeals to ordinary and everyday people who want simple solutions without the hassle. Ikea has a simple brand identity and soothing tone of voice – including humor now and then.
Their tagline, "The wonderful everyday," shows its lighthearted spirit. Overall, Ikea displays a feeling of togetherness.
Apple
We can't have a list of famous brands without mentioning Apple. Apple is a visionary brand known for breaking through the boundaries of technology and going against the grain in its industry. Their brand visuals are minimalistic and highly aesthetic. If Apple had a voice, it would speak in a simple language with a confident tone of voice.
In essence, Apple inspires and encourages forward-thinking individuals to express themselves creatively.
Conclusion
The brands above are all loved by their customers. They've differentiated themselves from competitors using unique brand personalities and achieved rock-star status by focusing on every detail of their brand, from how it looks to how it talks to its audience.
In other words, you'll need more than just good looks to build a successful brand, especially in today's fast and noisy world. So learn from the best, take the time to understand your audience, and create a brand that connects with them on a human level.