Building a Brand Persona – Why Not Now?
It’s become a slow season for most businesses. This was unexpected, and probably not preferred, but there is a silver lining. During this period, you have the opportunity to sit and re-align on your company’s core values, and finally develop a persona that reflects them.
Don’t think a Brand Persona is Worth The Time? Think Again!
Smaller companies tend to skip this step in brand development, or at least never quite narrow it down. It benefits your customers to envision your company as a person or personality that is not only memorable, but exemplifies your company mission. And we all know that whatever benefits your customers, benefits your business.
A Brand Persona embodies what your company does and how you make your clients feel. Take Gordy Z for example. He’s our big green monster disrupting the way the insurance industry collects payments. He doesn’t like checks, and he likes to make himself known in big ways. For our users, he makes it clear that paper checks aren’t going to last and that we’re able to help them get noticed in big ways.
Where to Start When Designing your Brand Persona
Developing Gordy Z required many creative ideas, iterations, and input. As a young company in an industry not well-known (yet!) for allure or glamour, we wanted something that would stand out while still representing our mission and values. One concept included an astronaut, because we viewed digital payments as a new frontier to be explored. Another was the loyal “man’s best friend” since we want our clients to know they can rely on ePayPolicy.
Neither was a perfect fit. So we went back to our purpose, our original goal when we launched the company – to destroy the outdated payment methods for the insurance industry. There wasn’t anything like ePayPolicy and we were determined to be a monster of innovation. Out of this, Gordy Z was born. He now wreaks havoc on traditional ways agents collect payments.
Once we found the winning idea, we consulted with a designer to develop his look. Expanding on his personality alongside our team ensured he has the real heart of our company. Gordy is approachable, fast to react, and excited! Most importantly, he’s disrupting the norm and not dealing with paper checks when he knows there is a better solution out there.
Additional Benefits of Having a Brand Persona
– Social Media Buzz – Using your persona on social makes your company easy to identify, and ideally keeps them entertained as you create new and creative content.
– Promotional Products – When we see a brand we like, we want everything we can get our hands on. Stickers, t-shirts, socks, you name it!
– Client Connection – Let’s be honest, we love a unique, engaging brand. With your persona, clients can be “in” on the fun and feel like they are part of the team.
It takes a little work but establishing a brand persona is the perfect way to bring your team together, have some fun, and create a little excitement in and around your company. Check out this article to dive further into developing your own Brand Persona
