Have you ever found yourself bored scrolling through your facebook feed, when you casually stumble upon a light-hearted quiz on “What chocolate bar matches your personality?” or “We will tell you what popcorn you are based off your personality?” If you are anything like me, you would definitely be guilty of indulging in this type of behaviour.
This poses an important question “Do you find yourself buying certain brands as their personality is consistent with how you view yourself?”
According to the self-congruence theory, consumers seek products and brands whose personalities are consistent with their own self-identity and personality due to a desire for congruence (5). A recent study found that 61% of respondents living in the United States feel it is important to find a brand that reflects their personality (7). This brings about the concept of brand personality.
Brand personality is the association of human traits or characteristics with a brand name to which consumers are able to relate to (3). Jennifer Aaker developed a framework to describe and measure the personality of a brand. She concluded that there were five main types of brand personalities:
- Excitement
- Sincerity
- Ruggedness
- Competence
- Sophistication
Source: http://www.superskill.com/aaker-brand-personality-dimension/
The main function of brand personality is being about to relate to your customers and aid them in the process of their self-expression (1). A company’s brand personality should not be a stereotype of their customers, rather the people who buy your products should be able to see themselves or what they aspire to be (1). The greater the match between the brand personality and the consumers self-concept the more likely the consumer will have a favourable attitude towards the brand (2).
A brand which has a strong favourable brand personality creates a willingness to remain loyal to the brand (2). This is highlighted in a recent study which revealed that 64% of consumers say that shared values help them create a trusted relationship with a brand (4).
Recently a study was conducted on the brand personality of three fast-food restaurants. The study focused on McDonalds, KFC and Subway. The results from this study highlighted the perceived brand personality of Subway amongst consumers.
It revealed that subway was the most sincere, exciting and sophisticated brand of the three (1).
According to a recent study, when it comes to brand personality, the majority of consumers want brands to be honest (86%) and be friendly (83%) (6). These traits are linked to the sincerity dimension of brand personality. As Subway was considered to be the most sincere out of the three main fast-food restaurants this could give them a significant competitive advantage.
Subway’s sincerity could be attributed to the warmth and cheerfulness displayed in its store outlets, and the consistent projection of the healthy lifestyle through consumption of its food. Its excitement could be related to keeping up-to-date with its ‘healthy’ product lines and allowing customers to make daring choices and be imaginative through their high level of customisation.
Subway has been successful in creating a unique brand personality. Based on Subways brand personality construct, people who are health-conscious, up-to-date and believe in a wholesome lifestyle would be more likely to choose Subway over the other fast food brands.
Resources Used:
(1) Ali, A and Sharma, V 2014, Can Brand Personality Differentiate Fast Food Restaurants?, Research in Hospitality Management, 4:1-2, pp. 13-19
https://doi.org/10.1080/22243534.2014.11828309
(2) Farhat, R., and Khan, B. M, 2011, ‘Importance of Brand Personality to Customer Loyalty: A Conceptual Study’ New Media and Mass Communication, vol. 1, pp. 4-10
(3) Lim, S 2019 ‘Brand Personality” viewed 23rd April 2019 https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/brand-personality.asp
(4) Shaoolian, G 2018 ‘10 Marketing, Web Design & Branding Statistics to Help You Prioritize Business Growth Initiatives‘ viewed 28th April 2019 https://www.forbes.com/sites/gabrielshaoolian/2018/08/10/10-marketing-web-design-branding-statistics-to-help-you-prioritize-business-growth-initiatives/#8152c0ad708b
(5) Solomon, R, Russel;-Bennett, R & Previte, J 2019 ‘Consumer Behaviour: Buying, Having, Being’, Pearson Australian Edition, 4th Edition
(6) Sprout Social , 2018 ‘The Q2 2017 Sprout Social Index’ viewed 28th April 2019 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/data/q2-2017
(7) Statista, 2011 ‘Millennials: It is Important For me to Find Brands That Reflect my Personality’, viewed 23rd April 2019 https://www.statista.com/statistics/281665/millennials-importance-of-brands-that-reflect-personality/
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