Whether you’re a small local business or a large conglomerate, there’s one thing that both have in common: each business has a unique personality, complete with traits and characteristics that compose the brand. One usually thinks of traits as part of a human being, but with a business, it equally applies, placing human attributes on a company so that a person can relate to it.
These attributes can be expressed through images or actions. For our purposes on this blog, we’ll talk about small business branding. Let’s examine what these traits might look like on a specific business. We’ll take the example of a health food restaurant based in Los Angeles.
So, what might be some of these “traits” of a healthy eatery? Here are a few that come to mind:
- Authentic
- Wholesome
- Helpful
- Dependable
Okay, so these might describe what the mindset of the company is, how it speaks and behaves. Wouldn’t you want the healthy restaurant to exhibit these traits when you patronize it? When you think of your brand as a person with a distinct personality, it makes it much more relatable.
Use this as a practical exercise with your own small business brand. What specific attributes would you assign to your business that would make it relatable to others? What are those human characteristics that you like in other people? Maybe it’s honesty and generosity. A brand that exhibits these traits automatically becomes more trustworthy and credible in the eyes of its patrons.
So where can these human traits be exhibited for brands? Ideally, any touchpoint for a customer, whether that’s label packaging or an interaction with one of your company’s employees. An employee who exhibits authenticity during an interaction is a win for the brand; a customer will long remember a great interaction with your company, and might refer your company to a friend or leave a stellar review online. Zappo’s, the online shoe and clothing company, is a good example of this; they tout their customer service team as an important extension of their marketing.
After giving some thought to your small business brand’s traits, consider developing some positioning statements and a story about your brand. A great brand story can only enhance your company’s image. Learn more about EDK’s branding services.