The Humanization of Your Brand

Does your own brand contain the APS proposition and subsequent multi-sensory elements that enhance that proposition? Does your package or product contain the elements of a good script? By seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or touching your product—does it create anticipation, or contain the element of surprise? What’s the toy in your Cracker Jack box? What’s the storyline that lends a humanizing emotional bond to your brand? What’s your brand’s personality? What’s the event or happening that is taking place? What sort of stage have you set in order to make your brand a star performer?

Any addition of the traditional five senses can only support the performance of your brand or product. The more that a consumer can immerse their senses into your product, the more of an emotional human bonding can take place. And in some instances, when all you’ve got is a faceless product like an insurance policy, you may have to put a fictitious human face on that product—even if it is a Neanderthal cave man with a dry sense of humor.

What we are attempting to do is to create a relationship between the product and the customer. And regardless of the type product or service—the more of a human personality that the product portrays, the better the chances for an emotional relationship with the user. Think of your own environment and relationships. Say you see the same attendant selling you a newspaper and a cup of coffee every morning. He doesn’t speak to you, only takes your money and looks away. Why do you go there? For the emotional bond? No, just as a matter of convenience—and if a competitor pops up next to him, you are likely to switch without any regrets. How about your office or workplace? Of all the people you work with, how many are there that you can say you know their personal story? Which ones do you anticipate seeing? Which ones can be called a little bit unpredictable—or surprising? It is most likely that the more of these traits that are evident in your associate, the more likely you feel an emotional bond.

Now compare the traits of a coworker that you know nothing about—one that you rarely speak with, and has no intention of disclosure. This person in all likelihood has few friends. That does not make him a bad person, just more of a nonentity in your life—like a piece of the furniture. Now what is the difference between this nice quiet person in the chair over there, and the relatively good product that sits untouched on the shelf of the marketplace? Well, it all comes down to personality. People and products with personality are popular in the workplace and in the marketplace. Their personalities make them look, smell, sound, and feel good to us. Personalities are perceived through our senses. Many of us think that we choose products because they are better than others—but in fact we have chosen them for their personality. And personality comes with a storyline, an APS element, and full sensory immersion.

In order to bring your brand and product into the multi-sensory century, and compete with other savvy marketers, you must breathe life into it, illuminate it, highlight its distinguishing characteristics—in other words, you must humanize and personify your brand. If you don’t breath life-giving personality into your brand now, you may find yourself calling in the branding paramedics later on.