The future is flesh
In an era when automation and artificial intelligence are accessible to everyone, the brilliance of human individuality becomes more sought after and valuable. Brands that can show their personality and authenticity most effectively will be the ones that last.
‘Professional personality’ is how a business shows up, i.e. how it looks, speaks, and acts.
That doesn’t mean being wild or super fun; it means being real to what’s true.
The right brand identity is curated by blending the unique DNA of a business with commercial marketing logic and creative taste to appeal to the right customers.
When everything can be done instantly, real quality still takes time and effort. It always will.
Put your hand up if you wear clothes.
Good, keep your hand up and strap in for a chunky read.
The clothes we wear are choices about how we want to interact with the world. It’s how we are seen and understood. You don’t wear the same outfit to attend a wedding as you do for a duvet day sick day. Or maybe you do… no judgment.
Most people consider the clothes they wear in a professional environment, especially when meeting potential clients.
‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’
Of course, it’s not the final judgment, but we can tell who puts effort into their clothes and appearance. More importantly, we can tell who doesn’t.
Long story long, the same can be said for brand. People can tell whether you care about your appearance and make assumptions about it.
Why wouldn’t you want to try and impress and attract your potential customers?
We can do a lot to positively shape the path of judgment through considered, intentional curation of our brand. The ‘curated clothes’ are how our consumers understand our professional personality.
More than just the logo, it’s all of these elements:
Logo | Typography | Colour palette | Imagery style | Illustration style | Graphic devices | Iconography | Patterns | Mascots | Grids | Design systems | Packaging | Stationery | Signage | Customer experience | Positioning | Mission and vision | Brand story | Messaging strategy | Tone of voice | Tagline/slogans | Online presence | Email | Video | Audio | Office | Point of sale | Events
You don’t need all of these, but it’s the whole package of how you show up. So planned or unplanned, the way you present these things determines how you will be perceived and judged. The best brands have the most well-rounded strategies for delivering their visuals and behaviours.
Faking or stealing is a false dawn.
You can fake your professional personality, but it will be found out in the long term. The lure is to make a company look more interesting, grand, or cool than it is, but it’s best to show a genuine personality grounded in core values.
My job isn’t to invent personalities for businesses; it is to milk the personalities out. I call it ‘milking the professional personality glands’. It’s a ridiculous and comfortable set of words, but somehow wholly accurate.
