Brands that Bring Personality into their Copy (from a StoryBrand Certified Guide)

We all know those brands who are killing it with their messaging. They’re resonating with people, creating content that makes an impact, and writing jingles that get stuck in everyone’s head (“nationwide is on your side”). Did you just sing that one in your head? Yeah, us too.

Big brands like Nationwide have figured out the secret to standing out from the crowd – by adding personality into their copy.

When it comes to marketing your business, the words you use should bring it to life – not drag it down into the depths of the internet. One of the best ways to help your business stand out from the crowd is by adding personality into your copy (AKA, having a super clear brand voice and owning it everywhere you show up).

We’re big fans of learning by example, so we wanted to share how the major players are showing up with personality everywhere online and IRL.

Apple:

Apple has always been known for its creative, confident tone. From their "I'm a Mac" ads to their product launches, everything is presented with the same voice. Short sentences and easy-to-read headers make Apple’s personality stand out in the simplest of ways.

But how they are using their voice on different platforms really is what sets them apart.

When you see one of their ads, like their 911 Apple Watch Ad Series, you clearly know it’s Apple just minutes in.

Looking deeper at the 911 ad from a StoryBrand perspective, we see Apple playing the Guide in such a strong way. And playing the guide here in these real-life moments of customers needing help adds layers upon layers of empathy.

Empathy is a good place to start adding personality into your copy because it's where you can be real. You can be yourself and say "hey look, I know that this problem is big -- but we can solve it together." And you can say it in a way that ONLY YOU (or your brand) would.

By framing themselves as the Guide, Apple has identified a clear brand voice and has chosen to own it everywhere they show up. They add personality into their copy by humanizing their products through empathy, keeping sentences short, and communicating in a clean, confident, simple way – kinda like their products.

Disneyland:

Disneyland is one of those brands that does a fantastic job at adding personality into everything they do, not just copy. From the way they designed the park to be an entire experience - from smells, characters, food, etc. – down to calling their employees cast members, Disneyland is one of those brands that really takes personality to the next level. Even their Instagram sparks a little bit of magic with every post.

One thing that’s evident in Disneyland’s copy is just how deeply they care about their guest experience. It’s clearly a conviction for them, as it shines through in the content they create and the words they write.

From a Storybrand perspective, Disneyland injects personality by using aspirational identity: you want to be a kid again. You want to experience something magical. You want your life to feel like a dreamy adventure! And at Disneyland, they make that possible from the marketing to the actual guest experience.

Disneyland not only adds their unique magical personality into their copy, but into their entire guest experience as well. As soon as you encounter a Disneyland ad, you know it.

Tushy:

Tushy is a brand that sells a bidet attachment for your toilet. Doesn’t sound like the most interesting thing to market, right? Well, Tushy is one of our favorite brands because of how they play off of bathroom humor to make something as uncomfortable as a bidet approachable to customers.

By adding personality into their copy through humor, Tushy plays into the fact that bidets are awkward and that people feel that way, and it’s just so stinkin’ good.

From a Storybrand perspective, Tushy leans into the problem to pull out their personality. And since the problem is that everybody poops, things can start to feel real awkward, real fast. Luckily, Tushy knows that and uses it to their advantage. By breaking the ice with bathroom humor and loads of posterior puns, it makes the entire experience more enjoyable -- purchasing a Tushy AND using it.

The best part about Tushy’s copy is that through their hilarious personality, they make jokes out of something no one would talk about before, which humanizes the entire experience.

You don’t have to be a big brand to reach a big audience.

At the end of the day, brands like Apple, Disneyland, and Tushy are reaching a big audience because of their distinct personalities, but that doesn’t mean your business can’t get in on the fun too.

If you feel like your business is fading into the depths of the internet, not reaching an audience, and sounding like everyone else… know that it's okay. It’s hard to do all the marketing from the inside, so getting some outside perspective can help.

If you’d like to figure out ways that you can add personality into your business’s copy, schedule a call with our Storybrand Certifed Guide and we’ll get you reaching your ideal audience in no time.