More Than Just a Voice
In a crowded, fast-scrolling digital world, standing out isn’t just about having a message; it’s about making people feel something. A clever caption or a catchy slogan might get attention, but an emotional connection is what drives lasting engagement. That’s why brand voice alone doesn’t cut it anymore.
What brands need is personality. A strong brand personality goes beyond words. It creates a sense of familiarity, trust, and human connection. It brings depth to your messaging and helps people understand not just what you do, but who you are. In PR, where perception and relationships matter most, personality is the bridge between communication and connection.
Voice vs. Personality: There’s a Difference
Brand voice and brand personality are often used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same thing.
Voice is your brand’s tone and style of communication. It’s how your brand sounds when it speaks in witty, formal, friendly, or bold.
Personality goes deeper. It includes emotional traits, values, and behaviours. It’s how your brand thinks, reacts, and makes decisions. Voice is what you say; personality is who you are while saying it.
Take Zomato, for instance. Their tweets aren’t just informative, they’re humorous, cheeky, and relatable. That’s not just voice, that’s a consistent personality. Or consider Amul, its topical ads combine nostalgia, wit, and cultural relevance. That’s a brand personality that has stayed intact for decades.
Why Personality Matters
Today’s consumers don’t just buy products, they align with brands that reflect their values and personality. In markets filled with near-identical offerings, people connect with character.
A brand that feels like a person, one with quirks, values, and a relatable voice, is far more likely to be remembered. Personality humanises the business. It builds loyalty over time. It makes brands approachable, trustworthy, and likeable.
Every interaction is a chance to reinforce your personality. Whether it’s a press release, a campaign, or a customer response on social media, consistency is key. In PR, these touchpoints help shape how the world perceives not just what you say, but who you are.
The Role of PR in Shaping Personality
Public relations doesn’t just manage messages, it shapes the emotional tone behind them. It’s the vehicle that brings personality to life across different platforms, from interviews and press briefings to social media responses and crisis communication.
A brand that says it’s “innovative” but delivers bland, jargon-filled statements sends mixed signals. PR helps align your messaging with your identity. It ensures that what your brand says matches how it wants to be seen.
PR professionals ensure that a brand’s personality is consistent across platforms. They protect it during high-pressure moments, amplify it during campaigns, and fine-tune it as the brand grows.
Small Brands, Big Personality
You don’t need a massive budget to build a powerful brand personality.
Start with identifying your brand’s traits. Are you bold or understated? Playful or purposeful? Warm or witty?
Then reflect those traits across your channels, your website, your social media bios, your press kits, and your interviews. Let founders speak authentically. Use customer stories to bring values to life. Respond with empathy, celebrate wins genuinely, and own your mistakes. These aren’t marketing tricks. They’re moments of connection. And when PR reinforces this personality, audiences don’t just notice your brand, they begin to trust it.
Stay Consistent Across Platforms
One common pitfall? Inconsistency. If your Instagram is casual and fun but your media statements are stiff and corporate, people get confused. Consistency builds familiarity, and familiarity builds trust. This is where PR and marketing must work hand-in-hand. Marketing may control what’s said. PR ensures it’s heard the right way.
Strong brands don’t switch personalities across platforms. They stay true to themselves, everywhere.
Final Cue: Show Up as a Person
At the end of the day, people connect with people. Brands that show up with honesty, heart, and humanity stand out in all the right ways.
Ask yourself: if your brand were a person, would people want to talk to it, follow it, trust it?
If not, it’s time to go beyond the voice. It’s time to give your brand a personality.
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
She brings a blend of sector-agnostic expertise, strategic insight, and a proven track record in brand building, stakeholder engagement, and investor relations. Her passion for fostering new business opportunities adds another dimension to her expertise, making her a trusted advisor in high-growth environments. She has worked with various marquee clients across varied verticals such as Corporate, BFSI, Stock Markets, Healthcare, Automobile, Aviation among others.
A hyper-performer, Chhavi is known for her infectious enthusiasm and unwavering commitment to excellence. Her academic credentials include an MBA in Marketing from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, and a specialization in Strategic Brand Management & Communications from MICA, Ahmedabad - a testament to her deep-rooted understanding of brand evolution.
Beyond work, Chhavi finds joy in culinary experiments, soulful dance therapy, and immersive travel adventures that fuel her creativity and zest for life.
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