Making Your Brand Likable

Ultimately, you want people to like your brand. So, what makes a brand likable? Think of a brand as if it were a person. And then think about what makes people likable. Here is my list of attributes that make people likable:

• They are secure and self-confident
• They are honest and have integrity
• They keep their promises and are reliable
• They are genuine, sincere and authentic
• They are positive, happy and optimistic
• They smile
• They are not too serious, they laugh and they make people laugh
• They ask questions and they truly listen to and try to understand the answers
• They keep an open mind
• They do not judge or condemn others, they accept them as they are
• They look for something nice to say about others, but not in an insincere way
• They can be vulnerable, they admit to their mistakes, they say “I’m sorry”
• They treat people with courtesy and respect
• They add value, they bring value to others

Brands are personifications of organizations and their products and services. Because of this, we can apply this list of attributes to brands as well as people. So take a look at this list and decide what you need to do to increase the likability of your brand. Much of this will result from the appropriate corporate culture, customer service training and procedures and employee selection and performance appraisal criteria. Some of it will result from outstanding and consistent product performance. Advertising campaigns and other marketing messaging can significantly reinforce and build upon your brand’s likability. And don’t forget that choosing the right brand personality and promise can increase your brand’s likability.

I wish you great success in making your brand more likable.