Branding is an essential aspect of modern business strategy, encompassing the visual, emotional, and intellectual elements that define a company’s identity. As important as it is, it also can be very tricky to create a distinct identity that allows consumers to differentiate one brand from the others in a crowded marketplace. The best way to do this is to associate brands with real individuals. Today, we will narrate the story of 3 such brands that have established themselves by using the identities of a real human.
The importance of humanising brand
Before, we practically understand the brands that have gotten famous over an individual face, let us first understand why it is important to have a human associated with a brand.
- This helps in creating a distinct identity. One will associate the brand with the face of the person and therefore mistaking another brand for the same, cannot happen.
- Using a real human face will help connect an emotional connection with the brand which in turn helps in building trust.
- Using real individuals instead of graphics can also help in building a sense of authenticity, which is very crucial to the business.
- Associating a face with a brand is a long-term marketing strategy. The best example of this is the spice brand MDH, the advertisement that had the old uncle and to date his face immediately pops when we think of MDH.
- There is plenty of research that states that human brains retain visuals for longer. Therefore the brand is more likely to be remembered once you have a face to it.
Now that we know that using a face can really amplify the brand identity manifold, let us see the top three brands that have benefited from it.
Zepto
The latest to join the band is Zepto, a 10-minute grocery delivery app that delivers a range of products including a variety of brands. The business model is a simple one. They have tied up with various stores in the cities and have agents working in specific zones. Thereby, the 10-minute delivery challenge can be accomplished with ease.
In the month of March, right before the IPL season came into force, Zepto wanted to launch a campaign that stuck with the audience. Since the IPL season is a busy season for the brand, they wanted to do something special.
They used a widespread stereotype to advertise their brand. A middle-aged uncle named “Sharma Ji” was used for this. Borrowing heavily from the stereotype, the uncle expressed opinions without asking and used the famous catchphrase “Nahi Milega.”
Zepto also created a separate Instagram account for him which had 35K followers in a short span of time. So much so that Sharma Ji has now become the face of the brand and Zepto plans to keep the partnership going.
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The Whole Truth
The Whole Truth comes under the Food and Beverages Industry which deals with healthy snacks. They have a range of products including protein bars, energy bars, chocolates and nut butter. The Whole Truth is known for its clean labelling and promotes itself as a brand that does not sell half-baked truths.
The concept of healthy snacks is not really new to the market. There is a long list of contemporaries who also are in the same industry, dealing with the same or similar products. Then how did The Whole Truth establish itself on the top of the chart?
The founder of The Whole Truth, Mr Shashank came forward to tell the story of his own brand. Soon people started associating his face with the brand which helped them recognise and remember the brand.
Shashank has been an obese kid and an adult for a long time. He decided to improve his health and that is when he came up with the brand. A real person telling a personal story struck a chord with the audience and soon The Whole Truth became the leading brand in healthy snacks.
Shashank came forward to explain all the products The Whole Truth dealt in and how they have maintained honesty through their labelling.
KFC
Kentucky Fried Chicken or the popularly known KFC is a brand that is not unknown to anybody. The famous American fast food joint is known for its fried chicken and no party is complete without a ‘bucket’ from KFC. They are the second leading food chain with more than 20,000 outlets around the world.
KFC can be identified from a distance for its brand logo which does not have any elaborate graphics to it. It simply has the face of a man who looks like he knows food and will be able to deliver good food to your table or your doorstep.
The famous KFC man is none other than the founder of KFC, Colonel Harland David Sanders who started a restaurant with the name Kentucky Fried Chicken, in Kentucky, USA.
When he began to expand, he simply used his reputation to build it furthermore. His image on the brand established him as the brand ambassador and helped the brand reach newer heights.
Ultimately, the impact of using real faces for brands depends on factors such as the brand’s industry, target audience, and execution of the marketing campaign. However, adding a human can definitely be an added advantage while creating the brand identity.
