Chapter 12
The New Media University 901
Brand Personality, Discovery, and Promise
We travel through many places in our expedition toward social media adeptness, and most of it is unfamiliar territory—from social science to active listening and linguistics to experiential marketing and engagement rooted in empathy to social architecture and engineering and everything else that emerges in between. But this is why these times are so exciting and promising.
We're about to review a topic that is instrumental in defining the face, voice, and personality of a brand in socialized media and the ideas and lessons that materialize will most likely affect your next steps.
ESTABLISHING AN ONLINE PRESENCE AND DEFINING THE BRAND PERSONA
In the era of the Social Web, we are all brand advocates and managers—whether we know it or not.
I spend a significant portion of my time sharing the importance of listening and engaging noteworthy conversations and studying the enveloping cultures that define relevant online communities. When it comes to participation and engagement, however, identity and branded personalities are often an afterthought.
When it comes to engagement, we unknowingly risk brand dilution. Without defining and reinforcing the brand personality as intended is no different in social media from any other form of media. This is only complicated by the addition of human personalities into the equation, as they may or may not embody or personify the brand essence and as a result, they dilute ...
