Human characteristics in a brand

Abstract: When someone meets you for the first time, you are being evaluated by you
looks and judged within seconds. After a few minutes of conversation, an
even stronger impression has been made, whether you like it or not. A good
first impression, like having a strong hand shake or presenting yourself in
a good way, is crucial in any social situation. In the world of business,
brands are being judged in the exact same way as humans. A customer is
often able to provide a list of attributes to describe the personality of a
particular brand. The purpose of this thesis, therefore, is to provide a
better understanding about human characteristics in a brand. In order to
reach this purpose, research questions focusing on the brand personality
and how companies achieve brand attractiveness were stated. Based on these
research questions, a review of the relevant literature was conducted,
resulting in a conceptual framework that was used to guide the study's data
collection. A qualitative, case study approach was used using interviews at
two service companies in Sweden: One tourism oriented company in the
northern part of Sweden and one consulting company situated in Stockholm.
The study shows that brand personality can be created and enhanced in a way
that suits the company. It also shows that there are great possibilities to
develop the visual elements of a brand in order to make it more attractive.