Brand personas on social: if yours isn’t distinct, you may as well give up

Social brand persona is the most pivotal part of your social media marketing. Period.

This is especially the case on TikTok. And in 2024 as audiences are still moving away from flawless, curated feeds, viewers are looking for distinct, completely unique and often unpolished, unfiltered, and unhinged content.

This is most notably the case for younger audiences (over two-thirds of TikTok users are between 18 and 34 years old), and these demographics want a new kind of persona from brands.

Tom Sweeney, VP of Influencer at Brainlabs, once said to think of a brand’s TikTok persona as the equivalent of a brand’s drunk-at-the-office-party personality. Just look at the likes of Ryanair (arguably one of the most successful brands on TikTok). They built out a brand persona that’s not just memorable, but also completely unapologetic. A risk that was definitely worth taking. 

Each brand defines its own persona, and whatever it is, it’s more in your face, more impulsive, less uptight. Sometimes the messier, the better.

Brands who embrace this and take risks with their social brand persona will ultimately win. So why do we see brands still playing it safe?

Sophie Freeman, Director of Growth in Influencer at Brainlabs, explores why a brand’s persona may be the most important factor in attracting younger audiences.

2024: the age of the social brand persona

We all know Gen Z and now Gen Alpha are shaping consumer trends and brand behaviors. By 2035, Gen Z will make up 31% of the workforce. 

Although Gen Alpha are still shopping with their parent’s credit cards, they’re definitely shopping. Having grown up completely in the digital age, they’re naturally very tech-savvy, but they still want to learn from their favorite brands. Not only are they looking at a brand’s products, but they are also looking at them for the “elite clubs” or communities they want to be a part of. 

They prefer small creators over traditional celebrities and engage with brands that use interactive campaigns. Gen Z values trust and Gen Alpha will likely be looking for the same, and they want this from the brand’s channels on socials. 

But that doesn’t mean just posting consistently. Social media is severely oversaturated, so to stand out, brands need to be pushing the boundaries of what is possible online. If you’re not carving out a distinct, bold (and maybe drunk) version of your brand persona, you’re just not going to be heard in 2024. 

How brands shape their personas

Brand personas create communities, and we’re seeing more younger people buy into brands based on which persona they relate to more, and which community they want to be in.

This means products or services that aren’t typically Gen Z or Gen Alpha coded are still reaching a younger audience because their brand persona and marketing are targeted to them. Why do we see Gen Alpha and Gen Z  lining up outside Sephora to buy products they might not even need? They aren’t there for the products themselves, they’re there to buy into the club of what it means to shop at Sephora. 

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) TikTok account has gone viral after their iconic videos. Their language, memes, and general attitude are all spot on Gen Z, and they jump on trends with their own creative twist. We love their take on Brat Summer and their Chappel Roan x Bird of the Week collaboration is especially unhinged. 

When you think of bird enthusiasts, you probably don’t think of anyone under 30. But combine the rising popularity of wholesome activities with supporting sustainable charities, and RSPB actually ticks a lot of boxes for the Gen Z community. Their marketing team knows what they’re doing with this TikTok rebrand.

Ryanair are well known for their self-deprecating and brutally honest TikTok persona, and even luxury brands such as Porsche have adopted a light-hearted mocking personality that pokes fun at the stereotypical Porsche customer. 

While Ryanair likely has many Gen Z customers saving on budget flights, much of the younger generation isn’t in a financial position to buy Porsches. But at 3.8M TikTok followers, their reach is huge. By building brand awareness now with Gen Z and Gen Alpha, Porsche is curating their future target audience. 

All of these brands have something in common. They have taken their brand identity at its core and simply elevated it in some way. Whether that’s through owning “cheap” from Ryanair’s perspective, sharing their passion of birds in memeified ways for RSPB or simply leaning into a little self-deprecating humor that taps into the age old jokes around Porsche cars. 

Is brand persona more important than product?

Let’s look at products we know Gen Z and Gen Alpha are buying, that weren’t originally designed for them.

First up, are Stanley Cups. The Stanley brand was founded in 1913 and manufactured reusable bottles, designed for the simple purpose of keeping drinks hot or cold. They were especially popular with blue-collar workers, and campers and hikers for their functionality. 

Fast-forward over 100 years and the Stanley Cup is one of the most popular items among women and young girls, with teenagers taking to TikTok to show off their excessive cup collections. Obviously, no one needs this many drink bottles. They’re reusable. The point is, you only need one. But, Stanley has created a brand persona that’s akin to an elite club. If you don’t have one in every color, you’re missing out. The FOMO of not being in this club is charging the trend, especially in Gen Alpha.

Another example of this is Gen Alpha’s obsession with skincare. 

At Brainlabs, we’ve used our Bytesights 2.0 tool to analyze this trend and have seen an enormous surge in children as young as nine seeking skin treatments, acids and ointments, and other specific skincare products. This is not because children are having skin issues; it’s because they are drawn in by the persona created by brands such as Drunk Elephant, Byoma, and Sephora. 

Sophie says, “There are queues outside Sephora, which are miles long, and it’s mainly full of really young kids who are buying in. They want to identify with this elite club, and having this skincare makes them a part of it. Ten year old little girls don’t need cream to help their dark circles – this has gone beyond the product.”

Distinct brand personas create elite social clubs that consumers want to be a part of. If done right, these clubs created by brands can turn into cultural tides as communities grow and become even more influential. 

This phenomenon makes one thing certain – sometimes brand persona on social trumps the product itself.

How does brand persona affect influencer marketing?

Without a distinct brand persona, influencer marketing may not be as authentic or effective. 

Once brands have established their persona, they should partner with influencers who either relate to or complement it. But this doesn’t have to be in an obvious way.

A great example of this is Gucci’s collaboration with Francis Bourgeois, TikTok’s favorite ‘train guy’. At face value, trainspotting has nothing to do with Gucci or how people view their brand, but by stepping away from this and creating a new persona, Gucci defined the era of ‘cool’ with this viral campaign.

So why did they partner with him? Francis Bourgeois was seen as so “uncool” that he redefined “cool” as simply embracing your unapologetic passion in a niche. And when you think about it, Gucci would define themselves as unapologetically passionate about their niche. So that’s the link. And that is also what makes Gucci so individual on social media. They are redefining their “cool” by being unapologetically passionate and embracing it in their partnerships.

The key is to keep brand values and heritage, while still tapping into a new persona.

Playing it safe will not get you anywhere. Sophie says, “Be confident, do things with conviction, and take those risks. That’s what’s going to hook this audience in.”

Of course, informed risk-taking is key. You need data to know what may or may not work. By using social listening tools like Bytesights 2.0, you can find the rising creators who are making ripples in their niche, and discover the clubs that young audiences want to be part of. By identifying up-and-coming talent and the right trends, you can create cultural tide moments and conversations that haven’t yet been owned. 

Own your channel

Obviously, a brand is nothing without a high-quality product, as this is what creates repeat customers. But, it’s clear that defining a social media persona that goes beyond a product offering is key to engaging younger audiences. 

Sophie says, “If you haven’t got a persona, you’re not going to reach your audience. No one is interested in seeing your product on its own on social media. Everything’s about entertainment now – people follow creators to be entertained.”

Whether their tone is self-mocking, light-hearted, or simply chaotic, brands need to create a recognizable voice, focus on aligning trends, and collaborate with authentic creators. Especially with the age of AI generated content upon us. AI cannot replicate or replace this.

But tools are essential in understanding these factors. If you’re unsure how to develop your brand’s persona, drop us a line at Brainlabs. We can help you engage with relevant trends, partner with the right creators, and own conversations before your competitors do.

Think about the drunk version of your brand and ask yourself: how would you own this niche?