While it may not have been popular marketing theory at the time, the most successful brands figured out decades ago that it takes character to turn a product into a brand. When a brand has character, it takes on an identity of its own. Its every word, gesture, action, became natural expressions which make the brand instantly recognizable.

What is the character or persona of your brand? The company Added Value has a tool called CharacterLab that helps you figure this out.

There is a free demo to try at this site. The demo will give you a series of photos and characteristics to rank. At the end it will give you the character/persona of your business -- if you are a sole proprietor.

Give yourself some time to work through the demo -- it will get you thinking and the sorting isn't easy. But I was very pleased with my results!

Turns out my business is characterized as the Creator/Sage. Just make sure you take notes at the end. I tried to bookmark my results, but when I tried to view that page again, it led me back to the original demo page. Bummer! But understandable.

Once you have your results then the real work begins -- crafting your brand to be in alignment with your character/persona. That includes aligning the language you use, your colors and graphics, web design, and marketing materials to your character/persona.

Knowing your character/persona really takes a lot of the mystery out of creating your brand and telling your stories.

So go have fun!