Reuniting a Brand With Its Personality
Why so many businesses drift...and how to bring them back to themselves.
Some brands lose their personality slowly, the way a photograph fades in sunlight.
Others outgrow it rapidly. A start-up that suddenly scales, a product that matures faster than expected, a team that evolves while the brand’s story stays frozen in time.
And then there are the ones that never had a personality at all: launched quickly, optimised for speed, built to occupy a space rather than stand for something.
We’re in a moment where brands can appear overnight, trend for a week and evaporate by the next scroll.
In that climate, a clear, lived personality isn’t just a nice-to-have...it’s the thing that makes you familiar, memorable, and worth returning to.
“People don’t attach to “brands.” They attach to behaviour, tone, attitude, intent. ”
People don’t attach to “brands.” They attach to behaviour, tone, attitude, intent. Personality is the emotional anchor that keeps a business recognisable even as it evolves.
But here’s the quiet truth:
Most brands drift.
Not because people aren’t trying, but because operations grow, teams shift, new offers are added, and the original spark becomes diluted, stretched, or replaced by default decisions.
Reuniting a brand with its personality is not about inventing something new...it’s about rediscovering what’s true, relevant, and resonant right now.
Cool brands who’ve defined and stayed true to their personality
These aren’t megabrands; they’re proof that personality scales beautifully when it’s authentic:
Grown Alchemist — Calm, clinical, almost meditative. They built a personality around quiet refinement and have never drifted into loud wellness trends.
St. Ali Coffee — Confident, cheeky, and irreverent. Their entire presence feels like a barista who’s seen everything and isn’t afraid to say it.
Koala — Straight-talking, refreshingly casual, and human. Their personality is the friend who gives you honest advice, not the “brand” that over-sells.
Maison Balzac — Whimsical, poetic, and lightly surreal. Every product and piece of copy feels like a little daydream, and that consistency builds cult love.
Frank Green — Modern, optimistic, design-forward. Their personality is defined by “useful joy”—function with a spark.
How to bring a brand back to itself
Five quick considerations
Reopen the origin story - Go back to the first spark. What frustrated you? What excited you? What problem did you want to fix? Often the brand’s personality is hiding in the earliest intentions.
Listen to how the audience describes you - Your personality isn’t what you say — it’s how people experience you. Look for language patterns, emotional notes, expectations and surprises.
Identify the gaps between the business today and the brand you’re showing the world - Fast-growth brands often have mismatched layers — advanced product, basic personality. Name the gap so you can deliberately close it.
Define your emotional stance - Are you the calm one? The challenger? The optimist? The guide? A brand personality becomes clear when you choose an emotional posture — and commit to it.
Create consistency through behaviour, not just design - Personality shows up in responses, processes, decisions, and moments. The visual identity supports it, but the behaviour proves it.
