Katrina Stokes
The Advertiser
May 29, 2012
SHE has lolly pink hair, multiple piercings and a sleeve of tattoos, but that’s exactly what makes her so appealing to her coffee customers.
Ashleigh Humphreys’ individuality is actually what some companies are looking for.
It’s all part of a business’s brand personality, branding expert Cath Sutherland says.
“It’s understanding what your unique brand personality is as a business and expressing that in everything that you do,” she says.
Ms Sutherland recently worked with a range of businesses, including popular juice company Boost Juice, on how their unique brand energy set them apart from other businesses.
“Anyone can make a juice … it’s a competitive market on the product side of things.
“It’s the brand energy in how you deliver your product that’s how you get your point of difference,” she says.
Ms Sutherland said more and more people wanted to connect with brands through their personal experience, rather than just buying a flat product on the shelf.
JB Hi-Fi CEO Terry Smart says the business, which is known for its relaxed style, doesn’t discriminate when hiring people.
“We’re looking for people with passion and the right attitude. If that comes with someone with pink hair and tattoos, then so be it,” he says.
“You’ve got to expect that the people who are passionate to music can relate to that demographic.”
University of Adelaide marketing expert Cullen Habel said brand personalities had evolved over the past few years.
“When people are wearing tattoos and hoop earrings it’s reflecting the population now and the brands that this population are buying,” he said.
Bean Bar barista Ashleigh Humphreys says her individual look has hindered job-hunting in the past.
But her boss, Natalie Mattner, says customers often remember Ashleigh because of her look.
“She does pretty awesome coffee. That’s why she was hired.”
Subscribe to our free mailing list and always be the first to receive the latest news and updates.