[One Thousand Characters a Day] Kim Il-ri's 'Writing for Branding' <2>

Editor's NoteAmong the countless brands that exist in the world, when we quietly observe the brands we have loved for a long time, we often find ourselves captivated not by the products but by the stories and language the brand conveys. The author states that one of the important criteria for judging a good and attractive brand is "whether the brand has its own language and whether users and consumers communicate through that language." Everything that is branded has its own unique persona. This book carefully guides readers through the process of creating a brand's persona and language in a three-dimensional, sophisticated, vivid, and attractive way?through writing. Word count: 950 characters.

"If you pour an enormous amount of money and effort into creating something but still feel it lacks appeal, there is only one reason: you did not breathe persona into it."

This is a quote from Wayne Allwine, a famous American actor and the voice of Mickey Mouse in Disney animations. When asked why, despite several voice actors having voiced Mickey Mouse, he alone received such overwhelming love from the public, he answered this way.

As briefly mentioned earlier, persona might be the beginning and the end of branding. The reason for emphasizing this so strongly is simple. As Wayne Allwine said, the biggest reason people find something attractive and come to love it lies in its persona.

In fact, the term persona has existed since the Greek and Roman eras. At that time, theater was the only form of entertainment and the most popular cultural pastime, but since stage equipment was underdeveloped, one actor had to play multiple roles as well as handle props. Actors distinguished roles by changing masks, and the audience understood that when an actor changed masks, the role changed as well. This act of changing masks itself was called 'persona.' Back then, a new mask symbolized a new personality.

Thus, persona can be defined as "a personality assigned to others or to another entity." In other words, it is a new self designed and created in the direction one desires.

(Omitted)

When setting a brand persona like this, it is important not to seek reckless changes but to allow our fans to have new expectations little by little every day. Just as people who are unpredictable cause more anxiety than attraction, customers who interact with a brand feel the same. Therefore, it is crucial to become a persona that gives a pleasant premonition that "tomorrow our relationship will be better and deeper than today."

－Kim Il-ri, <Writing for Branding>, Wisdom House, 18,000 KRW