COSMIC QUEST:
THE BRAND VOICE
PERSONALITY QUIZ
THE CHALLENGE
Brands who wish to engage with a TikTok audience may know their overall brand position and guidelines thoroughly, but don’t know where to start when expressing that voice on the platform. Entering any new space brings the inevitable question, “Where do I fit in?”. After giving countless presentations and workshops that give a broad overview of the subject (with light customization for each client) we wanted to try a new approach– one that feels more tailor-made and gets brands actively engaged in creating their own space, instead of preferring to be being told what to do.
THE SOLUTION
The “Cosmic Quest” Personality Quiz
BACKGROUND
In a prior life, I worked as a writer and illustrator at BuzzFeed, where I wrote and designed many personality quizzes– The bedrock of BuzzFeed’s internet traffic strategy.
Personality quizzes are like horoscopes, we don’t take them for scientific accuracy, we take them so we can have an opportunity to hold a mirror to ourselves and solidify some conclusions about who we are. (They are also easy and fun to take.)
There is a minor identity crisis that can come with deciding on a creative direction for a brand’s TikTok account. But this exercise is not only an opportunity to simplify and enjoy the process, but an opportunity to have in-depth, realtime discussions about a brand’s image, and the different ways it can be expressed.
The personality quiz questions were categorized into four sections:
Essence
What is your brand?
Brand essence is your vibe, your soul, your core identity, your unique sauce. As business goals or audiences differ between platforms or seasons, your essence is enduring, and it’s the platform on which your brand voice is built.
What is your brand?
Brand essence is your vibe, your soul, your core identity, your unique sauce. As business goals or audiences differ between platforms or seasons, your essence is enduring, and it’s the platform on which your brand voice is built.
Tone
How does your brand show up?
If your essence is your brand’s vibe, the tone is how your express and convey that vibe. The tone is the key element in evoking emotions in your audience. Tones can differ slightly between platforms or posts depending on the message and goal, but should alway ladder up to a cohesive brand voice.
How does your brand show up?
If your essence is your brand’s vibe, the tone is how your express and convey that vibe. The tone is the key element in evoking emotions in your audience. Tones can differ slightly between platforms or posts depending on the message and goal, but should alway ladder up to a cohesive brand voice.
People
Who does your brand reach?
People includes your end consumer, your employees, your partners - everyone who touches your brand. Understand how they speak, sound and communicate with each other and let these learnings be your guide in building your brand voice.
Who does your brand reach?
People includes your end consumer, your employees, your partners - everyone who touches your brand. Understand how they speak, sound and communicate with each other and let these learnings be your guide in building your brand voice.
Impact
What does your brand stand for?
Impact is your brand’s why - the purpose and heart that drives your company forward. It's how you make a difference in the world for your people, and why consumers develop strong emotional connections to your brand. Your brand voice must always fortify your impact to continue to foster those emotional relationships with your audience.
What does your brand stand for?
Impact is your brand’s why - the purpose and heart that drives your company forward. It's how you make a difference in the world for your people, and why consumers develop strong emotional connections to your brand. Your brand voice must always fortify your impact to continue to foster those emotional relationships with your audience.
However, we wanted our questions to challenge the brand to think about themselves in a different context. Instead of asking straightforward questions like, “What is your target demographic?”, we might ask something like “Who would your brand make friends with at a party?” This way, we can get everyone thinking of the brand as more well-rounded and relateable.
Answering the questions is only part of the exercise. The other important component is nurturing the discussions that happen around answering them. In the room, members from the brand’s team must come to a consensus on how to answer each question, solidifying their vision of who they are as a brand. It’s okay if they change their mind a couple times, or need a tiebreaker– it’s all about the thought exercise.
When the questions are answered, results are calculated, and one of seven archetypes are assigned to the brand, framed as though it’s a horoscope. Included in the extended results is a description of the brand voice, a sample For You page (organic platform examples of videos that fall under that category), content-making tips, pitfalls to watch for, market science data, existing brand examples, as well as their runner-up result.
(Designs by me)
Aspirational & Motivational
Your brand voice on TikTok is one that users look to for guidance on how to achieve their ideal life. You set the standard for the life a TikTok user wants– eating the food they want to eat, wearing the clothes they want to wear, living in the house they want to live in, and travelling all the places they want to go. You are also invested in your viewer, you don’t alienate them. You talk to them like a bestie– you boost their confidence, you believe in your viewer’s ability to get what they want, and you are there to help them get it.
Emotional & Inspirational
You have an optimistic brand voice on TikTok, which viewers can rely on to be reminded of the good in the world. Your product is not just a good or service, it is part of a larger philosophy that seeks to make the world a better place– and your TikTok presence should reflect that. Your content tells feelgood stories of human resilience and kindness in the face of adversity. Your tone can be assertive, but never cyncial.
Dry & Witty
Your brand knows the value of an inside-joke with your audience, and uses every opportunity to give a subtle wink or nudge that makes your viewer laugh. Your brand embraces a straight-forward and deadpan approach to comedy, and assumes your audience has the wit or context to get the joke. You know how to make strong observations on many of the world's truths and embrace them without fear, then present them with a layer of irony. Your brand keeps it real, it never tries too hard to win affection or gain a laugh from your audience. You are self-aware of your role as a brand on TikTok, you don't disguise that you hire creators or make paid content. You're never attempting to trick your audience, you have enough confidence in your product to tell the truth about the experience of marketing it.
Humorous & Silly
You brand likes to express your quirky, cheeky, and goofy sides. Your brand leans into making people smile and are proud to be on the "sunny side of the Internet," bringing objective happiness, joy, light, and cheer to your audience and the world. Your brand tends to be informal and casual. This gives you the flexibility to respond to the community in a conversational tone.
Bold & Assertive
You exude confidence and leadership in everything you do, inspiring others to become the best version of themselves. Your side of TikTok is not for the weary, but for those who yearn for boldness, excitement, and a bit of rebellion. Your aggressive tone is a tool you use to emphasize the immense power of your product to make a meaningful change in people's lives. You tell it like it is unapologetically, sharing honest truths that helps your audience enhance their lives.
Academic & Informative
You have an educational voice on TikTok, viewers will rely on you to impart wisdom and get to the point quickly and clearly. Your product is not the only value that you will provide to your TikTok audience, as they consider you trustworthy source of knowledge. When it comes to an educational brand voice, knowledge is power. You breaks down complicated questions and concerns into easily digestible content. Far from a know-it-all, you're like an approachable professor who meets their students where they are.
Absurd & Weird
Lucky for you, an absurd and weird brand voice on TikTok means the possibilities are endless.Viewers rely on you to question norms and use quirkiness and the bizarre to push the boundaries of the predictable.You remind your audience to not take themselves too seriously and that no matter the situation, there's always room for curiosity and creativity.Absurdity highlights the ridiculousness of life, pushing normally accepted realities to nonsense extremes, giving the audience a fresh perspective. Celebrate and lean into the most extreme elements of your product as an expression of your personality.
The final portion of the workshop is dedicated to a short, informal, brainstorming sprint, where we work with the brand to consider new high level ideas of what they can do with their new perspective.
THE RESULTS
- U by Kotex (Kimberly-Clark): Out of the creative brainstorm sprint on the Charcoal Pad (new product launch), client shared they intend to support with $300k of paid media in 2023. Despite never having investing in TikTok before, Vayner shared that they plan to support U by Kotex with $1.9M of TikTok paid media in 2023.
- Monster Energy: Revenue Attribution- Monster Green $1.35MM first TikTok campaign ($1.5MM total including creator fees). Opportunity unlock (post-workshop RFP consideration and upsell opportunities tied to workshop discussion): Monster Ultra ($250k - $500k new RFP consideration; REIGN Storm Innovation launch ($500k upsell ($1MM total program))
- FLVR (Pepsi)-$100k incremental spend right after workshop meeting. Working on always-on strategy for FLVR this year with higher emphasis on food entertainment.