Foghorn Leghorn had personality.

Foghorn Leghorn was the cartoon world’s Mr. Personality.

I remember this Warner Bros. cartoon character muttering the line, “That boy is about as sharp as a bowling ball…”

Foghorn was a rooster and he was the over-reaching mentor to a young male rooster. His booming Southern voice would often cause me to laugh in seconds.

I can’t help it. I loved watching Warner Bros. cartoons when I was a kid. And Foghorn Leghorn was one of my favorite characters.

Want to Learn More About Personality? Watch a Warner Bros. Cartoon

He always tried to teach the others how to act, like the young rooster, Egghead. But when he would try to show Egghead how to make a better trap (or paper airplane) – and Egghead did it better – those was the funnier moments.

Foghorn starred in 29 cartoons from 1946 to 1964 during the Golden Age of American Animation. He was inspired by the character of Senator Claghorn, a loud Southern politician played by Kenny Delmar on Fred Allen’s popular 1940s radio show.

Claghorn’s catch phrases, such as “That’s a joke, son!” was heard from the cartoon rooster. And Delmar got the phrase from a Texas rancher who often would say it.

When you think of the Warner Bros. cartoons, you can see how each character was memorable in their own way. Their personalities were distinct and unique.

Personality Is What Makes You Memorable

Catch phrases, behavior tics, vocal sounds… they all distinguish you from everyone else and highlight your uniqueness.

Speaking of unique, I recently watched the FX show, “The Americans.”

It’s about a Russian spy couple, Philip and Elizabeth, who live in the United States undercover. They look like a typical American young couple in the ’80s. They live in the suburbs. They’re parents of two kids, a girl, and a boy. They don’t have any accents.

You’d never know they were KGB operatives.

And their disguises?

Impressive.

There is an ever-changing rotation of wigs, mustaches, makeup and more. Philip can look sound like he’s from the Deep South and his wife, Elizabeth can go from a non-descript telephone repair person to a seductive chanteuse in a matter of minutes.

Each persona they inhibit is intended to persuade and seduce. All for the “greater good.”

They have alternate personalities while struggling with understanding their real identities. It’s a fascinating show.

When we say someone has “personality,” we mean that they have a special something that causes them to be remembered. There is something distinct about the person. Perhaps even magnetic or mesmerizing.

Some business owners have done really well highlighting their personality and building a successful career from it. Some examples are Gary “Vee” Vaynerchuk, Tony Robbins, Joan Rivers, Larry Winget, Estee Lauder, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Martha Stewart, and Paula Deen.

Many of these celebrity business owners owned who they were. They allowed the public to know their interests, their likes, and dislikes. They allowed their personalities to shine through whatever they did.

Tips for Adding Personality to Your Marketing

Unfortunately, many small and medium-sized companies have ignored the importance of adding personality to their marketing copy.

And enterprises? Don’t even get me started.

Most of the copy I see from these companies are BOOOO-ring. Snooze-worthy. Completely bland and forgettable.

This is why it’s important to incorporate your personality into your brand from the start. If you are working for a company that is open to the idea, you can bring up the concept of brand archetypes and their influence on buying behavior.

Here are a few ways to share your personality:

  • Refer to your significant other, your kids, your dog, or even a crazy next-door neighbor
  • Talk about your favorite movies and TV series
  • Talk about your favorite sports team or athlete if you’re a big fan
  • What’s in your background? Tap into what you were into when you were a kid, your first job, your first car–and describe your feelings as they relate to your service or product offer
  • What do you do for recreation?
  • What are you good at doing that not many people know about?

Those are just a few ideas. The point is to sprinkle these references to your personality within your marketing copy.

When you do this, you’ll discover you’ll attract people with similar interests and histories. The reason this is important is because people like to identify with the businesses they patronize.

It goes back to the sales adage, “People buy from those they know, like, and trust.” In order for people to know you, they first need to have access to who you are… your personality and appropriate slices of your life.

Create a Unique Marketing Voice

How is your personality coming through what you do? Are you allowing your clients, customers, and prospects the chance to know you?

 We live in a “tell all” type of culture. Sometimes it’s a challenge to not overshare. However, your audience is interested in what makes you tick. And when you add your personality to your marketing, you create (in the words of business consultant Steve Miller) and “uncopyable” platform.

So let loose with your personality, even if you’re like Larry Winget and deliberately like to rattle someone’s cage. I guarantee you that the type of people you want to attract will love it.


Categories


Archives

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers