Relatable characters can elevate your brand’s storytelling by fostering emotional connections and building trust with your audience. Here’s how you can create characters that resonate with your target audience:
1. Understand Your Audience
To create relatable characters, you need to understand your audience deeply. Research their demographics, interests, values, and pain points.
- Practical Steps:
- Conduct surveys and interviews to gather insights into customer behavior.
- Use tools like social media analytics or customer personas to identify their preferences.
Characters that mirror your audience’s aspirations or struggles will feel more genuine and engaging.
2. Base Characters on Real Customers
Drawing inspiration from real-life customers makes your characters authentic. Highlight specific individuals or composite personas that represent your broader audience.
- Example: A fitness brand might feature a working parent balancing exercise with family responsibilities, showcasing how the brand fits into their life.
3. Emphasize Flaws and Vulnerability
Perfect characters can feel distant and artificial. Instead, give them flaws or challenges that make them human and relatable. Show how they navigate these struggles using your brand’s products or services.
- Example: A character who initially struggles with time management but finds solutions through your productivity app.
4. Use Story Arcs to Show Growth
Relatable characters evolve over time. Show their journey from facing a problem to overcoming it with the help of your brand. This transformation reflects your value proposition.
- Story Arc Structure:
- Introduce the character and their challenge.
- Highlight their journey and how they discovered your brand.
- Show the resolution and positive outcomes.
5. Incorporate Humor and Personality
Characters with a sense of humor or a distinct personality are memorable. They can reflect common quirks or habits of your target audience, making them feel like “one of us.”
- Example: A tech-savvy yet scatterbrained individual who simplifies their life using your product resonates with audiences juggling busy schedules.
6. Represent Diverse Perspectives
Ensure your characters reflect the diversity of your audience. Include various demographics, lifestyles, and experiences to show inclusivity and make a wider range of people feel seen.
7. Highlight Shared Values
Audiences relate to characters who share their values. If sustainability, family, or adventure resonates with your audience, weave these themes into your character’s personality and decisions.
- Tip: Use storytelling to show how your character aligns with these values, rather than simply stating them.
8. Focus on Everyday Experiences
Characters grounded in relatable, everyday situations feel authentic. Highlight common scenarios your audience experiences and show how your brand fits seamlessly into their lives.
- Example: A coffee brand featuring a young professional who finds moments of calm in their busy routine thanks to their morning brew.
9. Use Visual and Emotional Cues
Visuals and emotions can make your characters more engaging. Pair storytelling with imagery, expressions, or video content that conveys the character’s personality and struggles.
10. Elicit Empathy Through Storytelling
Create situations where your audience can empathize with the character. Use moments of vulnerability, success, or humor to forge a deeper emotional connection.
Creating relatable characters for your brand’s story requires a deep understanding of your audience, authenticity, and emotional resonance. By showcasing characters who reflect your audience’s lives, challenges, and values, you can craft narratives that engage and inspire. Relatable characters transform your brand from a product or service provider into a meaningful part of your customers’ lives.
