Brand and marketing: building a brand’s personality[Marque et marketing: : construire la personnalité d’une marque]

This chapter argues that a brand is far more than a name or a logo: it is a complex system of tangible and intangible values that creates value for both the firm and the consumer. In markets where products increasingly resemble one another, differentiation relies primarily on brand perception and personality. Brands operate at the core of perceptual and memory processes: consumers "buy perceptions" built from overall impressions shaped by image, design, communication, and experience. Brand personality, conceptualized through frameworks such as Kapferer's identity prism, includes dimensions such as physique, personality, culture, relationship, reflection, and self-image. To generate strong brand perception, firms must ensure coherence across functional attributes, product design, visual identity, communication, and emotionally driven positioning. In an experience-based and dematerialized economy, the brand becomes a language composed of forms, colors, materials, and sensory experiences—particularly at the point of sale. Contemporary challenges include sensory dramatization, digital interaction management, co-creation, and the development of a brand-oriented corporate culture. Ultimately, a strong brand personality depends on long-term coherence and organization-wide commitment.