When the “Enterprise Number” sells cuteness, apologies, and jokes on the hot search, who are we talking to? A well-designed “person” or a business model packaged as a character? The article zooms in on the lens, pointing out that companies don’t need to pretend to be adults, but should be “useful partners” in users’ lives. It dismantles that personification is not cosplay, but a long-term project sown by leaders, watered by organizational consensus, and pruned by user feedback; It also reminds strong founders not to treat the company as their own doppelganger to avoid “one prosperity and one loss”.
1. Thinking about whether the enterprise number should be “like a person”
The essence of the question lies in what kind of image the enterprise should have in social media. Traditional anthropomorphism does not seem to be the best solution, and it is difficult for an inhuman “person” to gain real identity. But if it appears as a pure organizational image, it will naturally have a sense of alienation.
Instead of trying to “become human” or clinging to a cold institutional image, companies should explore a role positioning that goes beyond anthropomorphism – becoming a valuable, relatable, and trustworthy “partner” or “contributor” in the user’s life.
From “anthropomorphism” to “personification”:
The core difference from anthropomorphism: “anthropomorphism” is pretending to be a person (such as giving a “person” name to a corporate account, speaking in the first person “I”, and making up a personal story). This often appears false and users can see through it at a glance. “Personification” is giving a company unique values, voice, tone, attitude, and style of conduct, just like a real “personality” or “brand personality”.
The point is that personification gives principles of action, not the identity of a “person”. Enterprises cannot become people, they do not need to become people.
The core of an enterprise account is not “who to play”, but “what unique value it provides to users”.
2. Where does the personality of the enterprise come from?
What we need to think about here is the essence of corporate personalization.
Is the enterprise naturally personified? → No, as a legal/organizational entity, the enterprise itself has no emotion or consciousness.
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Is personification artificially given? → is, and it is the result of the joint construction of many parties.
Is personification an extension of the personal personality of the giver (leader/operator)? → part is, but not quite, and should not be.
Is this still the personification of the “enterprise”? → is, but the key is how it is shaped by the “collective” and accepted by the “audience”.
2.1 Enterprise personification is the product of “artificial construction”
Starting point: The vision, values, and personality traits of business leaders (founders, core management) are indeed the initial and most important shaping force of corporate personality.
Execution: The brand/marketing/operations team is responsible for translating this abstract value and personality into specific visual language, communication tone, content strategy, and interaction methods. Their individual understanding, creativity, and execution skills directly affect the presentation.
Therefore, at the operational level, the personification of the enterprise must be expressed through specific people (leaders, operators). Their thoughts, language, and behavior patterns are the carriers.
It is not just an “extension of the individual’s personality”:
- Beyond the individual: Successful corporate personification is not the same as the CEO’s personal Twitter or the editor’s personal interests. It requires dimensionality:
- Reflect the organization’s mission and values: It must be rooted in the fundamental purpose (Why) of the enterprise and the core beliefs it advocates (e.g., “innovation”, “reliability”, “environmental”, “fun”). These are beyond any individual.
- Representative product/service characteristics: Personification needs to be associated with the characteristics of the company’s core output (product or service) (such as “precise and rigorous” instrument companies, “warm and caring” mother and baby brands).
- Target Users: It must consider the preferences, expectations, and communication habits of the target users, rather than fully catering to the operator’s own preferences.
- Precipitation of organizational culture: As the enterprise develops, its internal culture (such as collaboration methods, innovative atmosphere, attitude towards customers) will continue to nourish and modify its personality to the outside world.
- Collective collaboration: Even if it originates from the leader, its maintenance and development is the result of cross-departmental collaboration (marketing, product, customer service, PR, HR). It needs consistency and can’t be changed beyond recognition by a change of operational staff.
- “Role-playing” vs. “normative constraints”: Operators are speaking on social media in the role of “enterprise”, following preset brand guidelines rather than expressing personal opinions as they please. Their personal traits are selectively integrated and serve the brand personality rather than dominating it.
2.2 “Collectivity” and “social consensus” contribute to the formation of corporate personality
Internal consensus: Corporate personality is a strategic positioning that is discussed, refined and reached a consensus within the company (leadership, core team). It represents the overall image and commitment that the organization wants to convey externally.
Social Identity: Ultimately, the success of this personification depends on the perception and acceptance of the user/public. When users say that “XX brand is very personal/warm/very professional”, they identify with this constructed “corporate role” and regard it as a whole, stable image, rather than a specific operator behind it.
Symbolization and institutionalization: Enterprise personalization is symbolized and institutionalized through logos, slogans, VI systems, fixed content styles, and continuous behavior patterns (such as rapid response to customer service and adherence to a certain value advocacy), gradually breaking away from dependence on a single “giver” and becoming the company’s own brand equity.
“Corporate citizenship” role: The personification of a business is also reflected in its role as a social “citizen” – how to deal with crises, how to participate in public welfare, and how to treat employees and partners. These behaviors shape an organizational personality, not an individual personality.
3. Is the corporate personality artificially designed?
Is corporate personality “artificially designed” or “passively precipitated”?
The answer is: the two are intertwined, but the starting point must be active design and continuous evolution through user feedback in practice.
This is not an either/or relationship, but a closed loop of “design intent→ market validation →dynamic adjustment”:
Starting point: strategic active design (top-level design)
- Value anchoring: The core personality traits of an enterprise (such as “innovation”, “reliability”, “humor” and “warmth”) must come from the active choice of the founder or the core team.
- Business positioning driven: personification serves business goals. Want to attract younger users? It may be “cool” and “fun”; Do high-end professional services? It is necessary to reflect “rigor” and “authority”. Personality is an expression tool for brand strategy.
- “Target personality” precedes perfectly matched behavior: It is entirely possible for enterprises to claim “user-centric” first, and then fulfill their promises through follow-up actions (product iterations, service upgrades). Personality design is an advance statement of vision and commitment.
Process: User feedback and shaping of the market environment (dynamic precipitation)
Authenticity test: Users will not identify with the company just because it “claims to be warm”. Is customer service indifferent when users complain? Is the product really designed with user needs in mind? The actual experience of the user will constantly verify or overturn the company’s claimed personality. For example:
- If the “ultimate service” is claimed but the after-sales service is shirked, the personality will collapse immediately;
- If “environmental protection” is not emphasized but users find that their supply chain is sustainable, they may accidentally precipitate a “responsible” image.
“Fine-tuning” of personality: changes in user preferences (such as Generation Z’s more values), evolution of social trends (such as the awakening of women’s consciousness), and emergencies (such as crisis public relations) will force or prompt companies to adjust the focus and mode of personality expression. For example, many brands are reinforcing their green narratives in response to the “eco-friendly” trend.
4. How to avoid personification becoming a vassal of a “strongman”
Strong or personality traits and their prominent leadership confuse corporate personality with personal personality, which is a common but very dangerous thing.
4.1 In the formation period of start-up or corporate personality, strong people are very important
During this period, the corporate personality must be injected by the strongman in the first wave of genes.
The core values and initial personality of the corporate personality usually directly reflect the founder’s beliefs, passions and personal traits. Without the deep involvement of the leader, the personality may lack uniqueness and appeal.
Leaders are the ultimate decision-makers who align personality with business strategy. When the market fluctuates or the temptation of short-term interests (such as sacrificing tonality for traffic), only leaders have the ability and right to adhere to long-term personality positioning.
Personality building requires investment (e.g., high-quality content production, user engagement team, crisis response reserves). Leaders decide to prioritize resources and whether to consider “personality building” as a core investment.
4.2 A strong man who does not retire will make the corporate personality overly dependent
If leaders get too involved in details (such as mandating their own way of speaking), personality can easily become a vassal of the leader’s personal image rather than representing the organization, losing sustainability.
Risks of human death and political interest:
Over-reliance on a specific leader may lead to disconnection or loss of corporate personality once he leaves (retirement, change). MoreoverIn the Internet age, the living are unreliable, and the dead are equally unreliable. Once this strongman collapses, it will drag the company into an irreparable abyss.
Stifling organizational creativity:
Strong control leadership may inhibit front-line employees (such as operations and customer service) from innovating flexibly based on user feedback, making personality expression rigid.
Decision-making blind spots:
Leaders’ personal preferences can lead to misjudgments about market changes (such as the language of new generation users) or real internal issues (such as customer service experience flaws).
5. How to reduce strongman dependence? Build a “decentralized” resilient system
Even if the leader is strong, it is necessary to establish institutional ability to pass on the personality. The key is “leaders sow and the system takes root”.
The core task of a leader: to define and empower “personality”
- Focus on clarifying core values, brand personality, and non-negotiable principles (e.g., “never deceive users”) rather than approving every Tweet.
- Set up a brand culture officer or senior brand director to give them cross-departmental coordination power to ensure that personality penetrates the whole link of products, services, and communication.
- Continuously explain the connotation of personality in internal meetings and employee communication, and commend practice cases (such as rewarding customer service that embodies “customer first”).
- Choose employees who naturally fit personality traits (such as warm personalities attract empathetic people).
How to carry out enterprise personalization work if the authority is not high
However, not every company is Xiaomi, and not every boss is called Lei Jun.
More often, the promoter is not the core decision-making level, but needs to achieve the goal of personalizing the core decision-making enterprise.
Lack of sufficient authority and resources, how to “leverage big with small” to promote the implementation of enterprise personalization. This requires more pragmatic “guerrilla tactics” and “leverage thinking”.
The principle is to focus on “low cost, high visibility, and gradual penetration”.
5.1 Core strategy: Use “quantifiable proof of value” to win trust, not push ideas
Instead of talking directly about “how important it is to personify”, prove that “doing so solves the problem at hand/brings tangible benefits”.
- Start with small incisions: single activity, single content, and single customer service scenarios to reduce trial and error costs.
- Quantitative results: Compare the old model and display hard indicators such as click-through rate +%, complaint resolution time -%, and UGC increment.
- Upward presentation: Use a one-page briefing to report to the direct leader: “Try method X, use Y resources, and get Z improvement”.
5.2 Low-cost construction of “personalized infrastructure”
Don’t try to implement an enterprise-level personalization strategy from the beginning, but build the lowest cost, personalization minimum executable unit within the scope of authority.
For example, starting from the most basic copywriting expression, each output copy conforms to the pre-built corporate personality characteristics.
Starting from the reply to each comment, starting from the reply language and reply time of customer service, etc.
