Toyota has Jan. Progressive has Flo. These are two companies that are creating characters to represent their companies in the public eye.

The success of Flo likely spawned Jan, but I can’t say that for sure. But what is clear is that this is becoming more common among companies trying to connect with their customer base.

This is a great example of branding done right. You are associating that character with your company so that when a customer thinks about one, they naturally think about the other.

So how can you follow suit?

1. Create a character to represent your company
2. Make that character very likable, relatable, and knowledgeable
3. Show customers like me interacting with that character in a positive way
4. Use that character in all marketing