Personality Fight
Fight! Fight! Fight! Personality Tests in Branding – A (Mostly) Friendly Firestarter Debate 🔥
Let’s give you a glimpse behind the scenes here at Firestarter, where dynamic debates are part of daily life (and then some)! Grab yourself some popcorn because today’s feature is the ongoing ‘fight’ over personality tests. Are they crucial in branding, or about as much use as an ashtray on a motorcycle?
Let’s break it down.
Round 1: The Great Divide – Mickey vs. Chris
In one corner, we have Mickey Wilson, Firestarter’s fearless founder, who sees potential in just about every tool that could help clients explore their brand identity – and personality tests are no exception. And in the opposite corner stands Dr Chris Endersby, our steadfast psychologist and research-led nerd, who sees many tests as… well, let’s just say he’d rather trust a coin toss than put faith in freebie personality tests to inform a brand identity.
When Mickey sent over a personality test link, Chris’s reaction was far from diplomatic. He might have even let slip that you “may as well use a horoscope!” Ouch. Why? Most personality tests, Chris argues, fail the basic tests of scientific rigour in that they lack reliability and predictive power. But despite Chris’s righteous despair, he can’t deny they’re universally popular!
The Allure of Personality Tests – Why People Love (or Hate) Them
ENTJs, ISFJs, Red Hats, Green Hats… these labels resonate with people. Most love the idea of having their unique traits distilled into an easy-to-remember acronym or colour. It’s helpful and even empowering! No one takes offence when they’re told they’re an ENTJ or a “Red Hat”; in fact, many find it helpful in self-discovery and also to understand individual differences in teams.
But here’s Chris’s counter-punch: he suggests proprietary tests based the “Big 5” (OCEAN) model, which focuses on Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism, all scientifically tested and statistically significant. Surely, with that level of rigour, it’s the perfect tool, right? Well… maybe not.
Round 2: Pseudoscience or Practical Tool? The Firestarter Approach
As much as the Big 5 appeals to psychologists, it hasn’t caught on with most founders, leaders, and teams. Perhaps it’s the fear of being labelled a loudmouthed, slapdash neurotic, or maybe people feel it’s just too clinical. Whatever the reason, the Big 5 hasn’t won over the business world. Oh and then there are findings such as as Hamby et al. (2015) that suggest simple freebie tests may well be as reliable and efficient as paid-for proprietary ones.
So, we asked ourselves: What are we really trying to achieve with our clients? We’re not in a clinical setting. We’re not using these tests to hire or fire. We’re branding, blending psychology with creativity to create identities that truly resonate with clients and their customers. And for that, we need to meet clients where they are.
Firestarter’s Unique Twist – Beyond Labels, Toward Authenticity
At Firestarter, we’ve landed on a balanced approach. While we often start our programme with a simple personality test, it’s only one tool in a much larger toolkit. Here’s what a brand personality journey with us might look like:
- We’ll kick off with a personality inventory as a light, playful start.
- Then, we’ll dig deeper – using personal story forms, on-site visits, research, and, yes, the dreaded group exercises (think: “If your brand were an animal, how far could you throw it?”).
- Sometimes, we may even use scientifically sound inventories, like those based on the Big 5 or strengths-based inventories, but only when it truly adds value to the client.
Ultimately, no single label or test can capture the rich texture and uniqueness we’re after. We look for every possible data point that helps our clients “be and believe” in their own brand. Our goal? To make our clients’ visions crystal clear and their brands undeniably authentic.
Round 3: The Verdict – Rigorous Testing or Playful Exploration?
Chris may have a scientific grudge against the use (or misuse) of personality tests, but he’s softened his stance (slightly) thanks to Mickey’s optimism. Mickey may have “won” this debate… for now. Our ongoing ‘fight’ over personality tests reflects something core to Firestarter – combining the best of science and creativity to uncover our clients’ truest selves.
With this balanced approach, we bring curiosity and playfulness to every project. As long as there are clients seeking to define their brand, the Mickey vs. Chris “fight” will continue – because, at Firestarter, that’s where the magic happens.
T Hamby, W Taylor, A Snowden, R Peterson (2015) A Meta-Analysis of the Reliability of Free and For-Pay Big Five Scales The Journal of Psychology DOI: 10.1080/00223980.2015.1060186
