The many creative methods of strategic brand communication and brand marketing have always been a subject of critical study, as ongoing research studies by academics and practitioners continue to yield contradistinctions in the approaches to brand image creation. The design of brand identities matters crucially in the little window of time that customers make choices, judgments and decisions in fast-moving retailing environments such as lifestyle brands, as increasingly, consumers are armed with learned attitudes, opinions and a complex diversity of feelings, tastes, values and personalities. Reflecting on literature that views the importance of “lovemarks”, which are emotional attributes of consumer culture, this paper argues for advertising, branding and marketing to review the use of emotions as a brand identity element. The aim of research is to focus on the need to design brand personality effectively in particular methods which endow beauty brands with an approachable yet authentic identity. Following which, the paper identifies, discusses and compares the two principle methods to conceptualise brand image, namely mystery and honesty, and reviews how these elements are utilised in creating impactful, wholly “loved” brand images and in improving sense- making for consumers. Three strategies for improving brand design methodologies are recommended at the end of discussion, to enable creative designers and marketers to develop transformational brand personalities that capture consumer desires, build markets and gains loyalty.
