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Brands create value for organizations. This article sets out to decipher whether the notion of a human brand is a fanciful fabrication or an idea that has both academic and practical significance. After a literature review of brand anthropomorphism in general and the theory of warmth and competence in particular, we present a Human Brand Model of how to build a brand that is perceived to be human.

There are four steps in this process; the first three indicate the brand inputs and the last indicates the results of those inputs. This model guides brand managers on how to make their brand more human. The use of this model should result in the organization having an excellent brand reputation; stronger, more meaningful relationships with its customers; and improved brand loyalty.