Here's a quick thought exercise for you: what's the first thing you think of when you hear the words "Virgin Airlines"? Chances are, Richard Branson pops into your head, despite the fact that he's never in their advertising or on their website. But since Richard is such a showman and larger than life personality, his image permeates the brands on every level.

To most companies this would be a terrifying proposition; Air Canada wants to be synonymous with great service, on-time delivery, and low fares - they definitely don't want to be identified by their CEO.

But with Virgin, it works, and it's not just because Branson is a an eccentric billionaire; it's because he's real and down-to-earth. He brings the brand down to our level and makes it more accessible to the masses. We've seen Branson, and he stands behind his products, and therefore we trust Virgin brands to deliver.

Don't Be Afraid to Be a Star
And yet, in many of my travels as a marketing professional, I've often times found great reluctance on the part of business owners to put their face to their name. They would much rather show off their products, or their facilities, as opposed to their faces. They don't want to come off as self-aggrandizing, or disingenuous, or they are just camera-shy and aren't comfortable being the star of the show.

What they don't realize is that consumers relate far better to a real a person than they do to a cold product shot. For one, it has been proven in numerous eyetracking studies that the human eye is naturally drawn to human faces, and therefore ads/web pages that feature facial features generate more impressions. Simply put, putting a face to your brand will get more people to view your materials.

People are also far more likely to trust a company if they can see photos of the owner. Like Richard Branson, if you're willing to put your face on your company it means you're willing to stake your reputation on it.

Finally, adding your personality to your brand gives it character, and makes it more alive. You can spout taglines all you want, but if you identify your brand with your own characteristics then it breathes life into it. It's the same reason large companies pay superstars and athletes to be spokespeople - it lends the person's qualities to a product that might not have any personality otherwise.