From a consumer opinion, if given an option, I ALWAYS choose a personal company to do business with rather than the "corporates". Mainly because I like to be able to feel reassured that there is a person and not a robot available.
Branding is deeper than just business name or logo though, it's about the way a business deals with people, interacts. Of course, no-one wants knock knock jokes when at the Co-op arranging grannies funeral, but a measure of humour injects a reality into a seemingly distant business relationship.
/ramble off
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