How personality test MBTI penetrated the marketing world

A few years ago, if you asked someone to define themselves in four letters, they might have given you their university acronym or a stock ticker symbol. Today, those four letters are more likely to be INFJ, ESTP, or ENFP or shorthand for a personality type based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

Once confined to corporate HR assessments and self-help books, MBTI has evolved into a full-blown identity marker for Gen Z, shaping everything from dating choices to career paths. On social media, users proudly declare their MBTI type in bios, debate which personalities are the most "toxic," and even assign types to fictional characters, K-pop idols, and tech gadgets.

Brands, always quick to tap into cultural phenomena, have taken notice.

In Japan, 7-Eleven launched "MyBTI" gummies, turning the MBTI test into an edible experience. This marketing strategy has also become a trending topic for 7-Eleven on Chinese social-media platforms, such as Rednote or Xiaohongshu. Given that customers are required to purchase at least four packets to collect an MBTI personality type, this approach will likely boost sales. In Thailand, Care Bears became a top souvenir pick for Chinese tourists, as shoppers matched plush toys to their MBTI profile. In South Korea, brands like Jeju Beer and Supreme Heart are weaving MBTI into their marketing strategies, while idols fuel the craze by revealing their types on variety shows.

But is MBTI marketing a genuine tool for brand engagement, or just another short-lived gimmick? Can personality typing drive real consumer behaviour, or is it simply a social-media conversation starter?

As MBTI moves from self-reflection to shopping decisions, brands face both opportunities and challenges. And the biggest question remains: What happens when everyone is playing the same game?

Angela Sy, CEO of Chinese branding agency The 25s, says that South Korean brands are also using this strategy: “Apart from merchandise, even celebrities and K-pop idols are getting into it, which in South Korea is a surefire way to get the fans interested. Plus, with TV shows like MBTI Inside, and brands like Supreme Heart and Jeju Beer leveraging MBTI for marketing, it has become more widespread ‘cute’, interesting, and kitschy." 

The Centre of Excellence from Omnicom Media Group (COE@OMG) in China recently released a report summarising six trends for automotive marketing in 2025. One of the trends highlighted was the concept of assigning an MBTI personality type to cars, placing MBTI alongside proven tactics such as nostalgic brand storytelling, creating emotional value, KOLs, collaborations, and AI marketing.

According to data from Omni Social, the volume of social-media discussions related to MBTI increased by 55% year-on-year in 2024.

Connie Luo, head of COE@OMG, says that MBTI’s viral nature is a boon for brands. For instance, when Rednote users debate whether an ‘INTJ should drive a Tesla or a Porsche,’ such discussions inherently annotate the brand’s cultural value. Automotive enterprises must explore whether these organic conversations can be transformed into cultural assets or even evolve into meme culture like Xiaomi’s ‘Are You OK,’ she says.

Sy explains, “MBTI is a quick way to resonate with younger audiences, whether it’s to build affiliation to get them to choose their specific MBTI among the brand’s offerings, or to dive deeper on the MBTI personas (mediator, magician, etc) to build on brand storytelling.”

But Sy cautions the long-term effectiveness of MBTI marketing.  “Unfortunately, to date, MBTI marketing has mostly been tactical – for example, limited editions and short-term engagement. I do feel its impact on any brand is short-lived,” she says. “Will any brand look at it seriously as a long-term strategic tool to build targeted communities? I doubt it. Marketing is data-driven, and a psych-driven way of segmentation is necessary, but MBTI isn’t the most robust or accurate model for it. But could it open doors for a company yearning for a quick shift in brand tone of voice? Absolutely.”

The pitfalls and conversion challenges

MBTI-driven marketing comes with a major pitfall: oversimplification.

Luo warns of the "tyranny of labels", where rigid MBTI categorisation risks flattening consumer diversity into a formulaic approach that ultimately alienates the very audience it seeks to engage.

“Gen Z loves self-labelling, but they also resist being boxed in,” she says. “If MBTI marketing becomes too rigid, it risks user fatigue or even backlash. Brands should treat MBTI as a conversation starter, not a fixed framework. Campaigns must evolve with consumer identities, ensuring MBTI-driven narratives feel authentic rather than gimmicky.”

Some Chinese marketing agencies are already pushing MBTI beyond static classifications. Luo talks about the 5K Marketing Matrix, a Key Opinion X framework that transforms every consumer into a brand ambassador. By integrating MBTI into this model, brands can create dynamic storytelling layers that shift and adapt over time. Sy believes MBTI’s true potential in China lies in its cultural adaptation. “For young Chinese consumers, MBTI is about self-discovery. If brands can localise the trend aligning MBTI types with online communities and encouraging user-generated content, it could create deeper emotional connections.”

Luo points to brands that have already built multidimensional campaigns using interactive tests and virtual experiences tailored to consumer psychology. “Look at the 5K Marketing Matrix,” she says. “MBTI can act as a cohesive thread, linking different points in the communication chain.”

In automotive marketing, for example, the 5K model segments influence into five categories: KOB (key opinion boss/brand), KOL (key opinion leader), KOC (key opinion consumer), KOD (key opinion dealers), and KOS (key opinion sales). Together, these influence target audiences across sales, advertising, social media, and even after-sales service.

While MBTI undoubtedly drives engagement, the bigger question remains: does it convert, and does it sustain long-term growth?

Luo argues that its real strength lies in bridging rational and emotional decision-making. Positioning computational power as the "rational choice for NT types" or eco-friendly materials as the "idealist manifesto for NF types" transforms technical specs into emotionally resonant narratives. But brands must avoid ‘pseudo-empathy’. “When every automaker claims to cater to ‘INTPs,’ consumers will see through the hollow storytelling,” Luo warns. “Authenticity means ensuring personality associations are rooted in product DNA, not just marketing rhetoric.”

Sy is more sceptical. Without hard data and proven campaign results, she sees MBTI as more of a “noise generator” than a serious driver of long-term growth.

“MBTI isn’t owned by any brand, so it’s difficult to attribute it to sustained business impact,” she says. For her, MBTI’s popularity, especially among Gen Z, stems from its ability to provide a framework for self-awareness. “Why is MBTI so popular? Because it gives people a way to understand themselves and others,” she says. “Gen Z consumers are bold, expressive, and personality-driven. Where previous generations sought to blend in, Gen Z thrives on individuality, excitement, and oversharing. They declare their identities through consumption. Innovation and storytelling are crucial to reaching this audience... and MBTI taps into that effortlessly.”

Luo sees another challenge on the horizon: label inflation.

“When every brand adopts the same MBTI-driven language, the novelty wears thin,” she says. “The next breakthrough may not be about refining MBTI but transcending it altogether using avant-garde tools like neuroscience or emotion AI to redefine human-product relationships. True innovation isn’t about perfecting labels. It’s about embracing ambiguity and allowing consumers to rediscover themselves in the interplay of steel and code.”