Brand archetypes are the secret sauce to creating stronger brands, and are an essential tool for any marketing toolbox! To learn more, read the introduction here.
Some may say that your brand archetype isn’t something you pick. That it’s an authentic reflection of who you are. That’s absolutely true.
But let’s not forget that branding is essentially perception management. There’s a strategy component to this whole business thing, right? In many cases, you actually can “pick” your archetype, and it should be a strategic, intentional decision.
The obvious caveat is that you can’t pick something you’re very clearly not, and then try to fake it. Won’t work. Archetypal marketing is not a quick-fix or a Band-Aid. If you’re a large faceless corporation with a history of prioritizing profits over customers, you can’t fix it by deciding one day to promote an Everyman image in your latest marketing campaign, when your customer service policies haven’t changed one bit. Change actually has to occur from within. Otherwise you’re lying to yourself and your customers, and they will see right through it.
But let’s say you took our brand personality quiz, and your three results are very close together. (The quiz results display the “strength” of your top three archetypes). As an example, perhaps your results show Hero as 57, Creator as 55, and Outlaw as 54. With your primary and tertiary archetypes separated by only 3 points, this indicates that you do not have a clear and dominant archetype, but rather a muddled expression of all three.
That’s a problem, because a strong brand NEEDS a clear primary archetype.
So what do you do? You have to pick which one should be your primary. Yep that’s right, you pick one.
So, it’s not as simple as rock–paper-scissors. And you can’t just close your eyes and point, hoping to land on the most appropriate one. There should be both strategy and heart behind the archetype you pick.
You must remember that your brand is what others perceive you to be. It’s what you mean to them. So you can’t pick your archetype without taking into account your audience.
You also can’t pick your archetype without considering the core essence of your brand — the values and motivations that propel your brand.
If you’re just getting started, you’re in an easier position than an existing brand. That’s because you don’t have to worry about re-branding and shifting the existing perception people have of your brand. Instead, you can position yourself strongly from the start, and simplify any associations people would have about you.
Here are the three main questions you need to consider in order to pick your primary archetype.
What is most profitable? If your reason for multiple archetypes stems from diverse product or service offerings, consider if one is more prominent or profitable. Or, you may discover a common thread among all of them. (Read more: Will our archetype change based on the products we offer?) This speaks to your primary archetype.
What comes most naturally? What do you excel at? What makes you feel most purposeful? I can’t stress this enough: You can’t fake it. So think about what makes your brand go. What is the passion behind it? What is your purpose? What is important to you? And then look at which archetype best represents your motivation and values. You can’t go wrong when you base your archetype off of your fundamental essence, because you don’t have to work so hard at it. Passion alone can drive your archetype. What you offer may eventually change, but why you exist is foundational to your brand. (Read more: The what, the why, or the how – which determines my archetype?)
Who are you positioning yourself for? I’ll go out on a limb and say in 90% of cases, your target audience will determine your primary archetype (and in the remaining 10%, your secondary). That’s because like attracts like. (Read more: Do my target customers have the same archetype as my brand?) Consumers who see themselves as Jesters tend to gravitate toward Jester brands. They speak the same language. They don’t have to think too hard to “get” them. Their values align with the brand’s values. So if the main psychographic of your target audience aligns with the Jester, and Jester is one of your three archetypes to choose from, then your decision is easy.
Human personality is complex. No one person is any one thing. You can’t distill personality down to a single characteristic. We know this because we are human and this is our experience. So when applying “personality” to branding, we tend to project the same idea of “complexity” onto our brands. This is the main reason people find it difficult to settle on a singular primary archetype for their brand.
But brands are not people. (Even if you alone are your brand!) Brands are concepts — representations of an entity, a product, a solution, a person, an experience. And that representation needs to be simple and powerful enough to cut through the noise.
Archetypal branding works because it balances these two almost contradictory concepts:
You may feel that by selecting one primary archetype for your brand, you’re rejecting other aspects of your brand that also make it what it is. I hear you. It’s important that you remember these two things:
But guess what? In most cases, you WILL still use your supporting archetypes. They are a part of you and they ARE part of what makes your brand different. In the reality of today’s competitive marketplace, I actually recommend using your primary and secondary archetypes in conjunction with each other. (Read more: how do I differentiate from competitors who have the same brand archetype?) But this doesn’t negate the importance of identifying a strong primary archetype.
The key to it all is simplicity. Your brand is here for a reason. It means something to people. It represents something to people. Archetypal branding allows your audience’s brains (consciously and unconsciously) to relate to your brand in a simplified and intuitive construct. You can use archetypal branding to make it easy for people to choose you, naturally and instinctively.
With simplicity comes great power. Can you handle it? 😉
Do you have a burning question about brand archetypes? Want to dig deep and explore the hidden potential of your brand’s personality? Let us know! Schedule a consultation to find out how you can use the power of brand archetypes in your marketing. Still haven’t taken the quiz? Set aside ten minutes and do it here: brandpersonalityquiz.com.
The year is 1950. Scarcely a kitchen in America is immune from the allure of Betty. Fast forward nearly seventy years, and Betty Crocker is still a staple in U.S. homes. What can we learn from this iconic brand?
As you’re developing your brand, one of the first questions you’ll need to answer is,”Who am I doing this for?” Defining and reaching your target audience will be your main challenges. If you think you need to target every Tom, Dick, and Harriet in the world, then you may be in for a rude awakening.
We all have a wild side, and the Outlaw brand archetype taps into our deep desire for nonconformity, to the point of rebellion. The Outlaw throws aside societal norms and seeks to destroy, if only to build things up again the way they should be. Viva la revolución!
