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Take a dive into the world of brand archetypes — an invaluable tool for startup and established businesses alike.
Is your archetype “chosen” or is it “revealed”? Yes and yes. Hmm. Well…if you can pick your own archetype, how do you go about doing that? Your brand archetype impacts everything about your business. Here’s how to choose wisely.
Another variation of the question is “Can/Should/How do we introduce new product offerings if they don’t align with our current brand archetype?”
Many times, when we talk about brand, we focus on the experience of your customers in relation to their interactions with you. But brand is also critical internally. The culture of your organization has everything to do with how your brand is perceived externally, so it’s important for it to be well established.
The strongest brands thrive due to three important factors: authenticity, visibility, and… consistency. Yet, in life it seems the only constant is change. How does a brand’s archetype fit into this?
We’ve heard the familiar saying “opposites attract” but we’ve also heard “like attracts like.” When it comes to brand archetypes, which is true regarding our target audience?
Whether you’re a solopreneur or a CEO, you may have wondered at some point where the line is between your personal brand and the business you represent. How do you separate the two?
So this is a pretty frequent question, because, well, do the math, right? There are only 12 brand archetypes and…. hundreds (thousands?) of others in your industry. So, how do you differentiate from your competitors who may also be the same archetype as you?
The brand archetype quiz gives you your top three results. Inevitably, it will be some combination of your what, how, and why. How do you make sense of this?
The brand personality quiz is a great starting point for determining your brand archetype. However, since it’s you taking the quiz, that means your results are sometimes skewed to your “insider” perspective or your personal whims. To confirm your results for your brand, you need to go a step further.
You’ve been introduced to brand archetypes and are trying to determine which one you are, yet you see more than one archetype that your business could align with. How can this be? What gives?
“Lovers thrive on authenticity and genuine human connections, and that is our strength. When we talk to others about ourselves or our businesses, our passion and dedication shine through and draw people to us.”
“We try to help as many families and kids as possible. We want to be a voice for children and families…We are always out spreading the word about the need that exists for children in foster care.”
“The greater joy and positive personal transformations we create, the greater the amount of energy we will have to help others, and the greater positive energetic imprint we will leave in this world as our legacy.”
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!
Just think where we’d be without structure and order in our lives. While power, control, and authority may be easy to abuse, chaos still needs to be managed. Brands that are able to provide the world with the security and stability we all desire are the ones that earn the title of Ruler.
Who doesn’t like to have fun?! The role of the Jester archetype is to bring everybody together to play and appreciate the joy in life. As the ultimate entertainer, the Jester is able to make people feel good — a feeling that any brand would like to have associated with it.
It seems one of the highest compliments bestowed upon a celebrity is that the superstar “is so down to earth!” The comfort and appeal of knowing that something or someone who is larger than life is actually “just one of us” is the pull of the Everyman archetype, and brands who are relatable in this way will go a long way in capturing the hearts of their consumers.
Finding oneself — self-realization through discovery — is the ultimate goal of the Explorer. In our Western culture, the Explorer archetype is an undercurrent running through all of society. Brands that spring forth from this current are those that speak to the need for freedom, adventure, and independence.
Transformation, change, renewal, metamorphosis, magic. No matter how you say it, the Magician archetype leaves others standing in amazement. Characterized by curiosity and foundational knowledge, the Magician finds solutions in science or the supernatural to create something from nothing — or turn a mess into a miracle.
The courageous triumph over adversity is the defining characteristic of the Hero archetype. Finding deep satisfaction, exhilaration, and purpose in this feat, the Hero archetype displays great tenacity to achieve it, with a “never give up” attitude. We’ve all been inspired — or saved — by a hero… where would we be without them?
Intimacy and connection — no man is an island. People want to feel special and Lover brands exist to meet this need. In this journey we call life, what’s love got to do with it? Everything.
