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Psychology-Driven Brand Design. Creating and Refining Remarkable Brand Identities.
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The satisfaction of accomplishment or achievement. The pride of overcoming an obstacle or challenge. The excitement of winning or receiving a prize. Or just the euphoria of scoring big with dumb luck. One thing that ties all these together? Gamification. And it can be the best thing that ever happened to your marketing.
The terms branding and marketing are sometimes used interchangeably. This is understandable — they are inextricably tied together — but they’re not the same thing. Here’s why that matters, and how to know which one you need.
The ambiguity effect can rear its ugly head without you even being aware of it. It can stop potential customers in their tracks and send them straight to your competitor. Fortunately there is an easy fix to this prevalent cognitive bias. With just a little effort on your end, minimizing this bias can yield great returns for your bottom line.
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?
“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.”
No, I’m not referring to the singing competition with the ever-delightful Simon Cowell. Good news: you don’t need to be able to sing or perform in order for your brand to have an x-factor. Do you know what yours is?
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.
Possibly the most expensive typo in history was made by NASA in 1962. The omission of a single hyphen in a mathematical calculation resulted in the destruction of Mariner 1 mere minutes after launch and cost $80 million. While your typos may not cause rockets to explode midair, they could keep your profits from skyrocketing.
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.
Seemingly oxymoronic by nature, the Creator archetype desires freedom while at the same time deeply motivated by control. Hanging in this delicate balance, we find visionary and innovative brands that value imagination and self-expression, particularly in the fields of the arts, design, marketing, and technology.
What is truth? If you are the Sage brand archetype, this is the question that keeps you up at night. A perfectionist by nature, the Sage won’t settle for ambiguity and is on a mission to analyze everything to find the right answer and share it with others. News outlets, museums, and universities fall under the Sage archetype.
The Caregiver brand archetype can be summed up in two words: compassionate and self-sacrificing. Picture the empathetic nurse or the helpful concierge, and you will see how the Caregiver archetype is a personality fit for brands which aim to nurture or serve others, from healthcare, to nonprofit, to hospitality industries.
The cute kid, the dreamer, the optimist, the do-gooder. What do they all have in common? They are manifestations of the Innocent brand archetype, used by corporations to speak to two often unmet needs in our fast-paced, hectic lives – simplicity and happiness.
