The 12 Brand Archetypes Marketers Use to Connect with their Audience
The biggest brands have been making use of archetypes to deliver send the right message to the right people. Here’s how you can do the same for your brand.
Once you’re done, we’ll be able to answer the following questions about brand archetypes:
- What are brand archetypes?
- What are the different brand archetypes?
- How do I choose which one I should use for my business?
Let’s get started.
What are Archetypes?
Think of archetypes as a genre.
Once Spotify tells you that this playlist is under the Indie Rock genre, you pretty much know what type of music to expect.
Archetypes function the same way.
Swiss psychologist Carl Jung developed this concept. It talks about how people have the ability to easily understand concepts when exposed to symbolism and patterns.
Since archetypes are embedded within the conscious and subconscious of humans, any person will naturally be able to capture the personality of a brand based on the archetype it identifies as.
Marketers being marketers, they raised a question:
“If humans can grasp a concept quickly when triggered by symbols, can brands use these symbols so that humans understand brands quickly as well?”
Thus, Brand Archetypes were born.
Brand archetypes are iconic models. They are distinct personalities that people can instantly identify and recognize.
Each archetype has an iconic look, voice, set of charateristics, values, attitudes and behaviors.
When a brand uses a brand archetypes, it is anchoring itself into models of thinking that people already naturally understand, therefore it is easier to connect with these brands.
In Archetypal Theory, Carl Jung describes archetypes as:
“Forms or images of a collective nature which occur practically all over the earth as constituents of myths and at the same time as individual products of the unconscious. These are imprinted and hard-wired into our psyches.”
These are a mix of images, characters, and sequence of circumstances that have been recurring throughout literature and history.
Archetypes within us
Think of archetypes as characters with different personalities, different passions, different goals. Each of us have these characters, some of them stronger than others.
Each of us have dominant archetypes within us, sometimes dominating and overshadowing the rest depending on which one we nurture.
Ever feel like you want to save the world after watching Superman or The Dark Knight Rises? That’s just your Hero archetype being awakened. Or maybe feel like cleaning up the house so that you can donate a bunch of your unused stuff after watching a Pencils of Promise video? Caregiver archetype inside you got triggered.
When we encounter stimulus that awaken an archetype inside us, we easily fill that stimulus up with meaning. Your brand can function as the stimulus.
You have to understand how each of your archetypes trigger you to feel a specific way, and act a certain way because that’s probably how others like you will react to it.
Archetypes are also triggered during different stages in our life. That’s where we get the stereotype of the rebellious teenager and the philanthropic 70 year old man.
Why are Brand Archetypes important?
Anchoring your brand to an archetype make it easier for people to grasp what your brand is all about.
It is an effective way of communicating your brand’s values, purpose, story, and aspirations.
Since it helps people understand and connect with your brand in a deeper way, it isn’t surprising that marketers value the impact of anchoring their brand to an archetype.
Think about it. Each touch point of your brand is an opportunity to tell your brand’s story. Each interaction with your brand creates gaps in the consumer’s mind.
Using archetypes are simply a way to make sure that people feels exactly how you want them to feel toward your brand.
A weak brand will fail to put meaning on that gap, and so people will put meaning in it themselves.
The challenge is in selecting which archetype to use, and how to incorporate it with your brand in a strategically subtle way.
The 12 Brand Archetypes
There are 12 archetypes to choose from. Each archetype is unique, and different audiences will respond better to different archetypes.
Getting to know the 12 archetypes is the first step in discovering which one will work for your brand.
1) The Hero
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way”
The hero uses strength, power and honour for the benefit of others. The hero is the inspiration to many. Always at odds with what is evil and is driven to solve social problems. The hero thrives on adversity and major challenges. The hero can be an underdog or a challenger, either way, the hero wants to win. The hero sees these as opportunities to make a lasting impact on the world.
Brands who are trying to communicate strength, persistence, and bravery for the sake of a purposeful outcome can use the hero archetype.
Examples: Nike, US Marines, Duracell, Airbus
2) The Outlaw
“Rules are made to be broken”
The outlaw challenges the conventional, breaks the rules, and sometimes provides change. The outlaw doesn’t necessarily equate to what is evil, but rather the representation of going against the standards of the world. Think of the outlaw as a hero with a more disruptive and sometimes reckless approach. The outlaw is closely associated with revolution.
The outlaw archetype is perfect for brands who are trying to connect with an audience that can be classified as misfits or outcasts of society.
Examples: Diesel, Virgin, Harley-Davidson
3) The Magician
“It can happen”
The magician works best with products that are so remarkable that they actually seem like there are some unexplained out-of-this-world force, making the impossible possible. The magician is seen as the innovator, the catalyst, or the shaman.
Brands who promise transformative change that is borderline mystical are worthy of the magician archetype.
Examples: Dyson, Apple, Intel, Disney
4) The Innocent
“Free to be you and me”
The innocent is all about the good ideal life where everything is enjoyed and nothing is hard. The innocent imagines a world where everyone is kind, has a perfect job, a perfect wife, a perfect home, and that life can be paradise. The innocent within us screams of rescue from an imperfect world.
Examples: Dove, Coca-Cola, Ben & Jerry’s, Ivory
5) The Explorer
“Don’t fence me in”
Nothing speaks more about self-discovery than the explorer. Seeking independence, the explorer is willing to choose the path less traveled. The explorer seeks to find oneself by experiencing everything the world has to offer. Desires are driven by experiences that are life-altering and embraces possibility. The explorer is autonomous, ambitious, and will take on what is needed in order to have a more fulfilling life.
Examples: Patagonia, Red Bull, Jeep, Starbucks
6) The Sage
“The truth will set you free”
The sage is all about learning and understanding. The sage loves providing wisdom and knowledge for others. Sages are always in the process of developing oneself in order to reach a certain level of mastery, and there really is a lot of appeal on having expert status for this archetype.
Examples: Harvard University, The Economist, Wikipedia, CNN, Google
7) The Everyman
“All men and women are created equal”
The everyman values belongingness. The everyman wants fit in and be just like the others. In fact, the everyman prefers not to stand out. The result is some kind of realism and lack of pretense. It feels that through this, the everyman becomes someone others will be able to easily connect with. The everyman archetype works for brands offering products that highlight everyday functionality and reliability or those that are trying to appeal to the mass market.
Examples: Gap, IKEA, eBay
8) The Lover
“You’re the only one”
If your brand focuses on passion, experience, and the an emphasis on the senses, the lover archetype would suit your brand well. The lover would implicitly revolve around beauty and sexual appeal. Any form of romance, love, and being desired are associated closely with the lover archetype. Intimacy is its driving force. Brands with the lover archetype want to make consumers feel that they too will be loved and desired when they take part.
Examples: Victoria’s Secret, Godiva Chocolate, Haagen-Dazs
9) The Jester
“You only live once”
The jester archetype just wants to have some fun. It is the kid inside us who just wants to go out and play. The jester wants to have a great time, rid the room of boredom, and lighten up the world. It shows that things can be taken less seriously. Brands with the jester archetype understand that people don’t have to be so serious all the time because life is too short, so why not live in the present.
Examples: Geico, Skittles, Doritos
10) The Caregiver
“Love your neighbor as yourself”
The caregiver is triggered by selfless acts. For this archetype, the impact of others is given a lot more attention. The desire to lookout for a loved one, concern for a friend, or a decision to start an organization for a cause are examples of the caregiver kicking in. Probably the best role model for this would be your parents and how they take care of you. Brands with the caregiver archetype evoke a feeling of compassion, the feeling that someone is looking out for you, and the comfort of home.
Examples: Volvo, Pampers, Johnson & Johnson, Campbell’s
11) The Creator
“If you can imagine it, it can be done”
Brands with the creator archetype bring out the creativity of its audience. These brands make people think out of the box, because it is the only way to stand out and create work that endures. It triggers self expression because being creative is to create something unique, and what is more unique than expressing what’s unique and authentic within us. If your brand is trying to unleash the imagination of your audience, anchor your brand to the creator archetype.
Examples: Crayola, Lego, Canon, Youtube
12) The Ruler
“Power isn’t everything, it’s the only thing”
Brands with the ruler archetype values control. The path these brands take are the ones that lead them to power. This is exactly why the ruler archetypes are brands that sell products that are elegant, luxurious, and exclusive. Because of this audience’s desire for ambition and affluence, ruler archetypes need to make this audience feel that their superior status is put on the spotlight when they buy into the brand.
Examples: Mercedes Benz, Louis Vuitton, Rolex
Now that we have gone through the different brand archetypes, what they evoke, and which brands use them, it’s time to figure out how to find the one that is going to work for your brand.
1) What do you want your audience to feel?
The 12 brand archetypes we’ve discussed covered the different ways each archetype make people feel.
The ruler makes people feel powerful and in control.
The lover makes people feel that they are desired.
The jester makes people feel that you don’t have to take life too seriously.
The question is, when your audience interacts with your brand, what emotion would like them to feel?
2) What are you selling?
There’s a reason why specific industries feel like they’re crowded by brands that feel and look the same.
That’s because some brand archetypes work naturally depending on what a brand is selling.
The sage feel like a natural fit for universities and educational organizations because it revolves around wisdom and growth.
The hero and outlaw work perfectly well with sports brands because of the parallel of triumph in a match and the struggle to overcome a challenge.
But just because specific archetypes naturally fit well with specific industries, this does not limit how you can make your brand stand out.
Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour are all hero archetypes yet they have different versions of the hero archetype because of the products they sell, the way they communicate their story, their tone of voice, their visual identity, along with all the other touch points of a brand.
What you sell will give you hints as to what archetype you should choose. There is going to be a huge disconnect when you offer a 50 peso product while using the ruler archetype. It just does not make sense.
3) What archetypes are you competitors anchoring to?
Take a look at your competitors. Observe and analyze their brands. See which archetype each of them fall under. See if they were able to communicate their story effectively.
If they used the Outlaw, were they able to craft that mental image in your mind successfully? Does their website, logo, and voice give off an outlaw stance?
One effective way is to experience their entire buying process as a consumer. The way they made you feel can give you a glimpse of the archetype they embody.
Study these points, and write them down. Now, identify which archetypes were used. If 3 of them used the Hero, and the other two used the Magician, maybe its best if you used the Outlaw?
4) Go for a test run
Now that your options have been narrowed, it’s time to experiment. Test if you are able to communicate your brand’s message, purpose, and story using the outlaw archetype. Use colors that best represent that archetype. Apply it with your brand’s voice. Does it feel authentic? Do you love it? Does it make you feel the way you wanted it to make you feel?
As always, its always best if you can ask for feedback from your friends, or even better, from someone in your target market. Ask them the same questions and see which one would communicate it best.
5) Implementation
Use the archetype as a guiding force for consistent communication to your audience. Let it dictate what you are going to say, how you are going to say it.
Once you have settled on which archetype to use, be sure to find ways to remind yourself that this is THE archetype that you will be using. Your brand is bound to evolve along the way but be sure to be consistent as to not confuse your audience.
Podcast: Brand Origins
Thanks for reading! By the way, we have a podcast: Brand Origins. We talk about Brand Disaster stories as well as the origin stories of brands. Find us on any podcast app.
Youtube : youtube.com/brandorigins
Facebook : facebook.com/brandorigins
Instagram : @brandorigins
Twitter : @brandoriginsfm
Originally published at partizan.ph on June 19, 2018.
