Unlock Your Brand’s Secret Sauce: Find Your Brand Archetype
Updated: Mar 30
Whether you’re a rebellious Outlaw with a disruptive approach to problem-solving, a compassionate Caregiver with a heart for helping others, or a wise Sage with a wealth of knowledge and experience to share, your brand archetype is the key to unlocking your business’s full potential.
Are you the Outlaw? Do you strive to be an innovator like the Creator? Does your brand thrive on community and connection like the Lover?
Welcome to the world of brand archetypes - A nifty little universe where we can build brands with the intention of connecting with populations of people!
Carl Jung describes archetypes as innate, universal patterns of thought and behavior that are present in the collective unconscious of all people. He believed that archetypes expressed through symbols, myths, and stories shape our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in fundamental ways. As humans, we're programmed to recognize these archetypes in everyone we meet. It's no different for companies and brands.
A brand archetype is essentially a shorthand way of communicating the core values, attributes, and motivations of a brand. By leveraging your brand's archetype, you can craft marketing messages and develop a creative strategy that speaks directly to the psychological needs and desires of your target audience.
How To Use Brand Archetypes
Your brand archetype is the "secret sauce" that gives your business its distinctive flavor and sets it apart from the competition. By clearly defining your brand archetype, you can create a strong identity for your brand that will help you to stand out in the market and build long-term customer loyalty. Whether you're a rebellious Outlaw with a disruptive approach to problem-solving, a compassionate Caregiver with a heart for helping others, or a wise Sage with a wealth of knowledge and experience to share, your brand archetype is the key to unlocking your business's full potential.
Since different archetypes can appeal to different target audiences it's important to craft your brand around a specific archetype that appeals to your customer and matches your business' core values. In addition to helping to define and shape the creative aspects of the identity of a business, brand archetypes can also be used to identify the target customer archetype that a business is trying to reach. To determine your customer's archetype you may want to develop a customer profile first to help identify their desires, interests, and core values. Then check to see if that archetype aligns with your own values and attributes. By understanding the characteristics of both of these archetypes businesses can create more effective and targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with their customers and drive more engagement and sales.
For example, let's say your brand archetype is the "Innocent." This archetype represents purity, simplicity, and a desire for goodness and happiness. If your target audience is made up of people who value these things, your branding and marketing efforts might focus on messaging that emphasizes the natural, wholesome qualities of your products or services, and how they can help customers to live a more authentic and fulfilling life.
On the other hand, if your brand archetype is the "Hero," you might focus on marketing messages that highlight the strength and courage of your products or services, and how they can help customers to overcome challenges or achieve their goals. This can be especially appealing to people who value personal growth and development, and who are looking for ways to make a positive impact on the world.
Take the Brand Personality Archetype Quiz
To determine your dominant archetype you can take this handy quiz. Once you know your personality archetype you will be better prepared to develop your brand's identity. Check out the color and messaging strategies on the page correlating to your brand's archetype. That will give you a great starting point.
Many businesses are a mix of two dominant archetypes. Don't be afraid to mesh two archetypes together to create a unique and differentiated identity. Be sure that they have common or complementary core values or attributes, though. Combining The Innocent with The Outlaw may create a confusing personality that will fail to connect with your ideal customer.
What Are The 12 Brand Archetypes?
There are 12 archetypes, each with its own core values, key characteristics, and suggested strategies. Check them out. You might know a few of these characters in real life. By using an archetype to personify your brand you make it more relatable to your target audience.
The Caregiver
This archetype shows up to its target audience as a source of support, nurturing, and compassion. It is often used by brands in the healthcare or wellness sectors, but it can also be used by other types of brands that want to emphasize their commitment to helping and supporting their customers or clients.
The Creator
This archetype shows up to its target audience as innovative, original, and visionary. This archetype is often associated with brands that are focused on creating new and unique products or services, or that are disrupting traditional industries with their innovative approaches.
The Ruler
This archetype shows up to its target audience as powerful, influential, and confident. It's often associated with brands that offer products or services that give their customers or clients a sense of authority or control over their lives or environments.
The Innocent
This archetype shows up to its target audience as pure, wholesome, and childlike. This archetype is often used by brands that offer products or services that are simple, natural, and uncomplicated.
The Sage
This archetype shows up to its target audience as wise, knowledgeable, and expert in its field. It's often associated with brands that offer products or services that require a high level of expertise or that provide valuable information or insights.
The Explorer
This archetype shows up to its target audience as adventurous, curious, and independent. Its often associated with brands that offer products or services that allow customers to experience new and exciting things, or that enable them to be self-sufficient and self-reliant.
The Magician
This archetype shows up to its target audience as transformative, innovative, and able to create change. This archetype is often used by brands that offer products or services that have the ability to change people's lives in significant ways.
The Outlaw
This archetype shows up to its target audience as rebellious, unconventional, and outside of the norm. This archetype is often used by brands that offer products or services that challenge established ideas or practices, or that allow people to break free from conventions and expectations.
The Hero
This archetype shows up to its target audience as strong, courageous, and able to overcome challenges. Its often used by brands that offer products or services that help people overcome obstacles or achieve their goals.
The Jester
This archetype shows up to its target audience as fun, playful, and lighthearted. It's often associated with brands that offer products or services that are meant to be enjoyed or that provide a sense of levity or escape from the stresses of everyday life.
The Lover
This archetype shows up to its target audience as passionate, sensual, and romantic. It's often associated with brands that offer products or services that are related to love, romance, or personal relationships.
The Every Person
This archetype shows up to its target audience as relatable, ordinary, and accessible to everyone. This archetype is often associated with brands that offer products or services that are widely used or that appeal to a broad audience.
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Know your archetype, but need help implementing it? Reach out. I can help!