Brand Personality Archetypes - The Secret to Unlocking Your Brand’s Unique Identity
Updated: Jul 18
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, brand personality archetypes are the key to unlocking your business’s unique identity.
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 personality 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 personality archetype is essentially a shorthand way of communicating the core values, attributes, and motivations of a brand. By leveraging brand personality archetypes, you can craft marketing messages and develop a creative strategy that speaks directly to the psychological needs and desires of your target audience.
What are Brand Personality Archetypes and How To Use Them
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 personality 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 personality 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 Archetype Quiz to Determine Your Brand’s Personality
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 brand personality archetypes, each with its own core values, key characteristics, and suggested strategies. They are grouped into 4 sections based on shared core desires and common values. You can see how they are grouped in the brand archetype wheel below. 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.
Brand Archetypes That Provide Support
ARCHITECTS OF EMPOWERMENT — These archetypes share an underlying desire to make a positive difference, provide structure, support, and bring forth meaningful creations that inspire and uplift. By tapping into these core desires, brands can create narratives and experiences that resonate with individuals seeking empowerment, inspiration, and profound growth in their lives. These archetypes are The Caregiver, The Creator, and The Ruler.
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.
Brand Archetypes That Provide Deeper Meaning
SEEKERS OF TRUTH & WONDER — These archetypes share common desires for authenticity, meaning, curiosity, and appreciation of simplicity and wonder. By tapping into these core desires, brands can create narratives and experiences that resonate with individuals seeking genuine experiences, wisdom, exploration, and a deeper connection to the world around them. These archetypes are The Innocent, The Sage, and The Explorer.
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.
Brand Archetypes That Enable Transformation
TRANSFORMATIVE TRAILBLAZERS — These archetypes share an underlying desire for personal empowerment, self-actualization, and the ability to bring about positive change. By tapping into these core desires, brands can create narratives and experiences that resonate with individuals seeking freedom, transformation, and the fulfillment of their heroic potential. These archetypes are The Magician, The Outlaw, and The Hero.
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.
Brand Archetypes That Provide A Sense of Belonging
EMOTIVE CONNECTORS — share an underlying desire for human connection, joy, and a sense of belonging. By tapping into these core desires, brands can create narratives and experiences that resonate with individuals seeking emotional connections, lightheartedness, and a sense of relatability. These archetypes are The Jester, The Lover, and The Every Person.
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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Need a brand archetype consultant to help you implement your brand’s personality? Reach out. I can help!