One of the most important things for brand positioning to be clear and generate identity with your audience, establish your own image that can resonate among users. The use of branding archetypes is a powerful tool that can assist brands in achieving exactly this. Branding archetypes are inspired by the theory of Carl Jung, a renowned psychologist who believed that storytelling is based on common patterns in human behavior and traits that people share (archaism), linking with our unconscious minds.
So let’s take a deep dive in this blog on what are branding archetypes? What are the most common types of brand archetype and how you can easily create an everlasting brand out of it.
What Are Branding Archetypes?
Branding archetypes are general, metaphoric personalities or models which reflect certain roles, characteristics and standards. The emotions they evoke give brands a framework to express their identity and story in ways that resonate with people. As you might expect, each of these archetypes symbolizes a cluster of traits that are highly recognizable in terms of motivations and behaviors to allow brands to more easily establish who they are.
Brands who align with an archetype will connect more deeply and become not just a product or service, but something that stands for something in their audience they are humanized.
The 12 Major Branding Archetypes
The 12 core branding Archetypes have specific personalities and ways of interacting with the world. Once you understand these archetypes, it is easier to find an archetype that resonates most with the identity of your brand.
The Innocent
Essence: Life is easy and beautiful
Desire : To be Better and bring happiness for self and others
Traits: peppy, gullible, innocent; often naïve and g-rated
Examples: Dove, Coca-Cola Brand Examples
The Explorer
Desire: To be able to experience and explore new things.
Traits: Free-spirited and adventurous, Popular, Independent, ambitious.
Examples: Jeep and The North Face
The Sage
Essence: You shall know the truth, and the truth will adjust your actions.
Desire: Truth & Wisdom
Traits: They are typically portrayed as knowledgeable, often analytical or reflective and
positioned to help guide others out of the darkness.
Examples: Google, Harvard University.
The Hero
Essence: Where there is a will, always remember that human spirit is indomitable
Desire: To demonstrate their worth through brave deeds.
Traits: fearless, tenacious, virtuous (most of the time…), and a half bottle away from killing an
army bare-handed.
Examples: Nike, FedEx.
The Outlaw
Essence: Rules are made to be broken.
Desire: To change the current state of a category.
Traits: The Canons Of Rebellion Providing disorderly behavior, Hopeful For Change
Examples: Harley-Davidson, Diesel
The Magician
Essence: Anything can happen.
Desire: Make Dreams Come True / Core Desire: To create the exceptional
Traits: May be recognized as visionary, creative or transformative and often are seen as those
who initiate change.
Examples: Disney, Apple.
The Everyman
Essence: All men and women are created equal.
Desires: Belong and connecting with others.
Traits: Earthy, personable (friendliness), simple and therefore — genuine/dependent.
Examples: IKEA, Levi’s.
The Lover
Essence: I see only you.
Desire: Feel and relate passionate, intimate love with others.
Traits: Passion, Romance, Empathy often linked to aesthetics and emotions
Examples: Chanel, Victoria's Secret
The Jester
Essence: Come, let us celebrate and laugh together.
Desire: To feel stimulated and experiencing their depths at a minimum conscious level.
Qualities: Joy, humorist, some spontaneity; can be fun and laughter
Examples: M&M’s, Old Spice.
The Caregiver
Essence: You should love your neighbour as you really are.
Desire: Supports and protects. The Helper
Traits: Sympathetic, caring, supportive./ often associated with selflessness and service/selves.
Examples: Johnson & Johnson, UNICEF.
The Creator
Essence: Build something new
Desire: To leave a lasting legacy.
Traits: Imaginative, inventive and expressive qualities; those normally found around creative
pursuits or the crafts.
Examples: Lego, Adobe.
The Ruler
Essence: Power isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.
Desire: To dominate, organize, and guide;
Traits: Responsibility, organization, strong character and associated often with leadership.
Examples: Mercedes Benz, Rolex.
5 Steps to Use Branding Archetypes
There are several steps that need to be taken in order for the branding archetypes used effectively.
Understand the Core Values and Personality of your Brand
Start by getting to know your brand’s character, core values and mission. What is the essence of your brand? How do you want to be related with your audience?
Choose the Right Archetype
Choose an archetype that relates to your brand persona and the emotions you wish to elicit from specific demographics. Instead, think of it in terms that how the archetype can be used helps you position your brand more deeply.
Effective Communications
Quickly figure out what your brand archetype is AND make sure that all of the way you communicate (visually, verbally or experientially) aligns with it. Staying consistent is vital in order for people to recognize, remember and be familiar with your brand.
Engage with Your Audience
Creating emotional messaging for your target audience around that final archetype chosen. Whether you use storytelling, advertising or basic interaction with customers make sure your brand’s voice is influenced by the archetype.
Monitor and Evolve
Branding is not static. Your archetype may change as your brand grows. You should periodically revisit your branding strategy to be sure that the archetype you selected still accurately reflects what has happened as a result of brand use and market changes.
