3/30/2020 What is Your Brand Personality?

A Look at Brand Archetypes

✎ Does Your Brand Have Multiple Personality

Disorder? A Look at Brand Archetypes
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Just like a person, your company’s brand has a unique personality,

and how people connect with your brand has a huge impact on
whether or not they want to do business with you. So what can you
do to harness the full power of your brand’s personality?

According to the results of a recent online self-evaluation [http://16personalities.com] , I am an ISFJ

(Introverted, Observant, Feeling, Judging) personality. Whether or not you've ever taken such an
assessment, you are well aware you have a personality all your own. We are each unique individuals,
but there are shared traits that allow us to classify and make sense of ourselves and our society. And so
it is with brands.

Humans are built for connection. We tend to personify things, including brands. We give them meaning
and form relationships with them based on how they interact with us and the world, what they stand
for, and how they make us feel.

However people connect to your brand and whatever meaning they assign to it is due to its personality.
Brand personalities can be classified as archetypes. There are 12 master archetypes and they are useful
for more than just labeling. They are also a great way for companies to ‘manage meaning’ in a
structured way.

Arche-what?
Archetypes are not new. They stem from the work of well-known psychologist Carl Jung. Jung described
archetypes as universal collective patterns of the unconscious. Regardless of culture or language, he
believed everyone shares and understands these themes because they are an undercurrent to all
humanity.

For examples of archetypes, look no further than the latest blockbuster or bestseller. From movies, to
mythology, to religion, stories and the archetypes they contain surround us all our lives. Because they
are shared universal and unconscious themes of humanity, we can always connect to archetypal stories.
That’s why we seemingly never tire of them, no matter how many times they are repackaged or retold.
They speak to something deep within us.

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3/30/2020 What is Your Brand Personality? A Look at Brand Archetypes
“Archetypes are the heartbeat of a brand because they convey a meaning that makes customers relate
to a product as if it actually were alive in some way,” write Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson in their
book, The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes. “They have a
relationship with it. They care about it.”

Meet the Archetypes

Now, without further ado, I would like to introduce you to the top 12 brand archetypes.

Creator
The Creator’s core desire is to create something of
enduring value and give form to a vision. Brands that
encourage self-expression; provide choices and options;
help foster innovation; or are artistic or creative in design
embody the Creator archetype.

Learn More: "Meet The Creator" [/design-from-all-

angles/brand-archetype-the-creator]

Hero
The Hero strives to prove worth through courageous and
difficult action and to exert mastery in a way that
improves the world. Look behind that flowing cape to find
brands that help people perform at their best, address a
major social problem, and incite people to take action.

Learn More: "Meet The Hero" [/design-from-all-

angles/brand-archetype-the-hero]

Outlaw
The Outlaw is all about revolution and seeks to destroy
what is not working. Brands that identify with values at
odds with those of society at large, that pioneer new and
revolutionary attitudes, or whose products literally
destroy something (e.g. a bulldozer) fall into this category.

Learn More: "Meet The Outlaw" [/design-from-all-

angles/brand-archetype-the-outlaw]

Lover
More than anything in the world, the Lover wants to
attain intimacy and/or experience sensual pleasure. The
goal is to be in relationships with the people, work,
experiences, and surroundings it loves. Examples of the
Lover archetype are brands that help people find
love/friendship or that foster beauty, communication, or
closeness between people.

Learn More: "Meet The Lover" [/design-from-all-

angles/brand-archetype-the-lover]

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3/30/2020 What is Your Brand Personality? A Look at Brand Archetypes

Everyman
The Everyman wants only to belong and fit in and desires
to connect with others. The mark of the Everyman is
prominent on brands with a down-home culture, that
create things used in everyday life, and that help people
feel that they, too, belong.

Learn More: "Meet The Everyman" [/design-from-all-

angles/brand-archetype-the-everyman]

Sage
Guided by the discovery of truth, the Sage uses
intelligence and analysis to understand the world. Look at
brands that provide expertise or information and that
encourage people to think and you will see the Sage at
work.

Learn More: "Meet The Sage" [/design-from-all-

angles/brand-archetype-the-sage]

Explorer
The Explorer yearns for the freedom to discover the world
and experience a better, more authentic, and more
fulfilling life. Brands with Explorer traits are often those
that help people feel free, are nonconformist, are
pioneering, and offer sturdy or rugged products.

Learn More: "Meet The Explorer" [/design-from-all-

angles/brand-archetype-the-explorer]

Innocent
Don’t worry, be happy! is the motto of the Innocent
archetype. It wants to find and experience paradise.
Brands that are associated with goodness, morality,
simplicity, nostalgia, or childhood are identified as
Innocent archetypes.

Learn More: "Meet The Innocent" [/design-from-all-

angles/brand-archetype-the-innocent]

Ruler
One word: Control. The Ruler wants to create a
prosperous and successful family, company, or
community. Brands that enhance or promote power, help
people become and stay organized, or promise safety and
stability in a chaotic world are easily identified as Ruler
archetypes.

Learn More: "Meet The Ruler" [/design-from-all-

angles/brand-archetype-the-ruler]

Jester
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3/30/2020 What is Your Brand Personality? A Look at Brand Archetypes
Just like the class clown from high school, the Jester
wants to live in the moment with full enjoyment. He only
wants to have a great time and lighten up the world. Look
past the laughter and that silly hat and you will see
brands that help people have a good time and embrace a
fun-loving, freewheeling culture.

Learn More: "Meet The Jester" [/design-from-all-

angles/brand-archetype-the-jester]

Caregiver
The Caregiver’s aim is to protect people from harm and
help others. Brands that serve families and that place a
high value on customer service, especially those in the
healthcare, education, or non-profit/charitable space, are
labeled as Caregiver archetypes.

Learn More: "Meet The Caregiver" [/design-from-all-

angles/brand-archetype-the-caregiver]

Magician
The Magician archetype wants to make dreams come true
through knowledge of the fundamental laws of how the
world works. In addition to a white rabbit, from his hat
the Magician pulls brands that are transformative, have a
spiritual or psychological component, or help to expand
consciousness.

Learn More: "Meet The Magician" [/design-from-all-

angles/brand-archetypes-meet-the-magician]

Why Archetypes Matter to Your Brand

A handy way to understand archetypes is to think of them as different segments of our own psyche. We
all have a piece of each of the above-mentioned archetypes in us. When a brand is dominant in a
particular archetype, it resonates with that part of our psyche (and at times can even awaken it within
us). As a business or brand, it’s all about creating a connection that speaks to your target audience.

These days, there is no product or service that doesn’t face competition. Back when we had a
burgeoning industrial economy, companies realized that competitors could duplicate their systems,
processes, and products so they quickly learned they had two options: Reduce their prices or give
meaning to their products. Guess which one is the better option?

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3/30/2020 What is Your Brand Personality? A Look at Brand Archetypes

Today we know that without a strongly defined brand, businesses are forced to compete on price alone.
It’s no secret that in our global, interconnected economy there is always someone willing to do it
cheaper!

People buy for emotional and psychological reasons, so the meaning of your brand is its biggest asset.
What your brand means to people is what causes them to buy in, to want to form a relationship with you
— and to remain loyal to you.

You Can't Fake Personality

When I was growing up my family moved several times. I saw each move as an opportunity to “reinvent
myself.” I determined that this time, in this new place with people who didn’t know me, I could be
something different!

It never worked.

Invariably I always defaulted back to who I really was and I eventually learned that I couldn’t be
something I wasn’t deep down in my soul. The same holds true for brands.

Archetypes provide meaning to people to help them connect with your brand. To be effective, the
message your brand conveys must be authentic. You cannot just decide one day to add a certain
meaning to your brand. You must actually embody that meaning. In other words, you can’t just decide to
create a heartwrenching ad so that you will be perceived as a Caregiver – it must be true to your values
and actions and how your business is already operating.

Brand archetype theory is not meant to be viewed as a formulaic “instant identity” to solve all your
branding problems. Rather, it provides structure and acts as a sounding board to help determine how
you can best convey the meaning of your brand to those you are trying to connect with.

Build a Strong Brand

By “strong” I don’t mean overbearing or loud. A strong personality is one that is clearly defined and
articulated in everything your business does, not one that clumsily waffles across many personalities,
unsure of which one to choose.

More than fifteen years ago, a Young & Rubicam [http://www.yr.com/BAV] study of over 13,000 brands
and 120,000 consumers confirmed that the more profitable brands were also the ones that aligned
closely with a single archetype, rather than those who had “confusing” brand archetypes, or identified
closely with multiple archetypes.

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3/30/2020 What is Your Brand Personality? A Look at Brand Archetypes
Your business brand may have a secondary (and perhaps even tertiary) archetype, but how closely it
lines up with your primary archetype will impact how your brand is perceived. Align with too many
archetypes and you run the risk of having a brand afflicted with multiple personality disorder.

Pop Quiz Time

Take a moment to examine your brand. Are you straying from your primary archetype, and thus losing
meaning to the people you want to engage? If so, maybe it’s time to put archetypal branding methods
to work for your organization. First, determine which one you are with our helpful (and fun!) brand
archetype quiz [http://brandpersonalityquiz.com] . Then, once you pinpoint your brand archetype, learn
more about it right here on the blog, and subscribe to our email updates for resources and advice on
how to make your archetype work for you!

TAKE THE BRAND ARCHETYPE QUIZ! [HTTP://BRANDPERSONALITYQUIZ.COM]

Nyla Smith is a Graphic Designer, Web Designer, Front-End Web Developer and Consultant with over 12 years of
experience. She is the owner of n-Vision Designs, LLC in Hampton, Virginia, which exists to provide marketing support and
brand consulting to small- and medium-sized businesses needing creative solutions. Contact Nyla if you'd like to discuss
your next creative project. She can usually be bribed to a meeting with a cup of green tea and an oatmeal cookie.
facebook.com/nvisiondesigns [http://facebook.com/nvisiondesigns]
@nvisiondesigns [http://twitter.com/nvisiondesigns]

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