For a business to attract new customers and retain old ones, especially in the present day and age, it has almost become a norm to develop an emotional bond with them first. Even if you already have an established business, an emotional connection with your target audience will definitely help in taking the business to the next level.
As we humans are already preprogrammed to relate to other people, It would be an effective idea to personify the brand since it’ll make the brand much more relatable to the brand’s target audience. While the application of Brand Personality is one way of achieving this, there is a much more powerful and effective tool meant for this very goal, called the Brand Archetypes.
In this article, let’s start by understanding what is a brand archetype and get to know more about each of the 12 types of brand archetypes.
Brand Archetypes also referred to as Jungian Archetypes, were introduced by a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst called Carl Jung. He developed this concept based on the fact that we humans are naturally hard-wired or pre-programmed to connect with other people based on their personalities.
As we all are different, we tend to have different core emotions or characteristics. And, according to his concept, these core character traits or behaviors can be formulated into 12 unique personality themes that stand universally true. He believed that these are universal experiences that we are born with and that these personality themes would stand true across generations. He strongly supported the idea that all of us have the same instinctive understanding of behavioral patterns.
Generally, a business attains greater success when it’s perceived by people as a relatable brand rather than just a commodity business. And, similar to the 5 Brand Personality Dimensions, the 12 Brand Archetypes also provide an effective model using which you can create and develop a brand persona for your business.
Brand archetypes are a great way to achieve success for your business by focusing on developing an emotional connection with the target customers as compared to the business spending resources simply talking about their product features, service quality, pricing, etc.
As shown in the Brand Archetypes Wheel above, these 12 brand archetypes are further grouped into 4 different categories based on the common higher-level desires observed among them.
The 12 Brand Archetypes are as follows:
The Innocent
The Sage
The Explorer
The Outlaw
The Magician
The Hero
The Lover
The Jester
The Everyman
The Caregiver
The Ruler
The Creator
The brand archetype of a business has a direct impact on its visual identity, brand messaging, tone of voice, and brand behavior, to name a few. Therefore, it’s important to study and understand the 12 brand archetypes in depth before choosing an appropriate one for your business. So, let’s look into each of them in detail.
1. The Innocent
The Innocent archetype represents the core emotion of safety. The Innocent is a positive personality with character traits of happiness, purity, and trust. This personality has an optimistic worldview and a glass-half-full outlook about life.
The brands that embrace this archetype are usually in the beauty, fresh food, and healthy drinks industries. Such brands implement positive and ethical messaging in their communication using a brand voice that is humble, gentle, honest, and optimistic.
Visually, the Innocent brands have calming and positive brand color palettes which generally include whites or lighter pastel colors along with their primary brand colors.
Such brands include Dove, Coca-Cola, and Whole Foods Market.
Related article: Is Coca-Cola The World’s No.1 Brand? | Coca-Cola Branding Case Study
2. The Sage
The Sage archetype represents a personality that prioritizes knowledge. The Sage is a mentor-like figure with character traits of wisdom, expertise, and influence. This personality is a seeker of truth and has a desire to share their wisdom and knowledge with others.
The brands that embrace this archetype are usually in the education, news, and tech industries. Such brands implement factual and sometimes philosophical messaging in their communication using a brand voice that is assuring, guiding, and informative.
Visually, the Sage brands are observed to have brand color palettes that either include black or have vibrant primary colors.
Such brands include BBC, Coursera, and Google.
3. The Explorer
The Explorer archetype craves freedom. The Explorer is an adventurous personality with character traits of bravery, excitement, and liberation. This personality does not believe in conforming to social norms or feeling confined by physical constraints.
The brands that embrace this archetype are usually in the outdoor apparel, automotive, and adventure travel industries. Such brands carry out exploration-led messaging with an exciting, daring, and motivational brand voice.
Visually, the Explorer brands are observed to have brand color palettes that include a combination of blacks and earthy colors like brown and olive green.
Such brands include Jeep, The North Face, and GoPro.
4. The Outlaw
The Outlaw archetype is defined by the desire for liberation. The Outlaw is a rebellious personality with character traits of righteousness and disruption. This personality has a non-conforming attitude and does not shy away from breaking rules.
The brands that embrace this archetype are usually in the edgy fashion and automobile industries. Such brands have revolutionary messaging with a brand voice that is bold, frank, and impactful.
Visually, the Outlaw brands have brand color palettes that include different shades of oranges or reds, which might sometimes be slightly desaturated.
Such brands include Harley Davidson, Diesel, and Liquid Death.
5. The Magician
The Magician archetype represents the core emotion of power. The Magician is a visionary personality with character traits of imagination and self-expression. This dynamic personality embodies a dare-to-dream attitude.
The brands that embrace this archetype are usually in the entertainment and technology industries. Such brands employ empowering messaging using a reassuring and encouraging brand voice.
Visually, the Magician brands have brand color palettes that include mystical colors like turquoise, violet, and pink.
Such brands include Disney, Sony, and Barbie.
6. The Hero
The Hero archetype symbolizes mastery. The Hero has a triumphant personality along with character traits of determination, perseverance, and courage. This personality strives to prove their worth and does not give up until they emerge victorious.
The brands that embrace this archetype are usually in the sportswear and energy drinks industries. Such brands use inspirational messaging with a brand voice that is honest, brave, and energetic.
Visually, the Hero brands have a black-dominated brand color palette and usually include sharp-edged shapes in their logo and visual identity to represent dynamism.
Such brands include Nike, Under Armour, and Gatorade.
7. The Lover
The Lover archetype is driven by the emotion of intimacy. The Lover has an affectionate personality along with character traits of love, pleasure, and desire. This personality has an attraction to beautiful and blissful experiences.
The brands that embrace this archetype are usually in the fragrance, fashion, and indulgent food industries. Such brands use empathetic messaging along with a soothing, pleasing, and sometimes sensual brand voice.
Visually, the Lover brands have a brand color palette that is usually dominated by black, and sometimes accompanied by royal reds and maroons.
Such brands include Chanel, Victoria’s Secret, and Godiva Chocolatier.
8. The Jester
The Jester archetype craves enjoyment. The Jester has a playful personality along with character traits of humor, fun, and laughter. This personality has a carefree attitude with a preference to simply live in the moment.
The brands that embrace this archetype usually belong to the confectionery and men's grooming industries. Such brands use positive messaging with a brand voice that is playful, humorous, and witty.
Visually, the Jester brands have a brand color palette that has vibrant colors as their primary colors.
Such brands include M&Ms, Dollar Shave Club, and Old Spice.
9. The Everyman
The Everyman archetype craves belonging. The Everyman archetype has an inclusive personality along with character traits of togetherness, friendliness, and equality. This personality likes to be a part of a community and doesn’t really like to stand out in the crowd.
The brands that embrace this archetype usually belong to the everyday goods and wholesale industries. Such brands embody feel-good messaging using a friendly, authentic, and humble brand voice.
Visually, the Everyman type brands have unique brand color palettes that have slightly unconventional and old-ish color combinations that include both cool colors and warm colors.
Such brands include Ikea, Walmart, and Target.
Related article: How Did IKEA Become an Iconic Brand? | IKEA’s Branding Case Study
10. The Caregiver
The Caregiver archetype is driven by the desire to provide service. The Caregiver archetype has a selfless personality along with character traits of support, gratitude, and service. This personality has a protective nature and is always ready to take responsibility for issues that some might ignore.
The brands that embrace this archetype usually belong to not-for-profits and healthcare industries. Such brands use calm and composed messaging accompanied by a brand voice that is caring, reassuring, and warm.
Visually, the Caregiver brands have a brand color palette that is either dominated by black or has lighter blues and greens that are soothing to the eyes.
Such brands include World Wildlife Fund, Unicef, and Pampers.
11. The Ruler
The Ruler archetype has the core emotion of control. The Ruler archetype has a dominant personality along with character traits of achievement, excellence, and prosperity. This personality has an intimidating nature and strongly believes in taking charge and exercising power.
The brands that embrace this archetype usually belong to the luxury fashion, premium automotive, and hospitality industries. Such brands implement authoritative messaging along with a brand voice that is commanding, refined, and confident.
Visually, the Ruler brands have a brand color palette that includes blacks or a mix of royal colors like gold and silver.
Such brands include Louis Vuitton, Rolls Royce, and Rolex.
12. The Creator
The Creator archetype has the core desire for innovation. The Creator archetype has a visionary personality along with character traits of originality, creation, and self-expression. This personality believes in the power of imagination and is driven by the idea of creating something of enduring value.
The brands that embrace this archetype usually belong to the art, design, and technology industries. Such brands employ encouraging messaging using an inspiring, daring, and provocative brand voice.
Visually, the Creator brands have a brand color palette that includes blacks or a mix of royal colors like gold and silver.
Such brands include Lego, Adobe, and Apple.
How Do Brand Archetypes Impact Us?
Each of the brand archetypes has an impact on our minds. A business’s archetype directly defines how we perceive the brand. As mentioned in the introduction, the 12 brand archetypes can be broadly categorized into 4 divisions. In the branding sense, these divisions are the 4 unique brand positioning strategies for your business through which you could predict how people perceive your brand:
1. “I can guide you” strategy
Through this, you provide a sense of safety and enlightenment by reassuring your audience that they are in safe hands. The Innocent, The Sage, and The Explorer archetypes fall into this category.
2. “You can be me” strategy
Through this, you provide a sense of success and legacy by representing the qualities that your audience aspires to be. The Outlaw, The Magician, and The Hero archetypes fall into this category.
3. “We are the same” strategy
Through this, you provide a sense of belonging and togetherness by reassuring your audience that they are the same as you. The Lover, The Jester, and The Everyone archetypes fall into this category.
4. “You can be great” strategy
Through this, you provide a sense of order and stability by inspiring your audience that they can achieve whatever they want in life. The Caregiver, The Ruler, and The Creator archetypes fall into this category.
How to Define a Brand Archetype for My Business?
As we have gone through the various types of brand archetypes, let’s now find out how to actually come up with a brand archetype for your own business.
Just like brand personality, brand archetypes are also defined by the founders, core team members, and brand strategists since it’s one of the foundational elements of the business. These are the 3 factors that would govern your business’s archetype:
1. Your Business’s Vision and Mission
As these statements are formulated with the intention of giving a thorough overview of the business and its long-term goals, they could act as a good starting point for judging what brand archetype would work best for your business.
2. Your Target Audience
Since the business’s top priority is to attract customers, it’s always best to decide the brand archetype based on what personality type would be most attractive to them. This can be derived based on the target audience’s demographic and psychographic data.
3. Your Brand Values
You must have already understood that archetype is a way of humanizing your business. And, when you do so you would need to assign a set of moral values and beliefs to your brand persona. The way to achieve this is to choose an archetype that goes well with your brand values.
In addition to these 3 factors, you could also observe and analyze the brand archetypes and personalities of your competitor businesses. This might provide you with a general idea about what has been working in your industry until now. While this might not be as important as the 3 factors previously mentioned, the info would definitely help you out in finalizing your decision.
Can My Business Have Multiple Brand Archetypes?
In recent times, with brands striving to stand out among their competition and with customers becoming more and more picky, there are no real straightforward template solution that works for everyone. This is where the concept of multiple brand archetypes comes in.
The multiple brand archetypes are applied to the same business using 2 different methodologies:
The Archetype Transformation
The Archetype Combination
The 1st situation is where a brand starts out as one brand archetype and eventually, over time, adapts a completely different brand archetype. This is when a business begins with the idea of distinctly differentiating itself from others and once it comes into the limelight, it takes up the personality of what it truly wants to be. Also, this change could be a result of a change in the management or the business’s vision altogether.
For example, the most beloved Apple brand started out with the archetype of ‘The Outlaw’ and eventually adopted ‘The Creator’ archetype.
In the 1980s, when Microsoft was ruling the computer tech industry, Apple came up with unique, rebellious, and revolutionary ad campaigns representing the characteristics of The Outlaw archetype. A great example of this was the 1984 Apple Macintosh Commercial.
Over time, as the brand found its way to the top, Apple promoted the importance of originality and self-expression. This is evident from its 1997 Think Different Campaign. Encouraging people to embrace the power of creativity and imagination, the Apple brand stands strong as The Creator brand even today.
In contrast, the 2nd situation is where a brand uses a mix of brand archetypes to define its personality. While the business has a primary archetype defining its core persona and representing its brand values, the secondary archetype ensures differentiation by influencing the business’s communication, messaging, and tone of voice.
A good rule of thumb to keep in mind with respect to the archetype mix is to stick to a combination of not more than 2 brand archetypes in order to ensure clarity and avoid confusion. Moreover, it’s best to keep this as a 70:30 mix, that is, have one archetype define 70% of the combination while the secondary archetype affects only 30% of the business’s persona.
For example, Durex is a brand of condoms and personal lubricants that has the archetype combination of 70% of ‘The Lover’ and 30% of ‘The Jester’ archetypes. As a result of the intimate and sensual nature of the business, its values and core persona adopt The Lover archetype. But, the brand clearly stands out from its competitors through its witty, creative, and smart advertisements that represent The Jester archetype.
How Do I Apply the Brand Archetype to My Business?
We already know that the choice of brand archetype significantly influences a lot of the crucial aspects related to the business, right from its brand strategy to its visual identity.
Now, let’s have a closer look at what steps you need to take as a business owner or brand consultant to ensure you make the most out of these aspects and effectively communicate the business’s personality with its target audience.
Step 1:
Study the business, the target customer personas, the brand values, and the overall industry.
Step 2:
Analyze, observe, and write down a few keywords or key attributes that would align with your business.
Step 3:
Try and match these keywords with the characteristics of each of the brand archetypes.
Step 4:
Finalize either a single appropriate archetype or an archetype combination.
Step 5:
Based on your brand values and the archetype finalized, decide on a few social issues and topics that your brand should talk about to comment on. This will help you define your brand’s attitude.
Step 6:
Define a tone of voice and writing style that aligns well with your archetype. Also, define the grammatical rules for your brand’s communication if you wish to.
Step 7:
Expand this further by adding a few words and their synonyms that you feel are important to your verbal vocabulary.
Step 8:
Now, extend this to your brand identity by working on the visuals like choosing the appropriate brand color palette and making the right design decisions. Refer to different divisions of the psychology of branding like color psychology, shape psychology, etc., wherever necessary.
Step 9:
Document all these in your business’s brand guidelines. This will make it easy for reference by any stakeholders, as and when required.
As an additional step, you could also create a few templates and mockups using the tone of voice and visual elements to have a much clearer picture of the overall brand messaging and visual communication.
Conclusion
There’s no better way to connect with people than to humanize your brand. And, this personification is possible only by defining the brand persona for your business. As compared to brand personality, brand archetypes provide a much more effective framework for mirroring your target customer’s personality and for identifying the desire that you want to evoke in your customers’ minds when they interact or come across your brand.
Brand archetypes are a great tool to gain better clarity on your own business and to paint a clear big picture of your brand for your existing audience as well as potential customers.
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