Building a brand that stands out while connecting with your targeting audience is a task that seems like pure luck. However, the most successful brands have incorporated something deeper: the power of brand archetypes. The concept of these brand archetypes comes from Carl Jung, a psychologist who created them to be used in a psychological concept. Overtime, these archetypes were adapted by brands and well-known companies in order for them to connect better with their audience. In this blog post, we will explore brand archetypes and how you can benefit from using them to market your brand.
Jung created these archetypes from symbols and patterns that he had noticed in the human mind. He realized that these archetypes appear in myths, literature, religions and dreams and that they all help shape human behaviour and experiences. The same characteristics that applied to human beings, could also be used for brands.
Human beings as a whole, tend to connect with people rather than a product or a service. Therefore, when a brand is able to adopt one or more of these archetypes, it creates an easier pathway for the consumer to connect with the brand.
There are 12 archetypes and each archetype can be seen as embodied by a well known brand or company. The archetypes and what they represent are the following:
1. The Innocent: safety, happiness and simplicity (Dove)
2. The Sage: knowledge, truth and understanding (Google)
3. The Explorer: freedom, adventure and discovery (Patagonia)
4. The Creator: innovation and originality (Apple)
5. The Ruler: control, order and power (Rolex)
6. The Caregiver: service, compassion and protection (Toms)
7. The Everyman: belonging, connection and relatability (Ikea)
8. The Jester: enjoyment and fun (Ben & Jerry’s)
9. The Lover: intimacy, passion and relationships (Chanel)
10. The Hero: mastery, achievement and bravery (Nike)
11. The Magician: power, transformation and dreams (Disney)
12. The Outlaw: liberation and rebellion (Tesla)
Here are some of the ways in which your brand can benefit from using brand archetypes:
Creating Emotional Connections:
These archetypes play an important role in marketing because they allow brands and companies to create an emotional connection to consumers. In creating this emotional connection, brands are able to create loyalty, trust and a lasting relationship with its consumers.
Standing Out in a Crowd:
Adopting an archetype will allow your brand to stand out in comparison to other brands that offer similar service. This doesn’t just mean in your products or services, but rather in your brand’s overall narrative and personality.
Building a Timeless Brand:
The use of one or more of these archetypes in branding, can help you find your brand identity. This specific kind of branding is considered to be timeless, as they coincide with themes that appear in the overall human experience.
Conclusion
Since these archetypes have helped shape many different successful brands and companies overtime, it is clear that human beings can relate better to an archetype that humanizes a brand. By adopting one or more of these archetypes, you are creating a brand identity which will benefit your brand in the bigger picture and set up your brand to succeed long-term.
If you’re ready to take the next steps to build your brand identity and stand out on social media, a social media marketing agency can help you develop your brand. Contact Prime Stratix to get your brand noticed.
