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What is your brand archetype?

What is your brand archetype(s) and why does it matter?

Brand archetypes are ‘categories of personalities’ that we tend to associate with – we tend to think, feel and perceive in certain ways according to our archetype. Jung was the original creator of archetypes, however, Mark and Pearson (2001) took Jung’s archetypes one step further and created the twelve brand archetypes which are grouped under four categories: Stability & Control, Independences & Fulfilment, Risk & Mastery, Belonging & Enjoyment. Jung who said: “Archetypes are cognitive categories, or predispositions that humans are born with to think, feel, perceive and act in specific ways.” 

Your business is a reflection of you – your thoughts and feelings cascade through your business, through all your communications and marketing messages. Identifying with and communicating through your archetype will increase your confidence enabling you to become irresistible, super-powering your powers of motivation, inspiration and persuasion.

There are 12 brand archetypes: The Sage, The Innocent, The Explorer, The Ruler, The Caregiver, The Creator, The Hero, The Rebel, The Magician, The Lover, The Jester and The Everyman.

Read the descriptions and jot down the archetypes that most resonate with you. There are no right and wrong answers. You can have up to four archetypes. Any more and you will become bland. It is my mission to superpower your personal brand and business brand, making you irresistible to customers, leads, teammates, your boss – anyone you want to persuade and influence.

Why are brand archetypes important for your personal brand and business brand?

We want to give people a reason to kiss us, right? So we need to look good, taste good, have a magnetic personality and spiritual connection. Think back to a time when you met someone who was magnetic vs someone who was fake. What a difference, hey! My mission is that your personality shines on all occasions.

As a Business Owner, Consultant, Coach, Entrepreneur, Professional or Student (BOCCEPS) you are your business, and it is essential to come across as authentic.  Identifying your brand archetype(s) will enable you to confidently celebrate your differences. You will probably be more than one archetype – it’s best to limit to three or four brand archetypes, or you will become bland.

Don’t get caught in the trap of choosing a brand archetype to best match your product or service.  For example, British Airways and easyJet are both airlines, however they are very different archetypes. easyJet is The Explorer brand archetype and British Airways is The Ruler. I teach many more examples in Marketing Psychology from the Inside Out.

Our guarantee to you

I guarantee that once you identify with your brand archetype(s), creating marketing content will become easier and more enjoyable, which will help you attract the right customers to grow your business. How? You will become genuine, compelling and authentic. All you need to do is learn how to communicate from your brand archetype(s) from the inside out. All your marketing communications – both offline and online – will shine.

How? We offer two ways to learn. Either, book a 121 coaching session or registered for our CPD accredited  course: Marketing Psychology from the Inside Out course. Register for a free trial – no credit card required.

What brand colour should I use for each archetype?

Within each archetype I suggest different colours. However, rules are made to be broken! The general rule of thumb is that the bolder the archetype, the bolder the colour. If you are a rebel – anything goes. Lyft uses a pink logo, when traditionally pink has been used for babies and beauty. If you are unsure, research your market and see what they use. I cover colours in the CPD Accredited Course, Marketing Psychology from the Inside Out.

Personal and business brand guidelines 

You will know if you have chosen the best archetypes for your business brand because you will feel passionate, authentic and compelling when speaking from them.  Once you feel confident, then you need to incorporate them into your brand guidelines.

Brand guidelines are a blueprint of your brand rules, keeping everything aligned. Once you have rules in place, you be able to create consistent marketing communications. This in turn with create recognition and trust in you, which will help you to tap into the minds of customers, improving their customer journey and generating exciting new business. 

I use brand archetypes and other marketing psychology concepts when I coach my clients. If you’d like to get more of flavour of my style, take a look at my online course = Marketing Psychology from the Inside Out.

THE SAGE

  • The Sage wants to find the truth and understand the world
  • The Sage uses insights, knowledge and analysis to achieve this
  • Drivers: enlightenment, truth, knowledge and understanding
  • Sage brands: Google, McKinsey, Forbes, You?
  • Colours: Dark blues, greens, grey and burgundy
Are you the Sage? The Sage wants to find the truth by using insights, knowledge and analysis to understand the world
Brand Archetype: The Innocent - Marketing Psychology from the Inside Out

THE INNOCENT

  • The Innocent is idealistic, tend to be socially responsible, ethical and fair
  • They see the best in everything
  • They are people pleasers (see Transactional Analysis)
  • Drivers: Tranquillity, equality, happiness, faith
  • Innocent brands: The Body Shop, Innocent drinks, Greta Thunberg
  • Colours: Green, white, brown

THE EXPLORER

  • The Explorer is bold and independent
  • Explorers are good innovators
  • Explorers crave newness, excitement, challenge and adventures
  • Explorer drivers: A rewarding, fairer world
  • Explorer brands: Elon Musk, easyJet, Richard Branson
  • Explorer colours: Orange, red, green, brown, black
The explorer brand archetype - Is an independent adventurer. Good innovators, they love a challenge, they crave constant excitement and adventure. They are bold. Not scared to be alone
Brand Archetype: The Ruler - Rulers want to be powerful leaders and controllers after world domination Rulers are traditional leaders with less soft skills

THE RULER

  • Rulers want to be powerful leaders and controllers after world domination
  • Rulers are traditional leaders with less soft skills
  • Drivers: Power, success, bringing order to the world
  • Sage brands: Apple, Elon Musk, Microsoft
  • Colours: Black, silver, gold, white, dark blue

THE CAREGIVER

  • Caregivers care. Oodles of compassion and generosity
  • Caregivers are caring. Typically not good in a crisis
  • Caregiver drivers: Prevent danger, help, protect, support and have plenty of soft skills
  • Caregiver brands: Boots, Fisherman’s Friend, The Samaritans
  • Caregiver colours: Blue, silver
Caregivers care! They have oodles of compassion, generosity The challenge for a new business matching this archetype to continue to prioritise caring even when it gets tough financially
Creators love innovation and have an entrepreneurial spirit. 
Non conformers. A corporate environment may feel stuffy

THE CREATOR

  • Creators love innovation and have an entrepreneurial spirit
  • Creators are non-conforming. Not suited to corporate environments
  • Creator drivers: Crave newness, novelty, creating, leaving legacies
  • Creator brands: Lego, Vivienne Westwood, Elon Musk, James Dyson
  • Creator colours: Black, white, silver + anything goes!

THE HERO

  • Heros want to rescue you and the world.
  • Drivers: Won’t rest until the situation is resolved. Strive for fairness. 
  • Hero brands: Emergency services, charities, Superman! Wonder Woman!
  • Colours: Blue, silver, red and yellow
Brand archetypes - the hero - Heroes are ambitious and want to be rescuers for need of admiration (covered in the Transactional Analysis lecture)

THE REBEL

  • The Rebel brand archetype likes rebellion, revenge and revolution!
  • Think danger and extreme sports companies. It’s cool to be extreme!
  • Rebel drivers: Disruptive, rule breaker, change, rebellious, provocative
  • Rebel brands: Habito mortgages, Caterpillar, Redbull, Billabong
  • Colours: Anything – you are a rebel. Break the rules!
Brand arechtypes - The outlaw archetype likes rebellion, revenge and revolution! Think danger and extreme sports companies. 
It’s cool to be extreme!
Brand archetypes: The Magician - The Magician wants to make dreams come true, turn water to wine, to perform alchemy Beauty companies promise to transform old skin to young skin, technology companies transform inefficient to efficient, pharmaceuticals transform sick to health

THE MAGICIAN

  • The Magician wants to make dreams come true, perform alchemy (water to wine)
  • Transform old skin to young skin, sickness to health
  • Drivers: Magic, dreams, transformation, belief
  • Magician brands: Cadburys, L’Oréal, Disney
  • Colours: Purple, gold, burgundy, white, black
Brand Archetype: The Lover - Marketing Psychology from the Inside Out

THE LOVER

  • The lover brand archetype stimulates and arouses the senses
  • The Lover is one of our brand archetypes
  • Drivers: Intimacy, indulgence, romance, pleasure, love, closeness, want to feel attractive
  • Lover brands: M&S Food, Godiva Chocolates, Habito Mortgages
  • Colours: Red, pink, black, gold

THE JESTER

  • The Jester wants to live in the present, is full of joy and enjoys entertaining the world
  • The Jester is the clown and never wants to grow up
  • Drivers: Positivity, joy, fun, happiness, positivity
  • Jester brands: Sara Cox, Graham Norton, KFC
  • Colours: Anything bold goes!
Brand archetypes - the jester = The jester wants to live in the present, is full of joy and enjoys entertaining the world. The jester is the clown and Peter Pan of the group, never wanting to grow up

THE EVERYMAN

  • The Everyman wants to fit in and belong
  • The Everyman is realistic, down to earth and conforms rather than stand out
  • Drivers: Inclusion, connection, community, equality, accessible, FOMO
  • Everyman and woman brands: GAP, Ikea, Tesco, Aldi
  • Colours: Classic colours – navy blue, grey, burgundy
Brand Archetype: The Everyman - Marketing Psychology from the Inside Out

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