Everyone knows about archetypes to some extent. Everyone also knows that archetypes can play a big role in marketing. Maybe you are already working on this. We are every day and we know from experience that this topic is far from being an issue for all brands and companies. A missed opportunity? Yes indeed. That's why we would love to get in touch with you to spar about it. And do you need a strategic brand session? You can count on us to discuss all the ins and outs and show you why archetypes can take your brand identity and positioning to a higher level. Curious? Then read on.

Your brand is always there for someone

You sell products or provide services with your brand. You don't do that lightly. You have a purpose, a mission, a vision, a promise ... you name it. You do what you do for a purpose. This also means you're doing it for someone. Whether you've thought about it in great detail or you do it by feel: you have an ideal customer.

But who is this "ideal customer"?

Now it immediately gets interesting. After all, who is this ideal customer? We often find the answer to this question fascinating. We know from experience that many brands/companies do not really know who this customer is and why this customer is so ideal. He/she eagerly accepts your products or services. Is that all you need to know? We think not. Because even if you instinctively reach the right customer and everything runs smoothly, there is no real brand strategy.

Now what if the market makes a move and success suddenly doesn't come naturally? Who should you focus on then? Where is your dream customer? Where is it and how should you serve it? When you have a clear picture of your archetypes and when you know who to serve, you also know how to do it.

At least as relevant, of course, is the situation where you have no idea at all about the different archetypes and how to use them to optimize your branding and marketing.

Why archetypes are interesting for you too

The elaboration of archetypes is conceived and elaborated by Carl Gustav Jung. In his model, there are 12 different brand archetypes, which you can think of as customers you can optimally respond to. The archetypes were later adapted by Carol S. Pearson for use in branding.

Everyone wants a strong brand position for their brand. It is well known that with respect to tone of voice, many brands are based on one or more archetypes, a primal character. This archetype or a combination of archetypes describes the brand's unique tone of voice.

Now you're probably thinking, "But friends of Fitbrand, you can't put every customer into one of the 12 categories, can you?" So you can. Of course, an archetype is not beatific and does not tell you everything about the customer. From a brand perspective, however, it does tell you everything you need to know. The unique thing about archetypes is that they combine several characteristics and traits so you will recognize every customer in one of them. Skeptical? That's just fine.

The twelve archetypes have a deeper psychological background. People can be classified into these categories because each one is recognizable. For example, almost every character in a movie or series has emerged from an archetype. Because of the psychology behind it, this classification is also applicable to "real" everyday people, including your clients.

Let's look at your archetype customer

Even if you are not consciously engaging with archetypes, chances are you are unconsciously doing so anyway. Think about any time a strategic session was held in your organization (hopefully they took place!): what was it about then? Surely the bottom line is always that you want your brand to connect with the right customer. So: you have to offer this customer what he/she is looking for. For that you need to know the customer, and (unconsciously) you are already using archetypes here. You just don't hang this term on it yet.

Because isn't your customer this-and-so? And doesn't your customer like this-and-that? Doesn't he live here-and-there? In those moments, you are working with personas, and personas actually come from archetypes: they are a finer elaboration of this.

So: basically, you know what your archetype customer is, just maybe you haven't thought about it in those terms yet. Then it's good to start doing that now, because this will give you valuable insights and help you fine-tune your brand identity, brand positioning and marketing.

Because who ís your archetypal customer? Is it the ruler? The rebel? The innocent one? Or the creator?

The importance of responding to the right archetype in the right way

Knowing archetypes means getting a better understanding of what your customer wants and how you can best approach them. Of course, you can't lump all your customers together, but you will find that certain universal truths will surface that will help you make the right decisions and prevent you from making the wrong choices.

Let us consider two of these aforementioned archetypes. The rebel and the innocent. Carl Gustav Jung says of the rebel (outlaw), "The rebel is self-willed, driven, full of self conviction, assertive and confrontational. Because of this independence, somewhat detached. Is often emphatic with clear points of view. Understands the world according to universal beliefs and principles. Acts to change. The Outlaw's behavior is daring and unfettered."

Consider a brand that serves this archetype. We cited Harley-Davidson as an example in another blog. You only have to think of such a motorcycle or one of their advertisements to see the full connection to this archetype and the resulting personas. This is already an immediate example of how archetypes give you a foothold: you know where to focus and where not to focus.

Now let's look at the innocent (innocent). "The innocent strives in the ultimate for goodness, justice and, naively, seeks paradise on earth. Is subdued, diplomatic, introspective and ideologically thinking and dreaming. Wary of only partially admitting the big bad and imperfect outside world. The Innocent has high quality and honest brand content.

Now pick up Harley-Davidson again. While it may well be the case that an archetypal innocent will swoon at the sight of a Harley, it is mildly safe to assume that this is not the type of customer a brand like Harley-Davidson is targeting.

So what does this mean specifically for your brand?

Your brand identity and communications are connected to the archetype for which you exist. Imagine if Harley-Davidson were to focus their brand identity and marketing strategy on the innocent. So how do you sell a muddy, gaudy (in the positive sense of the word), noisy motorcycle that can be seen as a rugged statement on wheels? Exactly: that doesn't fit this archetype at all. A brand like Harley knows that better than anyone else. By staying true to the natural archetypes, the identity, positioning, branding and marketing are clear.

The key takeaways

So knowing your archetype is key, but just as important is knowing which archetypes have absolutely no connection to your brand. This can save you from making the wrong decisions. There are examples of mismatches between brands and archetypes.

Take a brand like Skechers, which in the past tried to achieve the "explorer" archetype. But, what are Skechers' core values now? The shoes offer comfort and convenience. They help you get through the day and keep you doing what you need to do. That's the promise. A promise that fits much better with the "caregiver" archetype, for example. It is no secret that this brand is popular in the U.S. among - to put it very simply - soccer moms. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, because that is a clear and very nice target group.

Recognize and embrace your archetype(s) and align your brand with them. We bet you'll gain a lot from this and we'd love to show you in a strategy session.

Ready to make an appointment?

Are you just starting out or does your company or brand need an update? Would you like to discuss which archetype suits your company, which archetype your target group belongs to and how you can best approach all this?

Our team looks forward to meeting with you, identifying your needs and translating this into a great brand strategy. Make an appointment here right away. See you soon!

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