Everyone has a personality that makes us unique and that allows us to be recognized thanks to the attributes that identify us. Think, for example, of your best friend: you are so close to that person because his fun or relaxed personality identifies you and thanks to this you decided to get close to him.
The same happens with brands: each one has personality attributes that help us to get close to them, either because we feel identified or because it is something to which we aspire to reach. For example, think for a moment about Zara, one of the most recognized clothing brands in the world.
What attributes can you associate to this brand? it is sophisticated, avant-garde, modern, aspirational, among other characteristics that identify it in society. These attributes are not born from the opinion of the people themselves, they are born from how the marketing strategy of Zara is designed to make us believe that it is a sophisticated and modern brand. The identity of a brand is a fundamental aspect to communicate with the audience and deliver accurate messages.
Thanks to an established brand identity, it is much easier to position yourself within an industry and gain the trust of the audience. But, how to develop this identity? A fundamental step is to define the brand archetype, since in this way it is established what will be the communication tone that will be used and transmitted with the brand.
What is a brand archetype?
The word archetype has its origin in the Greek words “arche” (origin or principle) and “type” (standard), which is why etymologically it means the original standard, that is, a base model that allows to group people, objects and concepts within certain groups.
The renowned psychoanalyst Carl Jung proposed a theory called the 12 brand archetypes, and these represent the basic values, premises and beliefs of the human being. These archetypes are part of the collective unconscious and are designed to classify the way people think and act, or in this case, brands.
The 12 brand archetypes of Carl Jung
As I explained previously, there are 12 brand archetypes, designed to classify a business according to what it wishes to transmit to the world and the human attributes by which it is going to establish its brand identity. Let me explain what each of these consist of:
- The innocent: This archetype represents purity, honesty and naivety. By incorporating it into a personal brand strategy the aim is to transmit honesty and trust, therefore it is essential to interact clearly, looking to inspire and motivate the audience through solid relationships and empathy.
- The regular guy: if you are looking to position your brand through authenticity and how the audience identifies, this is your archetype. It represents ordinary people in society through humility and closeness. It is important to seek that the audience has a sense of belonging to the brand.
- The explorer: It represents the search for freedom, adventure and discovery. It is very effective for a personal brand that seeks to be bold and courageous in taking risks and facing new opportunities. It promotes an independent lifestyle in which you seek your own path.
- The hero: This archetype represents the desire to improve and great feats, it is widely used in personal brand strategies by leaders who seek positive change through effective decisions. It is a source of inspiration for other people.
- The magician: It represents a transforming brand full of original ideas. It is very effective in innovative brands whose solutions are at the forefront. It has persuasive and empowering communication.
- The lover: The ideal archetype for brands that value beauty and aesthetics, thanks to its messages focused on pleasure, emotionality and passion it is effective to generate feelings in the audience.
- The jester: It represents joy, fun and humor. It is used by brands whose objective is to entertain and reflect through humor. Generates a positive impact on the audience.
- The caregiver: Using this archetype in a personal brand strategy transmits a sense of security to the audience, since it focuses on the well-being and care of people through solutions and advice designed for them.
- The ruler: It represents power, exercised in a responsible and effective way. By using it, it can be transmitted that a brand is a benchmark in the industry thanks to the knowledge and experience that is demonstrated.
- The creator: This archetype stands out for its unique and original ideas, which is why it is effective in those disruptive brands that find a new way of doing things and break paradigms through their unique approaches.
- The outlaw: Also known as the Rebel, this archetype represents autonomy and breaking the established norms. It is ideal for a strategy that seeks to show authenticity and generate positive changes in society.
- The sage: This archetype is ideal for those brands experts in a subject, as it allows them to demonstrate credibility through value content that allows the audience to find practical and reliable solutions.
Benefits of having a brand archetype
In a world with a market as wide as the current one, it is necessary to make use of all the available tools to execute an effective digital marketing strategy. By having a defined brand archetype it is possible to establish a brand personality that will allow to emotionally connect with the audience, as well as being a differential characteristic against the competition. But, what other advantages do archetypes have?
- Defining the brand personality: Thanks to the archetypes it is possible to represent the brand personality through attributes and characteristics that clearly establish who the brand is and what it represents.
- Creating an emotional connection: The most effective way to have a good positioning is by connecting with the emotions of the audience, thanks to this, trust and loyalty towards the brand is generated.
- Differentiating from the competition: By giving a personality to your brand, it is possible to use its distinctive features and approach to stand out from the competition.
- Telling coherent stories: By having a defined archetype the values and messages of the brand can be transmitted effectively, since there is a narrative framework that allows to establish content parameters.
Now that you know the brand archetypes it is time to sit down and understand each one and define which one identifies your personal brand. It is important to clarify that, although you can feel identified with several archetypes, it is necessary to define only one as a central axis of your brand personality, as in this way you will be able to establish your position under your particular way of interacting with your audience.
