Branding Basics
Brand Archetype Cult Of Personality
Whether you’ve thought about it or not, your brand gives off a vibe. It walks, talks and acts in a way that people feel. The question is: are you in control of that perception?
Jungian archetypes are universal human “characters” that show up everywhere—myths, movies, dreams, memes… and yes, marketing.
And get this: there are only 12 options to choose from.
The Caregiver
Help Others
- AKA: Kahu (Hawaiian), Caretaker, Altruist, Supporter, Saint, Helper, Parent
- About: The Caregiver is all about compassion and selfless service, deriving meaning in life through helping others in need.
- Drives: Care for and protect others.
- Your Priority: Make customers feel secure, protected and cared about (often maternalistic/paternalistic).
- Customer’s Priority: Helping those in need, taking care of loved ones.
- Brand Voice: Compassionate/caring, warm, nurturing, reassuring, dedicated, self-sacrificing, generosity.
- Watch out for: Self-martyrdom, egotism, being overbearing, focusing only on the positives, not being able to say “no”.
- Common Industries: Healthcare, churches, charities, non-profits, education, insurance, financial.
- Well-known Examples: The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Campbell’s, Johnson & Johnson
The Sage
Knowledge Is Power
- AKA: Kumu (Hawaiian), Expert, Scholar, Advisor, Researcher, Thinker, Mentor, Teacher
- About: The Sage is wise. This personality is driven to understand the world and to help guide others to feel more informed so that they can make better decisions.
- Drives: Life-long learning, sharing knowledge.
- Your Priority: Dig deeper to uncover the truth, help customers/clients to understand.
- Customer’s Priority: Gather the necessary information to make a good decision.
- Brand Voice: Intelligent, knowledgeable, reflective, guiding, self-assured, expert.
- Watch out for: Appearing pedantic, self-absorbed, self-righteous, arrogant or cold.
- Common Industries: News outlets, museums, schools, universities, consultancies.
- Well-known Examples: The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Campbell’s, Johnson & Johnson
The Magician
Be Amazed
- AKA: Kahuna (Hawaiian), Visionary, Catalyst, Innovator, Charismatic Leader, Mediator, Shaman, Healer, Medicine Man
- About: The Magician is intuitive, insightful, and inspiring, applying fundamental laws (spiritual, supernatural, metaphysical and scientific) to achieve objectives, which are often of a transformational nature. Such transformation might apply to a cleaning company (dirty >> clean), a church (confusion/ignorance >> enlightenment) or a healthcare organization (sickness/pain >> health).
- Drives: Leave a mark on the world.
- Your Priority: Gain mastery of how the world works (technologically, metaphysically, spiritually) and use that knowledge to achieve wonders.
- Customer’s Priority: Gather the necessary information to make a good decision.
- Brand Voice: Ethereal, intuitive, insightful, inspiring, mysterious, fascinating, grandiose, awesome.
- Watch out for: Appearing detached, perception of giving half-truths or withholding vital information. Also beware of making claims that can’t be objectively proven.
- Common Industries: Entertainment, technology, health and beauty, spas.
- Well-known Examples: Disney, TED, Polaroid
The Explorer
Don’t Fence Me In
- AKA: Kaimiloa (Hawaiian), Seeker, Adventurer, Traveller, Wanderer, Pilgrim
- About: The Explorer strives to push beyond the mundane comforts of everyday life. This archetype is at home in the natural environment and doesn’t want to be fenced in.
- Drives: Self-discovery, freedom.
- Your Priority: Escape the confines of modern life.
- Customer’s Priority: Live an interesting and fulfilling life.
- Brand Voice: Adventurous, brave, independent, authentic, curious.
- Watch out for: Failing to challenge your customers.
- Common Industries: Extreme sports, outdoor clothing and equipment, automotive (off-road vehicles).
- Well-known Examples: The North Face, Red Bull, SpaceX
The Creator
Imagine the Possibilities
- AKA: Mea Hana (Hawaiian), Dreamer, Innovator, Inventor, Artist
- About: The Creator values innovation and expressiveness and strives to realize a vision.
- Drives: Build something new/original/exciting/exceptional that will have lasting value.
- Your Priority: Leverage customer’s imagination and desire to create and innovate.
- Customer’s Priority: Find an outlet to express their taste and high-quality standards.
- Brand Voice: Visionary, inspirational, daring, provocative, expressive, original, imaginative, innovative, talented.
- Watch out for: Bland, uninspiring, unimaginative, undifferentiated products or services, cheap or mass-produced “junk”.
- Common Industries: Arts, design, technology.
- Well-known Examples: Apple, Crayola, LEGO
The Hero
Improvise, Adapt and Overcome
- AKA: Koa (Hawaiian), Warrior, Crusader, Rescuer, Dragon Slayer, Superhero
- About: The Hero inspires others to strive toward their ambitions through hard work, determination and skill. The Hero triumphs over evil or adversity, inspiring us all.
- Drives: Leave a mark on the world/make the world a better place.
- Your Priority: Prove your worth, inspire others, save the day.
- Customer’s Priority: Achieve success, gratification, become stronger/better.
- Brand Voice: Honest, brave, courageous, determined.
- Watch out for: Showing weakness, vulnerability, fear, incompetence, incapability.
- Common Industries: Sports, outdoor equipment/clothing, military recruitment, athlete brands.
- Well-known Examples: Nike, US Marine Corps
The Lover
No Man is an Island
- AKA: Mea Pili Aloha (Hawaiian), Friend, Partner, Intimate, Enthusiast, Sensualist, Team-builder
- About: The Lover is intense and passionate but vulnerable. This archetype, both male and female, searches for long-lasting, meaningful, intimate relationships. This encapsulates not just the romantic but familial, friendship, spiritual and all other forms of interpersonal contact.
- Drives: Compassion, friendship, intimacy and sexual pleasures.
- Your Priority: Connect with audiences through the use of sensual language, tone, imagery and color.
- Customer’s Priority: To be desired.
- Brand Voice: Affectionate, compassionate, indulgent, sensual, magnetic.
- Watch out for: Appearing shallow, obsessive or overly dramatic, portraying loss, isolation, loneliness.
- Common Industries: Cosmetics, jewelry, fashion, food.
- Well-known Examples: Chanel, Victoria’s Secret, Godiva
The Rebel
Make Waves
- AKA: Kipi (Hawaiian), Outlaw, Maverick
- About: Always spoiling for a fight, the Rebel is a romantic figure that seeks to disrupt the status quo and break free from the rules and constraints of everyday life. It almost goes without saying that this is a polarizing archetype - you definitely won’t please everyone as the Rebel.
- Drives: Liberation, revenge, revolution, challenge injustice.
- Your Priority: Liberation, revenge, revolution, challenge injustice.
- Customer’s Priority: To buck the system, get attention and maybe change the world.
- Brand Voice: Anger/emotion, confidence, combativeness, boldness.
- Watch out for: Appearing restrained, powerless, trivialized or inconsequential. On the other side, also avoid coming off as too arrogant or reckless.
- Common Industries: Automotive, music bands (rock in particular).
- Well-known Examples: Harley Davidson, MTV, Virgin
The Jester
Let the Good Times Roll
- AKA: Kolohe (Hawaiian), Clown, Trickster, Comedian, Joker, Fool (but in a good way)
- About: The Jester lives in the moment, wants to have fun, live life to the fullest and not take things too seriously. Life’s problems will work themselves out.
- Drives: Fun, happiness, laughter, positivity, curiosity
- Your Priority: Keep it light, positive and humorous.
- Customer’s Priority: Carefree living (letting go of life’s problems).
- Brand Voice: Fun-loving, light-hearted, playful, optimistic, young at heart, charismatic, magnetic, mischievous, clever.
- Watch out for: Negativity, sarcasm, bland, boring or gloomy/sad content or coming off as overly serious or critical.
- Common Industries: Beer brewers, children’s entertainment.
- Well-known Examples: M&M, Old Spice, Geico
The Regular Folks
Salt of the Earth
- AKA: Kama`aina (Hawaiian), Regular Guy/Gal, Everyman/woman, Citizen, Orphan, Common Person, Regular Person, Regular Joe, Realist, Working Stiff, Good Old Boy, Boy/Girl Next Door
- About: The Regular Guy and Girl need to belong. They are friendly and easy to talk to but don’t like to stand out in the crowd or be the center of attention. They tend to be family-focused. Their unassuming, casual nature is charming and relatable to “regular folk”.
- Drives: Connection, togetherness, equality, fellowship, inclusion.
- Your Priority: Stay sincere and affordable, maintain trust with your customers.
- Customer’s Priority: A no-nonsense brand they can trust.
- Brand Voice: Colloquial, relatable, honest, dependable, trustworthy, humble, friendly, inclusive, down to earth, straight shooter, genuine, wholesome, welcoming, inviting, comfortable, unpretentious, laid back.
- Watch out for: Making extravagant claims such as “the best money can buy”, being uninteresting/easy to forget, being shocking, pricing/positioning too high, displays of elitism or cynicism (us-against-them mentality), appearing too corporate, produced or fake.
- Common Industries: Everyday apparel, family automobiles, comfort food.
- Well-known Examples: Budweiser, Wrangler, IKEA
The Ruler
Power Isn’t Everything. It’s The Only Thing.
- AKA: Ali`i (Hawaiian), Leader, Boss, Chief, King or Queen, Power Broker, Politician, Role Model, Manager, Aristocrat
- About: Commanding, authoritative and dominating, The Ruler sits at the top of the food chain. It’s good to be the king but this position comes with the daunting weight of responsibility.
- Drives: Power, control, prosperity, status, success, stability, wealth.
- Your Priority: Demonstrate leadership and superiority in the industry. Re-affirm customer’s sense of power, control and superiority. Respect.
- Customer’s Priority: Maintain influence and status. Nothing but the best will suffice.
- Brand Voice: Commanding, confident, responsible, authoritative, refined, charismatic, articulate.
- Watch out for: Anything that suggests mass appeal, the appearance of corruption or being too intimidating. Don’t be evil.
- Common Industries: Luxury/upscale brands (in general), high-end hotels, luxury cars, formal wear, finance, technology.
- Well-known Examples: Ritz-Carleton, Rolls Royce, Rolex, Versace
The Innocent
Live and Let Live
- AKA: Hala Ole (Hawaiian), Child, Youth, Utopian, Traditionalist, Naive, Mystic, Saint, Romantic, Traditionalist, Dreamer
- About: Idealistic, accepting and compassionate, The Innocent is able to see the beauty within while eschewing the harsh realities of the world.
- Drives: Happiness, freedom, acceptance, safety, goodness, morality, simplicity, honesty, positivity.
- Your Priority: Keep it simple, honest, positive and sincere.
- Customer’s Priority: Be safe and happy.
- Brand Voice: Peaceful, gentle, wholesome/pure/virtuous, sympathy, trusting, hopeful/optimistic, positive, happy, honest, humble.
- Watch out for: Negativity, appearing childish, naive, irrational, weak or conformist, denying real problems. Be simplistic but not simple.
- Common Industries: Beauty products, organic/fresh food, natural products.
- Well-known Examples: Coca-Cola, Dove
Our branding process (typically undertaken as part of a branding or rebranding project) involves research, analysis and refining to determine your brand core, personality, voice and archetype. We will help you decide on the most appropriate archetype to represent your organization and use that as a basis to develop your main messaging. Your brand style guide will include a detailed explanation.
The archetype is just one piece of the branding pie. We take just as much care when developing all the rest of the audio-visual elements that define how customers will perceive your business.
