Which archetype are you? Are you an innocent, creative or magician?

Using archetypes is a useful approach to defining a brand and expressing its personality. It allows one to develop a symbolic representation that will guide its strategy as well as the stakeholders’ perception of it. It will also make it easier to understand the characteristics that define it and guide its statements and actions.

From Carl to you

First used in analytical psychology – studied and developed by the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung – archetypes are now being used in branding. The central idea is that we share a collective unconscious, and that we refer to the same representations that structure our cultures. Inhabiting myths and dreams, archetypes are symbolic expressions that bind symbol to emotion; they embody the experiences that shape the course of our life.

In branding terms, they offer a holistic complement to analytical work based on factual marketing data. While the analytical approach focuses on specific points – even details – a broader view allows for a broader perception and a more intuitive understanding of the brand because humans think in a sensitive and graphic way first. Archetypes are therefore good vehicles of adhesion.

From 12 to 60 archetypes

In a branding approach, and depending on the degree of precision one wishes to achieve, it is possible to identify up to sixty archetypes. However, most specialised agencies rely on twelve archetypes. This is also the case for us, although sometimes it is necessary to extend this choice.

Each archetype has not only personality traits and qualities, but also sectors of activity, audiences and their expectations. Similarly, each of them may reveal darker sides, potential risks in terms of attitude. For example, the lover should be careful not to lose themselves in trying to please too much, or the ruler who controls and exercises power should be wary of any authoritarian aspirations.

Queen of England or Robin Hood?

You are the manager of a bank and you gather all your staff and say: “We are the Queen of England of banks! Everyone’s daily behavior and customer relations would be very different if you told them, “We are the Robin Hoods of banking!

So, quite simply, choosing a particular archetype to represent a brand can influence attitudes and ways of acting, define and illustrate certain strategic orientations.

Some advice…

Every archetype has its shadow side that expresses the extreme (and therefore inappropriate) behaviors that would lead the brand to lose or disown itself.

A common mistake is to choose an archetype based on what the brand does rather than what the brand is.
There are several factors to consider when choosing an archetype:

  • The real qualities and capabilities of the brand (what can be effectively delivered);

  • Objective knowledge of its strengths and weaknesses in order to remain reliable

  • The brand’s ambitions;

  • The receptivity of the target audiences;

  • The competitive environment.

The most important challenge is to translate – to make tangible – the chosen archetype and what characterizes it, across all points and throughout all stages of the customer’s experience.