Brands have strong personalities and identities just like their customers. Interestingly, the same concepts of psychology that help in the classification of human personalities can help to identify the archetype of your brand.
Understand the type of personality you brand exhibits can become easier if you are imaging a movie setup. Movies have several ubiquitous characters including the hero, the outcast, the lover, the wise man, the common boy/girl sidekick and the joker. These characters pop up in books as well. We have seen them way too many times in popular culture.
According to Carl Jung, most of these archetypes are part of our “collective unconscious.” We have the habit of instantly identifying with these personalities whether we come across them in stories, movies or in the popular market. That is the fun part of Jungian archetypes. They are applicable in all walks of life, and market experts have experimented with branding archetypes for decades before perfecting them for today’s market.
Most branding houses charge a fortune to help new businesses find their identity and craft their marketing approach accordingly. Learning about your brand personality will give you an insight into your audience’s personality type. That will help you fine tune your approach and future strategies.
12 Personality Traits That Define Your Brand And Business
1. The Innocent
The innocent brands are the romantics. They dream, and they urge their customers to dream as well. They promise simplicity.
If you identify with this archetype, your customer will likely prefer gimmick-free and straightforward advertising. Designing websites for these customers are relatively simple as well. The imagery needs to be fuss-free and simple, just like the product packaging and adverts.
2. The Hero
These brands usually have a superhero or a warrior image. They are not the rule breakers, but they are the enforcers of social law and justice.
Their main aim is to prove their worth. Therefore, brands like Duracell, FedEx, and Nike that identify with this archetype is often determined, brave and trendsetting. They tend to place themselves above their competition in product quality and customer service.
3. The Everyman
Assuming the archetype of the Everyman can be the most rewarding for any brand, provided they can preserve their uniqueness. Being the regular guy or girl among brands gives you the chance to bond with them at a more personal level.
These brands are dependable and trustworthy. They inspire empathy, reliance, and friendship. Vodafone and Carling are ideal examples of the everyman brands of today.
4. The Caregiver
Brands like Johnson&Johnson, Ford, and SMA have perfected the image of the caregiver cum nurturer. They exude a selfless aura that customers cannot deny. They are compassionate, strong yet benevolent.
These businesses offer protection and support to their customers. The only way for brands to reinforce their Caregiver image is by strengthening their website customer care services, and chat supports to ensure 24/7 care.
5. The Artist
The Artist or Creator steers clear of mediocrity and boredom. These brands are full of sweet surprises. They have unique approaches to marketing. Brands like Apple, Crayola, Canon, and Lego are creative since they explore novel ideas in marketing, advertising, and website design.
The UX of these brand sites is unique and authentic. There is nothing commercial or “sell out” about their online presence.
6. The Explorer
Just like the human wanderer, the brands explore new markets and find hidden treasures in unexpected places. Think of brands like GoPro and Phileas Fogg. Being an explorer requires a strong digital marketing and SEO team, but it also requires indomitable aspiration to become more than just another name.
The customers of such brands are also ambitious, independent and hard to please. Therefore, if you are looking forward to establishing an online presence soon, you need to think of an out-of-the-box website design first.
7. The Rebel
Much like James Dean, these brands do not like to play by the rules. Harley Davidson may just be the pioneer of all rebel brands that identify as free-spirits, iconoclasts, rule-breakers, and trendsetters. They have an undeniable bad boy charm. Their customers are always looking for something different.
Similarly, their website designs are unexpected, unconventional and unique. Pleasing the rebel customer is not easy, and the sites require regular work to stay relevant.
8. The Lover
These brands are compassionate, empathetic, romantic, supportive and nurturing. Take the best qualities of the dreamer, nurturer, explorer and the magician, and you will have the lover.
Victoria’s Secret and Marie Claire are the ideal Lover brands that promise everything the ideal lover in a romantic comedy would. The customers value the appearance of the goods, quality of the services and the overall aesthetics of the brands.
9. The Magician
The visionaries among brands understand their audience and the future trends in the market. They are charismatic, unpredictable, charming and awesome.
Disney and Apple are the leading Magician brands of the day that urge their customers to dream more. Customers need to feel wiser and more privileged than the customers of other competitors.
The sites need to be equally awe-inducing and unique. The worst thing that can happen to a Magician brand is ending up with a website that is too structured, commercial or regulated.
10. The Leader
Quite similar to our Hero, the Leader is confident, fair and responsible. However, there is a touch of authority and control that is not present in a Hero.
American Express, Rolex and Hugo Boss are the leaders in the present market. The online visitors of a leading brand expect a site that is full of potential opportunities and new ideas characteristic of a true king.
11. The Jester
Every story needs comic relief, and that of a brand requires the comedian. The Jester can be Skittles or McVities. These brands capitalize on great humor to win over customers.
The sites need to be more than the pure silliness we see during the adverts and promotions. The websites should be easy, informative but entertaining.
12. The Sage
The Sage provides wisdom, and these brands are reliable, wise, articulate and responsible. They are the new sources of credible information. Nat Geo, BBC, and the Alpha Course are the best examples of the sage archetype. The website design should be able to celebrate curiosity just like the brand.
In most cases, businesses have characters that define more than one archetype. So, if you think that your brand is a blend of a number of these personalities, it is perfectly fine. That just gives you multiple ways to engage with your audience and push further into unknown markets.
Author: Barrack Diego
