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September 28, 2023
Last week we delved into how and why a clear brand personality serves as a guide for content creators, but understanding how to develop and use one can feel nebulous.
To create a brand personality, you need to not only have an understanding of your company’s culture and purpose but to have it resonate with your audience—it needs to come alive.
Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, introduced the concept of archetypes, which are universally recognized symbols, characters, or themes that represent a concept, story, or idea. He believed that archetypes shape our thoughts, behaviors, and dreams, so exploring them can help us better understand the motivations of the human mind.
Brand scientists and marketers use Carl Jung’s archetypes to form connections about human behaviors in order to build a framework for creating a personality. By aligning with a specific archetype, creating content is easier and more effective because it taps into the archetype’s universal characteristics.
Nike has a storied history of using heroic themes in its branding and advertising. Their iconic “Just Do It” slogan, for instance, encourages individuals to overcome obstacles, challenge their limits, and achieve greatness—all of which are characteristics associated with the Hero archetype.
Try this: Examine the stories you tell through your brand. Do they follow classic narrative structures, like the hero’s journey or the caregiver’s nurturing embrace? This can provide clues about your archetype.
“A great brand is a story that’s never completely told. A brand is a metaphorical story that connects with something very deep — a fundamental appreciation of mythology.” – Scott Bedbury
The 12 Brand Archetypes:
