Using major brands like Dove, Virgin, Apple and Davines as an example, in this blog post we dive into Brand Archetypes and how they can help brands to connect and attract more customers.
Familiarity helps us to decide if things are safe or not. You may have heard of the 'know, like, trust' factor that most brands need to build in order to make sales – becoming familiar is how to increase know, like, trust – but how can a brand become familiar?
It comes down to showing up consistently with the same personality that your audience can connect with and grow to know, like and trust.
How do we build a Brand Personality?
Also known as a Brand Persona, a brand's personality can be crafted to connect with it's audience on a deeper level, depending on what the audience's desires are. The Brand Persona will then dictate tone of voice, messaging and the appearance of your brand.
“Archetypes are the heartbeat of a brand because they convey a meaning that makes customers relate to a product as if it were actually alive in some way, they have a relationship with it and care about it” Margaret Mark & Carol S. Pearson
To create a brand persona we use an archetype framework, created by a psychologist called Carl Jung.
His theory was that archetypes are subconscious characters present in all of us which influence behaviour and personality.
An archetype is a type of genre, based upon symbolism. The idea behind using brand archetypes is to anchor the brand against an icon already embedded within our subconscious. Aligning with a brand archetype makes brands easier to identify and connect with.
Jung’s archetype framework defined 12 characters that encompass different characteristics and desires like in the table below.
How to identify your Brand's Archetype
To define your brand archetype you must define the role your brand plays in your audience’s life.
Understanding your audience archetype is important, but it’s not as straight forward as matching like for like when choosing an archetype to resonate with them.
You need to tap into what your audience desires and their frame of mind when searching for the solution you offer, in order to position your brand to resonate and assist.
Aspirations are key to understanding what the bigger picture is for your audience. When you can define their aspirations and what they want to achieve, you can align your brand personality and communications to show those aspirations are achievable with your brand.
This will help to resonate on a deeper, more emotional level with your audience and help to influence the buying decision.
The Archetypal Mix Formula – The Core and The Influencer
To further increase resonance we use an archetypal mix formula to create a brand persona.
Brand Archetypes can be a percentage split of 2 types, which adds another dimension and depth to the persona.
Your brand's core archetype is 70% of the persona and the secondary ‘influencer’ archetype makes up 30%.
Defining the archetypal mix will help to bring your brand to life and connect with more of your audiences desires.
For example, beauty brand Dove has values which are about celebrating beauty inside and out. They communicate that mental health and feeling beautiful goes hand in hand, and with a focus on such a delicate subject as women’s mental health, they know they need to position their core archetype as the ‘Innocent’, whose role is honesty and purity.
To compliment this and to reach more of their audience's needs and desires they also use a percentage of the 'Everyone' archetype, which communicates a sense of down to earth, supportiveness and connection.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding brand archetypes and brand personas is essential for creating a meaningful and resonant brand identity. By aligning a brand with a specific archetype businesses can tap into deep-seated emotions and values that resonate with their target audience.
This alignment helps in crafting marketing messages and brand experiences that are not only consistent but also deeply engaging. Brand personas further refine this strategy by humanising the brand, making it relatable through a detailed and personified character representation. Together, brand archetypes and personas serve as powerful tools in building a strong, memorable brand that effectively communicates its unique value and connects emotionally with consumers.
About the Author
Gemma is a branding specialist and graphic designer at Emotion Brands and enjoys working across strategy and design. During her 20 year career she has worked with global brands, such as Davines, Secret Escapes, Wella Professionals and L'Oréal. She's constantly evolving her skills and enjoys taking a holistic approach to branding, with a particular interest in consumer psychology, sustainability and eco print practices.
To work with Gemma at Emotion Brands, Bournemouth Branding Agency get in touch.