Psychology Meets Business: Using Archetypes in Branding
I’ve been reading The Hero and The Outlaw (slowly but surely) and while I’m not an expert on archetypes yet, I wanted to share as I learn. A grown-up book report, if you will. I stumbled upon the concept of brand archetypes during my short stint on TikTok. I’m a sucker for a personality quiz and all things psychology; it’s part of the reason I’m drawn to branding in the first place. And the book has not disappointed thus far!
So, some background on archetypes. What does that word even mean? An archetype is a pattern of thoughts, desires, actions, or needs. For the purpose of branding, I’ll be using Carl Jung’s system of archetypes. There are 12 of them but we’ll get into that later.
Nerd note: Something I found really interesting in The Hero and The Outlaw thus far, was how they draw a parallel between the archetype system, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and Erickson’s Developmental Challenges/Virtues. I haven’t studied these since college but they stuck with me a bit. I have a feeling I’ll draw more parallels in how they relate to personality systems like the Enneagram, Myers Briggs, the DISC, the Predictive Index, and maybe even horoscopes.
Anyways, the archetypes operate on this continuum of belonging vs. independence and stability vs. mastery. Those 4 parts of the continuum are essential human desires. And the archetypes are all balanced around the continuum. Personally, I believe that each individual contains the capacity for all 12 of the archetypes to be activated, but they’re activated at different points in our lives and some are expressed more strongly than others. That’s where brands come in. When someone is expressing a certain archetype, they have the opportunity to align with a brand who presents that archetype.
As an example, let’s look at a good ‘ole mid-life crisis. Perhaps, it happens because someone who has spent a great deal of time making decisions that promote a sense of belonging and stability now feels off-balance. They feel an intense pull to make some decisions that promote mastery (which involves risk-taking) and independence. So the opportunity presents itself for a brand who aligns with independence to be used. Classic example: a sports car. It serves as a symbol of freedom and independence.
How do the archetypes relate to branding?
Here’s where I was really sold on the book: they explain that the archetypes are a way to assign meaning to your true brand values. Authentic branding wins again! When you identify who you are as a brand and make decisions accordingly, you have a stronger presence and meaning in the eyes of the people you work with. Again, this isn’t made up meaning; it’s true, authentic meaning. Using archetypes is just another way of categorizing brand voices and personalities, rooted in and influenced by the way you relate to your customers.
So what are the archetypes?
Here’s your basic list of Carl Jung’s Archetypes and which extreme of the continuum they gravitate towards.
stability
The Creator
The Caregiver
The Ruler
Belonging
The Jester
The Regular Guy/Gal/Person
The Lover
Mastery
The Hero
The Outlaw
The Magician
Independence
The Innocent
The Explorer
The Sage
That’s all for now! Next, I’ll be exploring each of the archetypes individual. Keep an eye out on Instagram updates or subscribe below!
