Archetypes 201

Leveraging archetypes is a common component in brand strategy and identity development. The 101-level focus is usually on articulating the personality that differentiates the brand in the market. But its also very important to identify the archetype mix of the ideal customer — and its not always a mirror of the brand identity.

Brands essentially have relationships with their customers or audience. And like any other relationship, to be satisfying both parties need to get to know and care about the other party.

So, after articulating the archetype mix of the brand itself, its only logical to identify the archetypal mix of the ideal audience as well. Sometimes, we even start with articulating the audience’s archetype mix first and auditing the existing brand against that.

The days of a product successfully marketing to “everyone” are long gone. - we are now a bunch of demographic islands with overlapping preferences. We don’t buy things anymore based solely on the features they offer and the price. We want more from our purchases, be it goods, services or experiences. Behavioral economics have made it clear that humans make most decisions from an emotional standpoint, even if we think we’re being logical. What we purchase say something about us, and we are increasingly aware of that. Brand identity isn’t just about the company behind the product — it’s increasingly about how the brand makes the purchaser feel about themselves.

Having an accurate and authentic read on a product’s key audience is critical for the bottom line. Building a long-term, trust-based relationship with customers takes ongoing efforts by the brand team, including refining and correcting as dynamics change.