Find Your Brand Archetype

OUTLAW

The outlaw is a revolutionary! The outlaw will break the rules without fear to achieve what’s necessary.

You’re consistently coming up with radical new ideas, products and services. This is the remit of the outlaw. Being revolutionary, if you see something that you don’t like in the world, you set out to change it in your own way and on your own terms. You’re very action-orientated and like to be the boss.

Your brand is inspirational and innovative. You’re anything but mainstream and have the desire to stand out. you’re definitely a key player in your field and you fear becoming powerless.

At times, you’re seen as reckless, and tread a fine line between inspiration and negatively shaking things up. However, at the core, you’re free-spirited, brave and very adaptable. Your customers are finding faith ion something new, turning away from the traditional and are drawn to your difference and energy.

Outlaw – Key Characteristics and Values

MAGICIAN

The extent of the magician's knowledge makes them seem supernatural.

You want to understand the universe and your position within it. You want to understand how things work and your fear of negative consequences drives you to achieve positive outcomes.

Your brand makes your customers feel their best. You believe in the importance of the individual and are intent on flattering your customers. You’ll also encourage them to trust their own instincts, and your brand is known as the way to open up transformative experiences. You’re not all about the mystical though - far from it. You might also be known as a healer, or a visionary.

Sometimes, you’re seen as manipulative and dishonest, but your positives are your drive, charisma and desire to heal and make good.

Magician – Key Characteristics and Values

Selfless and brave, Heroes are intent on defending the underdog and stand up to the bad guys.

Being the Hero comes with a strong motivation to prove your worth. You’re not one for showing weakness and you fear failure. You have a strong desire to leave your mark on the world and your industry, and you’re willing to make sacrifices to ensure that this happens. One of your greatest fears is a competitor being seen as superior to you - you’ll avoid this at all costs.

Your brand is superior to your competitors and the best in quality. You may use strong colours and bold and powerful imagery to get your point across. There are times when you might comes across as arrogant and aggressive, but mostly you display great skill and are very determined to get the job done.

Hero – Key Characteristics and Values

SAGE

The sage values knowledge and can never know too much - the truth can set you free.

If you’re the sage, you place a high value on learning and knowledge, and won’t be phased by the most challenging of ordeals. You seek the truth, looking for the wisdom in every situation and thriving on solving problems and finding answers to the most challenging of questions.

Your brand may use symbolic imagery and sophisticated vocabulary. It represents intelligence, teaching and learning in equal measure. If you’re looking to find a brand comparison, Google is probably the ultimate modern Sage.

You might sometimes be considered cold and self-absorbed, but your true purpose is to use your intelligence to promote open-mindedness and an understanding of the wider world.

Sage – Key Characteristics and Values

INNOCENT

The brand archetype that sees the good in everything and everyone. They bring happiness to everything they do.

Your overriding desire is to do the right thing. Freedom and happiness are the name of the game, and you’re brimming with enthusiasm and optimism. You value the simple things in life and trust is important to you - you don’t like double meanings or hidden agenda’s. Your brand is a trusted one.

The thought of doing something wrong and being reprimanded is something you fear. But at the same time, your eternal optimism allows you to navigate and overcome barriers that would stop others from progressing. Your faith in everything is a motivator to those around you, because you believe that everything will work out fine in the end. Your brand represents good, clean fun and is often associated with health, wellbeing and cleanliness.

Innocent – Key Characteristics and Values

EXPLORER

The explorer’s curiosity makes them want to travel the world and experience everything it has to offer.

Your business is adventurous and eager to discover the world. You’re on trend, and up to date with the latest developments, fads and happenings in your marketplace. You’re independent, self-sufficient and full of ambition

At worst, your archetype can be considered restless, flaky and aimless. But in truth you have a spiritual side which makes you want to help others use their initiative to grow and develop. You want to promote enlightenment, and your products and services promote excitement, individuality and fresh experiences.

Explorer – Key Characteristics and Values

LOVER

The Lover is bursting with idealism. They epitomise the idea of true love and sensual pleasure.

When it comes to your brand, you’re all about creating relationships and evoking emotions. You want to make people feel special, blissful and connected spiritually - it’s a wonderfully intimate approach. After all, no person is an island. Your ultimate aim is to bring people together and for them to feel a sense of love.

Your brand stands for pleasure. Enticing the senses and beautiful to look at, it celebrates being human and all of the joyful experiences that go with it. As the Lover, you may sometimes be seen as shallow, obsessive and eager to please. However, whilst your overriding qualities are being committed, charismatic and magnetic.

Lover – Key Characteristics and Values

JESTER

The ultimate hedonist; life is fun so let’s enjoy every moment.

If you’re the Jester, your brand excels at teasing your audience and exciting them in clever ways. Your brand may use funny and elaborate imagery, and you and your team enjoy having lots of fun whilst brainstorming ideas for how to make your customers tick.

Boredom is simply not an option. As a Jester brand archetype, you’re all about living for and in the moment. People see you as spontaneous and impulsive, and not hemmed in by constraints. You encourage those around you to connect with their inner child and to value fun and play. You stand out and are comfortable with who you are, and this is an attractive quality for your brand.

You would hate to be seen as dull and boring, or in any way strict. At your worst, you risk being labelled as irresponsible or even cruel, but your positive traits are being different from everyone else out there and fresh and carefree.

Jester – Key Characteristics and Values

The regular person, man or woman. Someone everyone can relate to and get along with - that’s the everyman.

If you’re the everyman, then you and your consumer are on exactly the same level. You don’t think of your customers or client base as beneath you, you’re all equal and in the same boat. You identify with your customers and are completely without pretension in your approach to business. You get the job done, and you do it well.

Your brand is one that can be trusted and depended on. You stand for quality and your customers like that you’re a familiar and safe thing to invest in. Brands with this archetype don’t like to be alone, so your brand is likely to ‘fit in’ and not do anything too outrageous. You’re not one for standing out, you’re all about the collective.

Your brand embodies simple values, the common good and wholesome virtues. Your brand is rooted in every day life thats real, and so thing that your customers identify with completely.

Everyman – Key Characteristics and Values

RULER

A brand that wants to “Rule them all” will have a narrative that demonstrates why they’re the leader of the industry.

If you’re the Ruler, then your company narrative makes your position as industry leader very clear. As the leader of the pack, you’re driven by control and your ultimate aim is to be a power player. You’re brand is authoritative, and you’re not afraid to say that you’re the best at what you do.

Think of being President or CEO - that’s the mindset of the Ruler. Associated with wealth and success, to the rest of the world, you’re polished, solid and quite simply the top dog. Your strong point is bringing order to everything that you do, even if you’re presented with chaos and instability.

Be mindful and not dominate or intimidate those around you. You should avoid being seen as too political or hierarchical. Always ensure that you use your power and a force for good and creating positive outcomes for all.

Ruler – Key Characteristics and Values

CAREGIVER

The parent of the brand archetypes - the mother. The Caregiver wants to protect and care for others.

Driven by a need to care for others, the Caregiver archetype has a need to provide protection. Your brand offers support and safety to your customers and you take pride in nurturing them. You would hate for your brand to be seen as a means of exploitation or as harmful, and you’ll find that you share this archetype with businesses in the public sector, healthcare and education. Baby and healthcare brands also tend to fall into the camp of the Caregiver.

Your customer is your top priority. You want to enable them to take care of themselves and you’ll do what you can to help them to do this.

Caregiver – Key Characteristics and Values

CREATOR

Non-conformist, idealist and builder. The Creator’s main aim is to us the tools they have at their disposal to build a world that’s better for everyone.

If you’re the Creator brand archetype, then you’re trying to create something truly special and filled with meaning. You specialise in authenticity and you want to make things actually happen rather than just talking about it.

Your brand has vision and you love to come up with new ideas and concepts. You like to bring something new to the table, things that haven’t existed previously or been seen before. Many of the technology and design brands are this archetype and you can see why.

Mediocrity is not for you, your brand is too imaginative for that. You thrive on the exciting and the new - your brand is a perfectionist. Sometimes, your need for perfection can lead to you being seen as melodramatic and self-indulgent. But you make up for that in imagination and innovation.

Creator – Key Characteristics and Values