Generic writing wisdom tells us to write to the "1 person" - your ideal customer. To get into their heads and understand what attracts them- and what would attract them to you.
But your Target audiences are diverse - not single-topic thinkers and
Brand perception is driven by more than just a rational and logical reaction, most of our connection to a brand is driven by our emotions.
The biggest marketing challenge when crafting your message is to reach their diverse core. Of course you can always ask your customers - but what if you're just starting out, finding who your ideal clients are.
Brand archetypes are a relatively recent tool to position your brand and marketing.
Archetypes have existed in narrative art forms for thousands of years. It is fundamentally a stereotypical character derived from human experience. The Psychologist Carl Jung, defined archetypes as "universal symbols and images that derive from the unconscious mind."
Archetypes have been used in storytelling to create a sense of familiarity between the audience and a character. Jung developed a set of common personality archetypes Self, Anima, Animus, Shadow, Persona, Father, Mother, Child, Wise Old, Hero, Trickster and Maiden, which was later applied to brand management by Mark and Pearson (2001)
It is this emotional attachment that makes you gravitate towards some brands more than others, making Brand Archetypes an important marketing and communication tool.
Brand archetypes provide a framework to help you create your business identity, tone and voice, and help your target audience perceive your brand as relatable to their values and personality. Once you have determined your archetype you can translate it into your brand personality and write content that naturally speaks to them.
The 12 Brand Archetypes - how you can tap into their fears and values to create your copy strategy
1. The Caregiver Driven by the desire to protect, care, nurture and help others Common Villain: Helplessness, Selfishness, Ingratitude, Instability, Neglect Your Copy Strategy: Talk about your values and mission
2. The Creator Driven by the desire to innovate and create something valuable and long-lasting. Common Villain: Stagnation, Indifference, Complacency Your Copy Strategy: Share your creations. Encourage your customers to embrace their creativity and express their individuality. Focus on Originality, individualism, imagination, and uniqueness.
3. The Everyman Driven by a core desire for community and belonging. They are relatable and approachable Common Villain: Exclusion, Standing out, Separation Your Copy Strategy: Focus on your Down-to-earth, Dependable, Realistic, and Inclusive side
4. The Explorer Driven by the desire for freedom and independence. They are Adventurous, daring, and brave. Common Villain: Aimlessness, Conformity, Safety, Confinement Your Copy Strategy: Encourage your customers to seek new experiences, push their limits, and explore the unknown. Challenge them to take action. Show the transformation and freedom
5. The Hero Driven by a strong sense to make a difference and seeks to overcome injustices and problems. Brave, determined, strong, and bold. Common Villain: Weakness, Incapability, Injustice, Cowardice, Incompetence Your Copy Strategy: Use words that Empower, Motivate and encourage your audience to overcome their obstacles
6. The Rebel Seeks to disrupt their industry and challenge the status quo. They take risks and see themselves as free thinkers. They are not trying to appeal to everyone
Common Villain: Conformity, Repetition, Rigidity
Your Copy Strategy: Help your audience break the Rules
7. The Sage
Are life-long learners and thought leaders and seekers of knowledge and wisdom. They empower others to pursue valuable information and share it.
Common Villain: Lies, Misinformation, Ignorance, Inaccuracy
Your Copy Strategy: Educate and Inform your audience. Use your expertise to influence others to gain wisdom and provide teachable moments
8. The Innocent
Brands with an Innocent archetype are positive and optimistic and have a core desire to provide happiness. They rely on honesty and promote good values and simplicity.
Common Villain: Confusion, Deceit, Unfairness, and Injustice Your Copy Strategy: Promote your virtues and community and global spirit. Embrace wellness and honesty. Be transparent with your failures and success.
9. The Jester
Their main goal is to make people laugh. They bring light-heartedness and playfulness Common Villain: Boredom, Negativity, Seriousness, bland
Your Copy Strategy: Enjoy life and have fun. Be playful and send messages of Positivity
10. The Magician
is often Idealistic and desires to take their audience on a mystical journey and provide them with magical moments that stick in their memory. Common Villain: Repetition, Boring Daily routines
Your Copy Strategy: Turn your customers dreams into reality. Create memorable moments. Create a unique vision with a clear transformation pathway
11. The Ruler
Has a dominant personality. They adhere to rules, and expect others to follow. They are confident and proud of their expertise and leadership skills. They are seen as stable and reliable.
Your Copy Strategy: Create exclusivity and showcase your expertise and history Common Villain: Lose of power, breaking rule, being seen as ordinary
12. The Lover
Motivated by desire and passion. Brands are often sensual, emotionally, and physically appealing to their audience. They desire to have connection Common Villain: Rejection, Loneliness, Unloved, Invisible Your Copy Strategy: Be desirable and welcoming - Create a community.
Brand archetypes play a role in influencing your customers' behaviour on a subconscious level and help you determine the human character traits that most accurately reflect your brand and relate to your buyers. By understanding your customers' traits you can create a content strategy that connects with your customers' shared values, as well as target their common villain.
To ensure your message meets the right audience start to Layer multiple archetypes to maintain customers’ attention
Some of the best brands layer their archetypes together revealing them across the customer journey.
Each additional layer can be used on different platforms such as a Hero on your website to help them identify their problem, a Jester on your Ads to get their attention, and a Caregiver in your internal newsletters to build a community.
You need to be careful to be clear on what story to tell and at which point of the customer journey.
By catering to different customer needs across the customer journey you will hold their attention for longer, develop the ability to cross-sell, communicate your business and social responsibility and ultimately win customers’ business and loyalty.
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