Brand Personality
A brand’s meaning and personality ―and how it resonates in the public heart and mind―is a company’s most valuable competitive advantage. Yet, few companies really know how brand meaning works, how to manage it, and how to use brand meaning strategically. A good place to start is by understanding your company’s brand archetypes.
Brand Archetypes
The concept of brand archetypes was first introduced by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychologist, and later expanded upon by Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson in their book “The Hero and the Outlaw.” They identified 12 archetypes that can be used to understand and develop a brand’s personality and messaging.
The 12 brand archetypes are Maverick, Ruler, Sage, Explorer, Ruler, Lover, Alchemist, Creator, Provocateur, Healer, Hero, Muse, and Advocate.
At WaddyFletch, our brand archetypes are:
- Sage: the detective, the mentor, the shaman or the translator.
- Creator: the artist, the entrepreneur, the storyteller or the visionary.
- Hero: the athlete, the liberator, the rescuer or the warrior.
Sage: The Sage archetype is associated with wisdom, knowledge, and insight. Brands that embody the Sage archetype are often seen as wise and intelligent, offering deep understanding and expertise to their customers. Examples of brands that exhibit the Sage archetype include educational institutions, news organizations, and financial advisory firms.
Creator: The Creator archetype is associated with creativity, innovation, and imagination. Brands that embody the Creator archetype often offer unique and original products or services, inspiring customers to express their own creativity. Examples of brands that exhibit the Creator archetype include Apple, LEGO, and Etsy.
Hero: The Hero archetype is associated with strength, courage, and determination. Brands that embody the Hero archetype often have a strong sense of purpose and a commitment to making a positive impact in the world. Examples of brands that exhibit the Hero archetype include Nike, Coca-Cola, and the Red Cross.
Overall, brand archetypes are a useful way to understand and communicate the personality and values of a brand. By embodying one of these archetypes, a brand can create a strong and recognizable identity that resonates with its target audience.
Our Core Desire: The discovery of truth (sage) + proving our worth through difficult action (hero).
Our Goal: To use wisdom to understand the world (sage) + to use mastery to improve the world (hero).
Our Brand Personality
The sage in us seeks the truth by researching information and listening carefully to what our clients have to say. We believe that less is more and we don’t try to impress with fancy words, acronyms or lengthy explanations. We believe that complexity is the enemy of execution. We don’t talk down to people, nor do we dumb down what we say. The hero in us seeks to gain our client’s trust and compels us to focus on doing great work and delivering amazing client experiences.
Tone of Voice
Tone of voice is how a brand communicates and connects with its audience through messaging and customer interactions.
Our tone of voice is:
- Professional, ambitious, clear
- Upbeat, conversational, confident
- Insightful, helpful, playful