We introduced archetypes in An Intro to Brand Archetypes, listing the twelve fundamental archetype families and their extension archetypes, for a total of sixty archetypes. Red Chalk Studios uses all sixty to help businesses discover their brand archetypes. And yes, we said archetypes, plural.
Why should businesses use brand archetypes?
Harnessing the power of archetypes could be the ONE THING that sets you apart from your competitors, helping attract and retain your ideal customer. And that’s how you build your business.
Understanding who you are as a brand — and better yet, who you have the opportunity to be as a brand — along with understanding your audience and how your brand aligns with them is critical.
Can brands have more than one archetype?
We say yes! In our experience helping clients identify their brand personality, it’s been evident, and even more advantageous, to identify two or three archetypes that can help businesses create a more well-rounded, powerful brand.
Why more than one archetype? Just like with people, businesses and brands tend to be multi-dimensional. Archetypes have their strengths AND they all have challenges. This is where supporting archetypes can fill in to overcome those challenges. We’ll explore this concept in more detail in subsequent articles.
So now, let’s dive into why your business should use brand archetypes…
1. When you know your brand archetypes, you can make stronger connections.
Knowing your brand archetypes allows you to build important connections.
When people can visualize who you are as a brand, it helps them understand you and your motivations, can humanize your interactions, and creates opportunities to form deep alliances.
That’s true not just with your customers, but also with your own team. There’s the added benefit of being able to see how people respond to your brand’s interactions, helping you strengthen your brand’s emotional impact and connection.
2. When you know your brand archetypes, you can create a more trusting relationship with your customers.
When you consistently and authentically exhibit your brand archetypes’ characteristics, it helps your customers learn to trust and depend on your brand.
They can more easily understand who and what you are, and that resonates with them.
You’re also able to use your archetypes to more strongly satisfy your customers’ wants and needs, which deepens your relationship with them, solves their problem, and confirms their good decision to “choose” you rather than a competitor.
3. When you know your brand archetypes, you can more easily ensure you’re being consistent.
You can use your brand archetypes as tools to help you stay focused in your messaging strategy across all business and marketing platforms.
Your archetypes are your compass, your reference point, your touchstone. With this information, your internal team is on the same page and ensures that your valuable brand doesn’t stray off course.
4. When you know your brand archetypes, you can enhance your company culture
When you integrate your archetypal actions, behaviors and tones into your company communications, processes, and events, you influence your culture, creating greater confidence, trust, and meaning within your organization.
Just like your customers who relate to your brand, your employees will more strongly connect with your company’s values and mission.
5. You can better build and grow when you know who you are.
As a business interested in successfully building and growing, you need to know who you truly are right now, be skillful at consistently exhibiting the appropriate brand behavior, and at matching your brand with your market.
👉 Dive into archetypes and how to use them to empower your brand.
Ready to explore your brand archetypes and understand how to use them to build your business?
Red Chalk would love to chat! Schedule a consultation and let’s put the power of brand archetypes to work creating a desirable brand.
If you want to explore the world of archetypes and how they are used in brand management, we highly recommend the book Archetypes in Branding: A Toolkit for Creatives and Strategists, written by Margaret Hartwell and Joshua C. Chen.
