January 2023 I part three
Archetypes for Brands Seeking Connection
Brand archetypes are a collection of 12 characters that are closely associated with your brand’s personality.
There are three main archetypes for brands seeking connection: The Citizen/Regular Guy, The Jester and The Lover. In this post we’ll dive a little deeper into these archetypes, get to know the traits of their audiences and identify the keys to success.
To succeed as a Citizen brand you need to be transparent and approachable, use everyday language, and show your customers enjoying connection with each other in everyday situations.
The Regular Guy/Citizen Archetype
The Regular Guy, Citizen or Everyman finds validation in being accepted by the masses, they crave belonging. They fear not being accepted by others and thus create a brand for all.
Goal
To belong and fit in
Desire
Being dependable, trustworthy, and there for people
Fear
Being left out or not fitting in
Strategy
Welcoming, useful, unpretentious
Fit in and enjoy the simple life, that’s the motto of the Citizen archetype. Brands in this category allow their audience to find beauty and joy in the ordinary and the everyday. These brands make life easy but they’re not throw-away fast fashion or trendy, they are reliable, good quality, and dependable. The products and services of a Citizen brand make life better for all.
If you identify as The Citizen your audience:
Enjoys everyday things and finds beauty in the mundane
Wants to be accepted by everyone
Appreciates hardworking and humble people
Wants a product that will stand the test of time
Resonates with straight-talking, transparent messages
To succeed as a Citizen brand you need to be transparent and approachable, use everyday language, and show your customers enjoying connection with each other in everyday situations.
A successful jester can joke about a sensitive topic in a way that is comfortable for the consumer.
The Jester Archetype
Always look on the bright side of life, a wise Jester once said. Joy, humor and laughter are the key ingredients of a successful brand within this archetype. Taking the seriousness away from traditional brands and touching the hearts of their audience to bring a smile to their face.
Goal
Bring laughter, fun, and joy to the world
Desire
To have fun
Fear
Boredom
Strategy
Be curious, playful, fun and original
The key difference that sets the Jester brand apart from the other 11 archetypes is their ability to see things through a unique lens. Jesters may be entertaining, but their real value lies in their ability to come up with new ideas and look at existing concepts from a new perspective.
This archetype is not afraid to stand out and is even known to bend the rules if it will help them prove their point which may sometimes be very serious and important. A successful jester can joke about a sensitive topic in a way that is comfortable for the consumer.
Companies that produce products meant to be enjoyed, like men’s care items, candy, or alcohol, can use humor to connect their brand with happy memories.
If you identify as The Jester your audience:
Lives in the moment
Doesn't really plan ahead
Has a very casual attitude
Enjoys life by embracing a fun-loving culture
Likes the unexpected
Wants to connect through good times
To succeed as a Jester brand you need to be fun-loving, vibrant and a little mischievous. Show your customers that enjoyment can be found everywhere.
If your brand wants to be seen as The Lover, you should always focus on making others feel special and helping them live their best life.
The Lover Archetype
Inspires deeper relationships with yourself and others through emotions of love, care and romance. Seeking to create a passionate environment to focus on the things that really matter in life.
Goal
Build close relationships with others that are based on love and commitment
Desire
Connection and enjoyment
Fear
Feeling unloved or rejected
Strategy
The allure of being desired and pursued
The Lover is all about developing relationships and stirring up emotions. They passionately seek out new experiences and are unashamed of their wants and desires.
The goal of the Lover archetype is to make customers feel accepted and attractive. If your brand wants to be seen as The Lover, you should always focus on making others feel special and helping them live their best life. For brands like these, it is essential to promote the physical enjoyment of being human and create intimacy and happiness for their customers.
The Lover is not restricted to romance; it instead encompasses all types of love like parental, friendships, familial, and spiritual.
If you identify as The Lover your audience:
Appreciate beauty and luxury in the world around them
Wants to be seen as attractive by others, whether that is in terms of their physical appearance, intelligence, or emotions
Make decisions based on their emotions
Enjoys life's pleasures
Have strong emotional responses to their senses
Greets experiences with wonder and enthusiasm
Are dreamers
Base their self-esteem on the quality of their relationships
Fear loneliness or not being loved
Lover brands use sensual, empathetic, and soothing tones of voice, and are often marketed as being passionate, seductive and feminine.
To ensure success each archetype must be built with unique and meaningful features to engage customers in ways that foster connection through emotion, understanding, shared experiences, individuality,and pleasure.
What's next?
These are a few examples of the goals, strategy and audience characteristics for connection-seeking archetypes. To ensure success each archetype must be built with unique and meaningful features to engage customers in ways that foster connection through emotion, understanding, shared experiences, individuality,and pleasure. Understanding these archetypes will allow your brand to focus on connecting emotionally withyour customers and create deep relationships that last for years. Good luck!