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For creative teams, you are "the client," like it or not. You might be tech-savvy, design-savvy, or a marketing genius. Creative teams see you as "the client" because you speak a different language; you think in words while they think visually. Overall, your relationship with a creative team and the success of a project hang by one thin line: successful communication.
The problem is, humans suck at communication. We are ambiguous, context-based, emotional, biased—you name it. We've been trying to communicate with each other for centuries and still can't achieve 100% precise understanding, even with our friends, our significant others, or our kids. So, how on earth do we expect a creative team to understand what you want from a few words you throw around?
When you spend a lot of time in the agency world, you kind of develop a sixth sense to understand what marketing teams and founders need and want. Unfortunately, it's not bulletproof. There are better ways to really understand and align on what "modern," "techie," "bold," or even "we like Stripe's website" really means.
The problem here is obvious: we are trying to communicate how visuals make us feel with words… sometimes just one word! So, how about we switch to communicating visuals with visuals? I know, wow!
So what's that? We are actually using something that has been around for a while as part of branding workshops and personality traits, but we've made our spin on it to make it more visual and more oriented to tech brands: introducing Brand Archetypes.
Carl Jung's concept of archetypes is based on the theory of the collective unconscious, where certain symbols and themes are universal across all human beings. These recurring motifs appear in myths, stories, dreams, and art from various cultures and times, shaping human experience and behavior.
Jung identified these universal figures through extensive analysis of dreams and myths, which he called archetypes. He created this concept to provide a deeper understanding of the human psyche and to explain why certain themes and symbols are deeply ingrained in us.
Archetypes are widely used in literature, art, and marketing. Writers and artists use them to create resonant, relatable stories, while marketers use them to build strong brand identities. Modern films like "Star Wars" and "Harry Potter" use archetypal characters and themes, such as the Hero and the Sage. Personal development books and workshops often use archetypes to help individuals understand their motivations and life paths.
The extension of Jung's archetypes into marketing began gaining traction in the late 20th century, particularly through the work of marketing experts Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson. Their 2001 book, "The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes," played a significant role in popularizing the use of archetypes in branding and marketing.
Mark and Pearson built on Jung's ideas by identifying twelve primary archetypes that brands could use to resonate deeply with consumers. Their work provided a practical framework for applying Jungian psychology to marketing, helping brands create more meaningful and emotionally engaging connections with their audiences.
By linking archetypal themes to consumer behavior, they showed how brands could embody these universal patterns to stand out in the marketplace and foster loyalty. This approach has since become a fundamental strategy in brand development and storytelling, influencing how companies craft their identities and communicate with their customers.
For example, Disney uses the Innocent archetype to create a brand that feels pure, optimistic, and magical. Nike, on the other hand, uses the Hero archetype to inspire people to achieve greatness. Harley-Davidson embraces the Outlaw archetype, appealing to those who value freedom and rebellion.
Brand archetypes are powerful tools, but at their core, they are just words. Words like "Hero," "Lover," or "Outlaw" carry specific connotations and evoke certain feelings, but expecting a marketing team and a creative team to fully understand each other based on these words alone can be challenging. Each person might interpret these words differently, leading to potential miscommunications and misaligned expectations.
This is where our approach comes in:
The first thing we did was rebuild the Archetype Wheel to include examples of well-known tech brands that embody these archetypes, instead of using generics like "Dove" or "Nike." This will help bring more clarity when choosing your brand archetypes.
Note that when choosing your archetype, you will probably have a main one and a secondary one. Typically, a 70/30 balance is good. Avoid having something like 50/50, as it will make it harder to develop your visual identity, and you will struggle to find your real identity as a brand.
We created definitions for each archetype with a B2B tech brand perspective, including brand voice and branding & visual identity foundations. This enables you to have a greater understanding of each archetype and start thinking about which one fits your brand best. It also serves as a baseline for creative teams to explore those visual directions defined here.
Innocent brands seek happiness, simplicity, and optimism. They are pure, optimistic, and believe in the goodness of people and life.
Explorer brands emphasize freedom, adventure, and self-discovery. They seek new experiences and are driven by a desire to explore uncharted territories.
Sage brands value knowledge, truth, and wisdom. They are driven by a desire to understand the world and share their insights with others.
Hero brands strive for courage, achievement, and transformation. They are determined, brave, and driven to improve the world through their actions.
Outlaw brands challenge the status quo and embrace rebellion. They are disruptive, revolutionary, and seek to change the world by breaking the rules.
Magician brands create transformation and bring visions to life. They are visionary, charismatic, and skilled at making dreams a reality.
Everyman brands seek connection, belonging, and commonality. They are relatable, friendly, and aim to make everyone feel included.
Lover brands value passion, intimacy, and emotional connection. They are driven by a desire to create relationships and experiences that are deeply meaningful.
Jester brands bring joy, humor, and light-heartedness. They are playful, witty, and enjoy entertaining others.
Caregiver brands provide support, care, and protection. They are compassionate, nurturing, and dedicated to helping others.
Creator brands foster innovation, creativity, and expression. They are imaginative, artistic, and driven by the desire to create something new.
Ruler brands emphasize control, order, and leadership. They are authoritative, responsible, and driven by a desire to create stability and structure.
Instead of relying only on words to define and communicate a brand's identity, we've taken brand archetypes to the next level by showcasing them visually. By creating a visual representation of each archetype, we can bridge the communication gap between marketing and creative teams, ensuring that everyone has a clear, unified understanding of the brand's essence, or at least a closer one. This visual approach makes the archetypes more tangible and easier to relate to, fostering better collaboration and more effective branding strategies.
To make this concept even more accessible, we’ve created a free resource that visually showcases all 12 brand archetypes specifically tailored for B2B tech companies. This resource will provide marketing managers with a clear understanding of each archetype, and creative teams a tool to run the first meeting of the discovery stage.
We took the definitions above and created moodboards that visually represent each archetype. These moodboards are intended to capture the essence of each archetype and then be used as the base to create a unique visual identity.
But be careful! These moodboards are meant to be a communication tool to align on the brand direction early on. They are not, by any means, intended to be used as is, as that would mean all brands would look the same as these 12 archetypes, and we don’t want that. We want unique brands that evoke the right feelings with their audience and showcase their uniqueness.
Understanding and utilizing brand archetypes can significantly improve communication between marketing managers and agencies. By identifying and articulating your brand's archetype, you create a shared language that fosters clearer, more effective collaboration. This, in turn, leads to stronger brand consistency, more impactful marketing campaigns, and better overall results.
Here is how to get started with Brand Archetypes:
And finally, if you enjoyed this free resource, share it with your network! I’m sure they will appreciate having a smoother collaboration between marketing and creative teams. Finally, right? After all, we all like to understand each other better and be more impactful, efficient, effective, and successful in the projects we run.
