Does YOUR Brand Take a Stand? – the Archetypes

Before ALL else, we are all just PEOPLE! Recognizing, understanding and using this FACT is a key element in personal and business success, especially in our digital age.

Author Bryan Kramer has popularised the following expression:

In his article, The Seven Doors of Connection, brand strategist Jean-Claude Saade, makes this point:

Saade’s seven doors of connection are:

1. Shared Values (peace, equality, liberty…)
2. Shared Roots (religion, ethnicity, language, culture, citizenship, education, profession, geography…)
3. Shared Fights (politics, environment, wildlife…)
4. Shared Interests and benefits (wealth, power, information, notoriety…)
5. Shared Lifestyle (fashion, housing, restaurants, vacations…)
6. Shared hobbies (sports, arts, music, travel…)
7. Shared Preferences (food, drinks, cars, clothing…)

For your brand to successfully compete in today’s H2H era, it’s important that you determine your brand’s personality. The following video may prove helpful…

Once you’ve figured out your brand’s personality, you want to begin to express it. That brings us to the question…

Not long ago, eswStorylab (a Chicago-based marketing agency specializing in storybranding) created an infographic that takes a visual look at this aspect of branding and presented 12 character types into which each brand falls.

In upcoming articles, we will examine each of these archetypes in more detail as you try to determine which of the following best describes YOUR business brand:

• The Purist
• The Pioneer
• The Source
• The Conqueror
• The Rebel
• The Wizard
• The Straight Shooter
• The Seducer
• The Entertainer
• The Protector
• The Imagineer
• The Emperor
  
  

I will particularly be looking for everyday (or lesser known) examples of people and local businesses that exemplifies these brand archetypes. Then you will be well-equipped to answer the question: Does YOUR brand take a stand?

For more on archetypes, you might find the following resources interesting:

• 5 myths about brand archetypes
• The 12 Common Archetypes
• Families of archetypes and their use in life science marketing
  

Be sure to visit our “Who and What of Business Branding” board on Pinterest for some more insights.

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