Industry Insights

Ever wonder what makes some brands instantly click with you? It’s not just their great product or service — it’s their personality that resonates. By tapping into the power of brand archetypes you can create a personality for your brand that’s familiar, consistent and packed with meaning. And that sets the table for building those deep, lasting customer connections every brand dreams about.

It's tough to stand out in a noisy and crowded marketplace. But behind every awesome brand is a personality that cuts through the clutter and connects.

A personality helps a brand feel like it’s more than a logo or a product — it feels like something you can relate to, something that “gets” you (we talk more about this in our recent post, Introduction to Brand Archetypes).

To be effective, this personality must be clear and consistent throughout the entire company.

Every brand has a personality, but not every brand is self aware. Organizations typically consist of multiple, very different people, which can result in the brand having something of a split personality. The marketing team, sales reps, and on-site crews may each have their own distinct personalities, which can differ from how the brand is presented publicly. The result? A very dissonant client experience depending on who the client is interacting with and on which day.

So, how do you create a compelling brand personality that’s clear and consistent?

It all starts with aligning your brand’s message, voice and look with the core traits of your chosen archetype. When you do this, you make your brand more familiar, consistent and meaningful.

Let’s take a closer look at this powerful combination and explore how you can start leveraging your brand archetype today.

Familiarity

Each archetype has its own set of traits — universal, timeless characteristics that we all intuitively get.

By adopting a specific brand archetype, your brand takes on an identity that customers can quickly and easily understand. In a complex world, clarity wins every time. By leveraging a recognizable archetype, you create a personality that feels familiar, making potential customers comfortable engaging with your brand.

Consistency

Your brand personality also needs to be aligned across every touch point. Consistency builds trust.
When customers experience your brand the same way — whether it's through your trucks, website, online ads or thank you cards — it reinforces your brand’s reliability.

For example, as an Innocent archetype brand, Coca-Cola isn’t going to rock the boat or push the envelope. It’s not who they are and it’s not what we expect from them. With cute polar bears, jolly Santa Claus and images of special family moments, they evoke feelings of nostalgia, togetherness and carefree innocence. If Coca-Cola suddenly became edgy and aggressive we’d be confused, even disappointed. But instead, they remain consistently simple, optimistic and wholesome. Always Coca-Cola. Customers know what to expect and that’s why they love and trust the brand.

Aligning with an archetype anchors your brand personality. It guides your messaging, visuals and customer interactions, ensuring every touchpoint encompasses the same core identity. It also sets the stage for infusing your brand with a sense of meaning that goes beyond the surface-level benefits of your product or service.

“When a man walks out of the store wearing a new Rolex, he’s gained far more than a way to track time.”

Meaning

Consumers today are looking for more than products — they’re seeking meaning in their everyday lives. Your brand can create meaning for your customers by helping them satisfy a deeper longing.
This is where the power of brand archetypes truly shines. Each one is tied to common human needs, desires and motivations. By leveraging a particular archetype, you can create experiences that meet these intrinsic needs, forging a meaningful connection with your customers.

When a car brand embodies the Explorer archetype, for example, the car becomes more than mere transportation — it’s a tool for adventure and freedom.

When a man walks out of the store wearing a new Rolex, he’s gained far more than a way to track time.

Aspiring athletes have countless choices for running shoes to wear on their journey to run a half-marathon. But sporting Nikes, they become empowered heroes, ready to conquer their goals.

Meaning deepens the emotional connection between your brand and your customers. When you can connect on that level, customer loyalty is not far behind.

Let’s get crafting!

Take our brand personality assessment and we’ll send you a complete cheat sheet on your brand archetype!

Stand out from the crowd!
Use your archetype as a springboard to craft a recognizable and relatable brand personality that will resonate deeply with your customers.

The 12 Archetypes

Here’s a quick overview of each archetype’s brand message, voice and visual style to help you start aligning your brand personality with your archetype

The Innocent

The Innocent archetype shares a message of finding joy in the simple, everyday moments of life. Its brand voice is honest, reassuring and uplifting and visually you’ll see soft imagery, muted colours and clear, rounded fonts.

The Explorer

Explorer brands invite us to experience an adventurous, fulfilling life. Their voice is brave, ambitious and open-minded. These brands use earthy tones and natural textures, unconventional layouts and strong, bold fonts.

The Sage

This archetype’s message is to seek out knowledge because the truth will set you free. Sage brands communicate with an intelligent and authoritative tone and often use soothing neutral tones, sophisticated imagery and elegant fonts.

The Hero

Hero brands are encouraging through and through, reminding us “where there’s a will there’s a way.” Their brand voice is inspiring and they show up with dominant colours, powerful visuals and bold, strong fonts.

The Outlaw

The Outlaw archetype loves to say that rules are meant to be broken. When this archetype speaks it’s often raw, candid and outspoken. Visually you’ll see plenty of intense colours, distressed textures and rugged, non-traditional fonts.

The Magician

This archetype wants everyone to know that anything is possible and it reminds us with a charismatic and compelling tone. Visually, they show up with rich, deep colours, fantastical imagery and elegant, flowing fonts.

The Everyman

You’ll hear a message of belonging from Everyman brands. For them, all people are created equal. When they speak, it’s with a friendly and genuine tone. Visually you’ll see lots of primary colours, natural textures and real-life, relatable images.

The Lover

The Lover archetype is elegant through and through, reminding their customers they are attractive, accepted and valued. Their brand voice is passionate and descriptive and they show up with rich, deep colours, romantic images and sophisticated fonts.

The Jester

Jester brands want to spread a message to live joyfully in the present. Their brand voice is light and witty and they use bright colours, interesting textures and unconventional design choices.

The Caregiver

This archetype’s message is to love your neighbour as yourself. When they speak they’re empathetic and nurturing. You’ll see them use plenty of pastels, soft lines and simple, clean fonts.

The Creator

For the Creator, if it can be imagined, it can be created. And they want everyone to know. They communicate with an expressive and imaginative tone and they use vibrant colours, finely crafted visuals and inventive typography.

The Ruler

The Ruler archetype’s message is that “power isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” When they speak it's confident and articulate. From them you’ll see lots of dark, bold colours, clean and orderly design and classic fonts.

Take our brand personality assessment and we’ll send you a complete cheat sheet on your brand archetype!