Do Brand Archetypes Matter for Small to Medium Sized Businesses?

Branding is important for all businesses because it helps their customers or clients remember who they are and what they offer. For small- and medium-sized businesses, though, it’s particularly important. If you own a small- or medium-sized business, you should identify and define your brand archetype. Doing so will help you create a stronger connection with your business’s target audience while boosting sales and conversions in the process.

What Is a Brand Archetype?

Most business owners are familiar with the term “branding.” Defined as the process of marketing and promoting a business’s unique elements — logo, tagline, name, slogan, music, color scheme, company culture, customer service, uniforms, etc. — it allows businesses to differentiate themselves from competitors in their industry. But what exactly is a brand archetype?

The term “brand archetype” refers to a metaphorical representation of a business’s brand. Forward-thinking business owners create their brand to achieve a specific image, which is reflected upon their brand archetype.

Some of the most common brand archetypes used by businesses include the following:

• The Innocent: Always honest and upfront, the Innocent uses nostalgia and strong core values to attract customers.
• The Magician: Like a real-life magician, the Magician creates magic by turning customers’ dreams into a reality.
• The Creator: This brand archetype shows how customers can create beautiful, brilliant things using the business’s products or services.
• The Regular Person: Businesses with the Regular Personal brand archetype target ordinary people who need their products or services.
• The Hero: A common brand archetype used by military organizations, the Hero wants customers to step up to the plate to become their own hero.
• The Giver: Also known as the Caregiver, the Giver goes above and beyond the call of duty to care for customers. They emphasize customer service to create a deeper and more personal connection.
• The Ruler: There’s also the Ruler, which seeks to define itself as a leading authority figure that rules above its competitors.
• The Jester: Finally, the Jester uses humor to create happy customers that need a laugh.

Do You Need a Brand Archetype?

Identifying and defining a brand archetype can help your small or medium-sized business in several ways. First, it allows you to connect with a specific audience. This, of course, is important for small- and medium-sized businesses because they typically operate within a small, niche market. Second, using a brand archetype will help you create more effective marketing and advertising campaigns. You can build marketing and advertising campaigns that are aligned with your brand archetype. Third, and perhaps most importantly, a brand archetype will help customers distinguish and remember your business from its competitors.

In our next article, our Chief Marketing Officer, Chris Holland, continues the conversation with his take on the importance of a related topic, Customer Personas.