If you read our last post on the topic, you’re already aware that knowing your archetype is essential to your success as a business. The core concept here is that once you thoroughly understand your key traits and primary motivators, you’ll be able to give your customers exactly what they need in an authentic way.
A couple of months ago, we reviewed three of the 12 main brand archetypes—the Caregiver, the Sage, and the Explorer. These archetypes definitely don’t cover all of our clients and may not speak to you and the way you connect with your customer. So, we wanted to examine three more archetypes today: the Creator, the Hero, and the Citizen.
We listed one notable brand example for each archetype; can you think of more as we go?
The Creator
The Creator is powered by boundless imagination and creativity. They don’t feel a need to conform to the status quo. They know the importance of innovation and are very willing to pioneer new solutions to whatever problem they’re working on. Self-expression and creativity are important to the Creator, as that’s how they make sense of the world.
The Creator is vulnerable to perfectionism, and they can become discouraged if they feel their work isn’t meaningful. If you’re a Creator archetype, make sure to stick to the work that truly excites you!
Notable brand example: Lego. Throughout the company’s history, Lego has emphasized the importance of creativity and imagination. Lego’s recent “Rebuild the World” campaign was all about using creative problem-solving skills to save the world.
The Hero
The Hero’s strengths include courage, self-sacrifice, transformation, and stamina. They overcome great odds to achieve their goals, which can be internal or external. The Hero might be working towards personal physical or mental goals, or they might be fighting for a better society. No matter the goal, the Hero is not afraid of working hard to meet a challenge!
The Hero must be careful to avoid arrogance. If you’re a Hero archetype, don’t let your strengths go to your head!
Notable brand example: Nike. With their “Just Do It” slogan, Nike has long emphasized working hard and persevering to overcome odds. They use both famous athletes and regular people in their ads to show that anyone can be a Hero if they just have the right qualities. Check out this Nike commercial “You Can't Be Stopped” to see how they embrace their brand archetype through encouraging others to know their “why.”
The Citizen
The Citizen deeply values integrity and fairness. They respect others around them and treat everyone as a peer. The Citizen trusts that others are basically good, and that if everyone works together, they can positively impact society. They thrive when doing work that aligns with their beliefs. The Citizen feels the importance of being a good steward to the community and world as a whole.
The Citizen should watch out for righteousness, rebelliousness, and recklessness. If you’re a Citizen archetype, don’t let your values become too much of a good thing!
Notable brand example: National Park Service. The National Park Service’s volunteer pass program shows how much they value the collective and believe in the power of people to contribute in a positive way. They want to get everyone involved in the stewardship of our natural areas. When we created the current national park passes (you can see them in this blog post) here at Allen Wayne, we used the Citizen archetype to inform our design.
So, now you’ve heard about the Creator, the Hero, and the Citizen. Do any of these archetypes resonate with you?
If you haven’t been able to identify your brand values, strengths, and challenges, we’re here to help.
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We’re Allen Wayne—a full-service creative agency with a diverse, talented team that works strategically and collaboratively with our clients to create phenomenal brands. We crave challenges. We solve problems. We develop solutions. Allen Wayne goes Beyond Design to craft an identity and personality for your entire operation. Contact us today and unleash our creativity on your business and brand.
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