How to superhero your brand

The power of superheroes is that they stand out. Everybody associates with one of them (or secretly wants to be one!). So why not power your own brand with some superhero appeal?

When you take a closer look at superhero stories, it’s clear why they have a universal appeal from the G.I. Joe and baby-boom generations to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, as well as across continents and cultures. The secret of their success is the ongoing appeal of superheroes have, especially their consistent commitment to their core values, which is part of their overall branding. Customers, clients, partners, stakeholders, investors, and the general public love universal brand stories and core messages such as striving for the greater good, contributing to the well-being of people, animals, and the planet, and any other message that appeals to their emotions and inner desires. This resonates with the Myers-Briggs 'Protagonist' personality type, which embraces idealism and positive impact.

If we take a closer look at superheroes, it is clear that they are branding experts. Batman uses the bat to symbolize his fight against evil, using black and yellow to communicate mystery and hope. Superman uses S as a branding element, and blue and red represent to reflect reliability and strength. Both brands established timeless brand recognition, similar to Nike and Cola-Cola. The same applies to superhero brands. This brand and message consistency allows for building brand loyalty since people connect with the brand and want to be associated with it. This relates to Cialdini's 7th principle: unity.

In the highly competitive world of brands fighting for attention, superheroes teach us that companies need:

1.?????? A strong story to make the company memorable;

2.?????? Powerful visual elements that communicate key values;

3.?????? Building brand loyalty by communicating a feeling of community.

This applies to building a brand from scratch as well as rebranding an older (and stale) existing brand.

The superhero image you want to use for inspiration depends on the culture and maturity of your company:

• Spider-Man – As a young rebel, this archetype might be suitable for startups.
• Batman – As the controversial outlaw, this archetype might be suitable for out-of-the-box thinkers who start innovate tech companies.
• Superman – As a universal hero, this archetype might be suitable for established companies that want to spice up their image.
• Iron Man – As the inventor, this archetype might be suitable for AI, metaverse, and other innovative tech companies.
• Wonder Woman - As an Amazon fighter for justice, this archetype might be suitable of femtech companies or companies with a predominantly female C-suite.

It is important to choose the elements suitable for the specific branding, symbolism, and storytelling of your company or startup.

Checklist to start your superhero journey:

• Formulate your superpower and describe what makes you unique or stand out (think Wonder Woman).
• Describe your personal journey and what makes you who you are today (think Batman).
• Visualize the origin of your company or startup, including its core values.
• Communicate the problem that you want to address, including all obstacles to this journey.
• Define your target audience, including in more detail who you want to help.

On a closing note, make sure that you create something that your customers, clients, target audience, stakeholders, investors, and general public want to hear.?Give them a story to enjoy, even when you are not actively communicating it on social media. That's what branding like a superhero looks like, so make sure to join them!

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