Jung’s Archetypes in Brand Positioning and the Future of Brand Personification

“We should not force brand archetypes in every brand exercise. It is an easy way out, and in the long-term removes the complexity from brand personality. That said, when used sporadically, they serve as a wonderful system to simplify and penetrate complex problem-solving, helping us prioritize and tackle issues one day at a time.” – Sara Emilia Bernát , senior strategist @ Gemic

Carl Jung’s archetypes have become pretty popular in the world of modern marketing, but how were they brought to life and in what measure should marketers rely on them? (1)?

Counting on the Jungian archetypes, especially when it comes to brand positioning and innovation, can prove helpful if used correctly. (2) It’s also pretty clear, however, that marketers can miss out on the unique characteristics that make up their audiences if they rely on the archetypes theory a bit too much.

This doesn’t apply solely to classifying customers according to Jung’s archetypes – it also applies to brand personalities. As brand personification continues to be a priority for marketers, taking a closer look at how brand personalities are developed and where future tech will play a role is critical for more heartful interactions with our customers. (3)

The Exploration of the Human Psyche: Jung’s Archetypes

Many thanks to Nick Liddell for taking a solid pass at our first question:

“Did you hear the one about the hero and the outlaw?

Jungian archetypes seem to have become a ubiquitous feature of modern marketing, so the chances are that you have. The subject of an immensely popular book first published in 2001 called The Hero and the Outlaw, Jungian archetype theory also forms the basis of Kantar’s NeedScope research methodology, which is used by B2B and B2C marketers to map out the future direction of their brands. Both the book and the research methodology claim to hold the key to unlocking universal patterns of meaning, which are hard-wired into the human psyche and critical for anybody seeking to build an ‘irresistible’ bond with a target audience.

The archetype theory isn’t the product of rigorous scientific study. It wasn’t based on patient analysis of the thoughts and feelings of thousands of test subjects. It is the result of an imagined relationship between the spirit world and the world of the real. The emphasis Jung’s work places on God, the libido, death, fantasy, miracles, myths, medieval alchemy, and religious symbolism suggests a very tenuous relationship with science or the scientific process. In one of his visions, Jung describes a voice that emerges from the spirit of the depths and speaks the following words: ‘The highest truth is one and the same with the absurd’.

The resulting theory of archetypes can fairly be described as a form of New Age spiritualism. There are twelve days of Christmas, twelve apostles, and twelve signs of the zodiac. It’s no accident that there are twelve archetypes. And a research methodology or brand positioning built on brand archetypes is no more credible or scientific than an approach built on the zodiac. To be clear, I don’t believe this invalidates the theory. It can be helpful as a system for structuring thinking about brands and how they are positioned. But it is only a theory — one of a number of competing ideas that appear, lose relevance and then reappear. It is no more legitimate or useful than Bloom’s Taxonomy, Big Five personality, or De Bono’s Six Hats.

The problem with archetype theory isn’t that it suffers from a lack of scientific rigor; it’s that its evangelists claim it is a universal compass for navigating the world. No such thing is likely to exist. In the absence of a silver bullet for brand positioning, marketers must satisfy themselves with silver buckshot. And that’s not a bad thing at all. It means that we can have more in our strategic toolbox than the blunt hammer of archetype theory. And that we needn’t approach every brand challenge as if it’s a matter of nailing the right archetype. The experience and the outcome of our work are much richer as a result.”

Unscientifically Helpful: The Jungian Archetypes in Brand Positioning

We follow Nick with Sara Emilia Bernát , who looks closer at how and when brands can make use of Carl Jung’s 12 archetypes.

“Most brands are so overwhelmed with where to start and how to prioritize initiatives that they either abandon taking action altogether or follow the tactics of their peers without critical thinking. The latter option accelerates copycatism, and that’s when market players start to look, act, and talk the same way.

The system of archetypes offers a possible solution to avoid this problem. These personas help assess what the brand stands for, what it really cares about, and how it goes on about those changes. They guide where to begin to tap into the sustainability framework while ensuring that brands stay true to their narratives. Let’s say we have chosen the archetype, and for the sake of this exercise, it is the ‘Hero’. So, what’s next?

It is time to (re)assess our brand foundations as a base for future sustainability goals. We should ask ourselves:

• What is our purpose?
• What motivates our customers?
• What is our ideal(ized) world?
• What can I do with every action to steer the wheels towards this vision?

Once we understand those macro questions, we can go on and set achievable micro-goals that correspond to our answers. Consumers must know what is at stake, and solutions must be offered according to their worldview. Let’s see an example in practice.

Our chosen archetype, the Hero, is known from its superb ability to overcome difficulty, to embrace adventures, and to push limits. Consumers who gravitate towards this archetype live to break free from the constraints of the traditional world, they value strength, and must be given a mission to feel at ease in the world. They gravitate towards brands that set challenges and provide opportunities for achievement. According to the CFDA, there are four primary areas of sustainable brand operations:

1. Creativity (how to make the world a better place through design);
2. Environment (how can we limit our footprint);
3. People (how do we support our communities);
4. Governance (what company cultures and policies we apply).

When evaluating our role in these areas, in tone with our mantra, ‘what would the Hero do’, we must come up with fresh, engaging, and genuine solutions.

The ‘Hero’ in practice

Now, let’s get tactical examples of how this pans out in the branded world. To tap into community engagement, The North Face created the ‘Explore Fund’, supporting underrepresented communities and women in outdoor adventures. With this mission, they provide a chance to fight social constraints, as well as physical. Nike alumni Wone has partnered with fabric innovator Polartec (supplier of the US Navy and Army) to create high-performance leisurewear made exclusively from recycled materials, scoring not only on a battle for environmental preservation but strengthening their position as a Hero in this collaboration of power players.

The archetype may be observed in less obvious categories as well, for example in the case of FedEx that was selected as one of the best employers for diversity by Forbes, in 2019. When working with this framework to tackle sustainability, the end goal should not be to find one single solution that solves everything but to articulate concrete approaches that help envision a better world.”

Archetypes and the Future of Brand Personification

Gidyon Thompson continues our exploration by reflecting upon the future of brand personification using Carl Jung’s archetypes, future technology, and the possibilities of a metaverse.

“If people buy from people, it’s not enough to be empathetic and create a sense of tact in communicating with customers, it’s important to make the brand as human as possible so when consumers look at the business, they are not merely seeing a giant corporation just out for profit and hiding under the guise of empathetic marketing, but a being that truly understands and feels.

Using the archetypal framework made popular by Carl Jung or Jennifer Aaker’s Brand Personality Framework, brand builders are given human traits to brands in alignment with the business vision, purpose, and core values. The constructed personality is used to design brand experience and drive brand engagement.

In August 2018, United Bank for Africa launched an AI personality that works both as the brand’s official mascot and chatbot personality. The bank gave a name and face to its chatbot and created stories and experiences around it. This chatbot is the embodiment of the bank’s brand. Leo – as it’s called – is not just a chatbot, it’s the brand personified. Leo has two signature outfits, a gray suit and black turtleneck dress, and a white t-shirt with ‘Leo’ crested on the chest.

Driving its personification further, the brand uses the first person pronoun to introduce the character ‘I am Leo, your Virtual Banker. You can find me here and ask me anything. I’m sure to respond, I’m your 24/7 chat buddy and the coolest thing is I can help you with your banking services, too.’ Leo is designed to feel like a natural idea, an attempt at a deeper level of personalization of a brand, bringing the brand into the world of its audience.

The metaverse technology is creating a new reality where people can live, play, and work like in the real world. With the metaverse, people can have locations, experiences, and actions in the virtual world as they would have in the real world. This holds endless opportunities for driving brand personification.

For example, imagine that you can know how the UBA character Leo shops, where he lives, what kind of cars he drives, and what place he likes to hang out. Consumers will better connect with a brand character and, consequently, a brand when they have a deeper understanding of its personality nuance.

What this means for the future of personification is that we may finally get to interact with brands as beings. Imagine a world where you can actually build a friendship with Google or attend an event sitting beside Apple. A world where these corporations are no longer giant buildings with glass finish but are digitally built to look and function like their target audiences, enjoying shared experiences and connecting authentically.

The ideas and ideals of Carl Jung and David Aaker will not just be a textbook idea, but we’ll see corporations living out their archetype and personalities, living and coexisting among their target audience. Since “people buy from people”, this will greatly impact sales and customer trust.

This future will affect the rising influencer marketing industry because the brands can build themselves into an influencer and, for the first time, there will be perfect harmony between the personality of the brand and the personality of the influencer.

To prepare for this future, brands must start thinking like beings and not things. Brand strategy must highlight brand personality, and brands must become clear on their personality, as well as begin to deploy that personality consistently and cohesively.”

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