If you want clients to understand who you are and what you stand for, defining your brand archetype is one way (or the way) to ensure a solid brand strategy for lawyers and law firms.
What is a brand archetype? A brand archetype is your brand’s persona as defined by its desires and distastes. For example, do you stand for justice? Probably. But do you prefer to be seen as saving the day or as taking care of your clients? These are two very different approaches to branding — and marketing. The first being the hero brand archetype (e.g., Gatorade, Nike and BMW), and the second being the caregiver brand archetype (e.g., Campbell’s, Johnson & Johnson and Volvo). Which archetype you identify with determines how you market your law firm to customers, including your brand design, the brand colors your law firm uses, how your law firm shows up on social media, and even the words you use when communicating in marketing, in sales, as well as in person.
By defining your brand archetype, you can more accurately appeal to your clientbase through an emotional connection. And at Legal Media, we are obsessed with brand archetypes, so we always recommend using them when building your brand platform. Plus, they’re really fun!
Read on for a better understanding of the 12 brand archetypes and how each impacts your law firm branding.
The 12 Brand Archetypes to Drive Marketing Strategy
The 12 brand archetypes were developed by Carl Jung back in 1919 but actually reach all the way back in theory to Greek Mythology. Like we mentioned above, these archetypes are all about connecting with your customers on an emotional level. Jung’s theory centered around the notion of unconscious connection.
As humans, we all have different desires. These desires are connected to behavioral patterns. For example, if you desire to help those in need, your behavioral pattern likely involves self sacrifice or putting others needs before your own. Our unconscious recognizes these patterns, and we either gravitate toward or away from those who display them.
No idea what we’re talking about? Take this example: A caregiver is motivated by the desire to help those in need. Because of this, its actions are driven by charity and compassion. You know when a company is selling for the betterment of you or the world, such as Johnson & Johnson.
Johnson & Johnson displays its brand personality in its humanitarian efforts and all its marketing messaging and visuals. You feel taken care of, because the company has literally branded itself as a healthcare company in all that it does. You, therefore, know Johnson & Johnson is seeking to make the world a safer place with its products and research, and that may attract you to engage with or purchase from this brand.
So by defining your brand archetype as a law firm, you are defining how you wish to present your law firm branding to the world.
Let’s dig into each brand archetype a bit more.
The Explorer Brand Archetype
Classic examples of the Explorer brand archetype include:
North Face
Jeep
Land Rover
REI
Sense a theme? Used by a lot of outdoors brands, the explorer lives outside of its comfort zone, pushes boundaries and isn’t afraid to challenge the confines of life as we know it. This archetype attracts similarly adventurous clientele who are always on the go.
The Outlaw Brand Archetype
Classic examples of the Outlaw brand archetype include:
Harley Davidson
Virgin Mobile
Vans
Snickers
Outlaws are just as the name portrays: rebels. These brands motivate their customers with the thrill of disruption, by denouncing the status quo, and by seeking freedom from conformity. They’re raw in tone, and marketing is often eyebrow raising.
The Magician Brand Archetype
Classic examples of the Magician brand archetype include:
Disney
TEDx
Dyson
Tesla
A magician brand loves a good transformation, often promising transformation of self or life with its products or brand experiences. Magicians feel anything is possible and try to portray this magical hope with marketing to customers.
The Hero Brand Archetype
Classic examples of the Hero brand archetype include:
Nike
Red Cross
Gatorade
FedEx
Hero brands love to save the day. They meet failure with determination and demonstrate a quest to prove oneself and overcome challenges. Heroes attract high-achieving consumers who share this same determination.
The Lover Brand Archetype
Classic examples of the Lover brand archetype include:
Godiva
Chanel
Hallmark
Victoria’s Secret
These brands desire to be desired, and their customers also seek this intimacy. These brands, therefore, focus on making their customers feel loved through marketing and often tend to be more feminine in nature.
The Jester Brand Archetype
Classic examples of the Jester brand archetype include:
Old Splice
m&m’s
Budweiser
Doritos
You know a jester brand immediately by its marketing, which uses humor to connect with customers. No, jester branding is not for serious industries. These brands value fun over all else and attract light-hearted customers looking to laugh.
The Everyman Brand Archetype
Classic examples of the Everyman brand archetype include:
Gap
Target
Ikea
Levi’s
Down-to-earth, everyman brands just want to be normal, like your average Joe, and tend to create products for the average person. Marketing is friendly, relatable, authentic, and for anyone.
The Caregiver Brand Archetype
Classic examples of the Caregiver Brand Archetype include:
TOMS
Johnson & Johnson
Volvo
Campbell’s
These brands desire to help those in need and others before themselves (and profits). Empathy is a driving factor in caregiver marketing, and charity and compassion show up every day in these brands’ work.
The Ruler Brand Archetype
Classic examples of the Ruler brand archetype include:
Ralph Lauren
Mercedes
Rolex
British Airways
The ruler archetype is used by many luxury brands, as this archetype seeks prosperity and success, along with a sense of superiority. They are confident they’re top of the market and target customers who only want the best.
The Creator Brand Archetype
Classic examples of the Creator brand archetype include:
Apple
Adobe
Pinterest
YouTube
Many tech brands embody this archetype as they seek new solutions, love creative expression and see potential everywhere. In turn, their products offer creative freedom are aesthetically appealing and authentic.
The Innocent Brand Archetype
Classic examples of the Innocent brand archetype include:
Coca-Cola
Volkswagen
Dove
Evian
The innocent brand sees beauty in everyone and serves ill-will toward no one. They offer simple solutions and honest results, and this is portrayed in marketing, which seeks to comfort customers.
The Sage Brand Archetype
Classic examples of the Sage brand archetype include:
Oprah
Google
The New York Times
Mayo Clinic
These brands seek truth and wisdom, and share all that they know with others — similar to mentors. Many news sources embody this archetype, as its main characteristic is intelligence.
Getting Started WithYour Law Firm Branding
What about law firms? We most often see law firms following under these three brand archetypes:
Hero
Caregiver
Sage
But the truth is, your law firm can embody whatever archetype you most identify with and want your clientele to identify with.
At Legal Media, we always recommend a brand archetype exercise to get everyone on the same page about your brand personality. We create a brand guidelines report for you to keep and reference, and then infuse this personality into your marketing through:
Tone of voice
Writing style
Communication style
Vocabulary
Images
Typography
Colors
Interested in taking one of our brand archetype quizzes, or ready to get started with your law firm branding work? Contact us.
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