Archetypes: Your Shortcut to Business Magic

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THIS ISSUE

1. Feature: Carol S. Pearson, a renowned psychologist and thought leader, brought Carl Jung’s work on archetypes into the modern world of branding and business.

2. Key Lesson: Uncover the secrets of the world’s most iconic brands

   • ❤️ Heartset: Natural and Effortless Attraction

   • 🧠 Mindset: You Don’t Sell Things, You Sell Transformation

   • 🧰 Skillset: How to Use Archetypes

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FEATURE

Here’s an undeniable truth: We don’t buy products or services—we buy meaning. Think about it. We gravitate toward brands that feel right, the ones that make us feel seen, heard, and understood. But how do they do it? They’ve mastered the art of archetypes.

The concept of archetypes gained popularity through the work of Carl Jung, but Carol S. Pearson, a renowned psychologist and thought leader, brought it into the modern world of branding and business. In her seminal book The Hero and the Outlaw, co-authored with Margaret Mark, Pearson demonstrates how aligning a brand with an archetype taps into deep human desires, forging connections that go beyond transactions.

Today, I’ll show you how to unlock the power of archetypes to attract the right clients and opportunities for your business. This isn’t just about branding—it’s about aligning your business with a narrative that feels authentic, memorable, and magnetic.

What is an archetype? 

Carl Jung defined archetypes as “forms or images of a collective nature which occur practically all over the earth as constituents of myths and at the same time as individual products of unconscious origin.” Archetypes are universal symbols or characters, such as the Hero, Magician, or Explorer, that exist in our collective unconscious. They resonate with us deeply, shaping the way we perceive brands, people, and stories.

By aligning your brand with an archetype, you create a deep emotional connection with your audience, making your business unforgettable.

And science backs this up: a study titled Conceptual Organization is Revealed by Consumer Activity Patterns analyzed over 1.3 million supermarket shopping baskets. It found that consumers organize their purchases based on goal-directed and situational concepts, showing that decisions are driven by the meanings and associations of products, not just their functional attributes​.

As The Hero and the Outlaw puts it, “Brands that capture the essential meaning of their category—and communicate that message in subtle and refined ways—dominate the market”​.

❤️ Heartset: Natural and Effortless Attraction

Imagine a business where every interaction feels natural and effortless because your brand aligns with your authentic self. Clients aren’t just buying from you—they’re connecting with a story, a feeling, a shared vision. This is the power of archetypes. They help you show up as the guide, hero, or visionary your clients need, creating trust and loyalty in an increasingly noisy market.

🧠 Mindset: You Don’t Sell Things, You Sell Transformation

It’s time to shift from seeing your business as transactional to viewing it as transformational.

Your services aren’t just solutions—they’re stepping stones in your client’s journey. By aligning your brand with an archetype, you elevate your business from selling products to crafting a story and legend your client yearn to be a part of.

🧰 Skillset: How to Use Archetypes

The 12 archetypes (Download free PDF)

1. Discover Your Core Archetype
   Identifying your archetype starts with reflection. Here’s a roadmap:

   • Ask yourself these key questions:

     • What do you want people to feel when they interact with your brand?

     • What values or principles drive your business decisions?

     • What is the emotional promise you consistently deliver?

   • Use the archetype framework from The Hero and the Outlaw:

     • Are you the Hero (inspiring courage and action)? The Sage (offering wisdom and understanding)? The Outlaw (rebelling and challenging the norm)? Each archetype comes with a unique identity, motivation, and emotional appeal. For example:

       • Harley-Davidson channels the Outlaw by representing freedom and rebellion.

       • Coca-Cola embodies the Innocent with its messages of joy, nostalgia, and purity​.

   • Look at your audience and competitors:

     • What archetypes are they drawn to? How can you differentiate your brand?

2. Align Your Marketing with Emotional Promises
   Once you identify your archetype, let it guide your branding. A Hero brand should inspire action and bravery. A Caregiver brand should nurture trust and safety. Use your archetype to steer your logo, messaging, and visual design.

3. Audit Your Brand for Consistency
   Review all your touchpoints—your website, social media, and emails. Are they aligned with your archetype? For example, if you’re an Explorer, does your messaging evoke adventure and the thrill of discovery? If you’re a Sage, are you consistently sharing insightful and thought-provoking content?

4. Infuse Archetype Storytelling into Your Brand
   Storytelling is the lifeblood of archetypes. Bring yours to life with stories that resonate with your audience. Share moments that reflect the core values of your archetype—your struggles, triumphs, and lessons learned.

5. Craft Content That Sparks Recognition and Trust
   Speak directly to your audience’s subconscious motivations. Use storytelling and design to make your archetype not just relatable but irresistible. Whether through ads, social media posts, or client interactions, ensure every interaction reinforces your archetype.

Common Traps to Avoid When Using Archetypes

1. Inauthenticity
   Archetypes must align with who you truly are. If you choose one that doesn’t resonate with your values or how you operate, your audience will see through it. As the book says, “Meaning must be true to the intrinsic value of a brand—that is, what the product really is and does”​.

2. Archetype Overlap
   Mixing too many archetypes dilutes your message. Avoid trying to embody multiple archetypes, as it creates brand confusion. For instance, Levi’s struggled when they oscillated between Explorer, Outlaw, and Regular Guy/Gal​.

3. Neglecting Evolution
   Archetypes are timeless, but their expression must evolve with cultural shifts. Nike, a Hero brand, faced challenges when its message became cliché. The solution wasn’t to abandon the Hero archetype but to rediscover fresh ways to inspire action​.

4. Ignoring the Audience
   Your archetype must resonate with your audience’s values and desires. A mismatch will alienate them, no matter how strong your branding. For example, if your audience seeks nurturing (Caregiver), but your brand projects bold rebellion (Outlaw), the disconnect will hurt trust.

Help evoke a yearning in those you serve

Archetypes aren’t just marketing fluff—they’re the key to building a brand that resonates on a soul-deep level. When you align your business with an archetype, you’re not just selling a product or service—you’re inviting your clients into a story, a journey, and a transformation.

As Margaret Mark and Carol Pearson remind us, archetypes “help brands evoke deep emotions and yearnings” and “provide a structure for describing the enduring meaning of brands”​.

And that’s how legends are made.

See you next Sunday.

Make your mark, live your legend 🤘🏽,

Howie Chan

Creator of Legend Letters

​Read my story​

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SOURCES

1. "Conceptual Organization is Revealed by Consumer Activity Patterns"
   This study analyzed over 1.3 million supermarket shopping baskets to understand how consumers organize products conceptually, supporting the idea that consumers seek meaning beyond mere product features.

2. "The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes" by Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson
   This seminal book explores how aligning a brand with an archetype taps into deep human desires, forging connections that go beyond transactions.

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