Brand Archetypes

A Powerful Tool For Creating Alignment, Strengthening Your Brand and Making Your Communication More Consistent

GENERALITIES

About pattern recognition and archetypes

HOW THE BRAIN WORKS?

The brain is a pattern recognizing machine. In order to deal with huge amount of information in everyday life the brain learned how to immediately make sense of a complex situation. We can recognize different patterns when facing an unknown situation based on our previous experiences or even based on inherited “information”. During our everyday life we’re using different shortcuts. Our brain is like an information selecting machine. It immediately selects all the information which is irrelevant at that very situation, so we can focus all of our attention on the important piece of information. With these shortcuts we can analyze difficult situations in an extremely short period of time, even if the available information is very limited. How are we doing this? After recognizing a pattern the brain tends to fill out the gaps, the missing information. In other words: completing the missing part of the pattern.

The brain is a pattern recognizing machine. In order to deal with huge amount of information in everyday life the brain learned how to immediately make sense of a complex situation. We can recognize different patterns when facing an unknown situation based on our previous experiences or even based on inherited “information”. During our everyday life we’re using different shortcuts. Our brain is like an information selecting machine. It immediately selects all the information which is irrelevant at that very situation, so we can focus all of our attention on the important piece of information. With these shortcuts we can analyze difficult situations in an extremely short period of time, even if the available information is very limited. How are we doing this? After recognizing a pattern the brain tends to fill out the gaps, the missing information. In other words: completing the missing part of the pattern.

Let’s say that one of your ancestors has seen a moving shadow behind the bush. He immediately assumes that it’s maybe a lion and the probability of death is quite high. His muscles became tensed, the heartbeat speeds up and he ready to move. All of this are happening  unconsciously, involuntarily and in a fraction of a second he is ready for fight or flight. He hasn’t seen the whole lion, just a shadow, but his bran COMPLETED the missing pieces of information with his previously accumulated knowledge. His is called PATTERN RECOGNITION. We’re using the same mechanism in every single minutes in our life. Because the pattern recognition is one of the basic mechanisms of perception we tend to recognize patterns everywhere, even if they are not exist. Just think about the many optical illusions. We can make, store and recognize different patterns not just about our physical environment, but based on abstract ideas as well. We’re making and recognizing many different patterns while listening a story, reading a book, watching a movie, seeing an ad, watching a politician’s speech and yes, when considering a buying decision.
OK, BUT WHAT ARE THE ARCHETYPES EXACTLY?
 
Archetypes are very deep and basic universal patterns developed by the whole of humanity and shared by every single individual. These archetypal patterns are developed during the 100 000s of years of cognitive development of the humanity. Basically since the humanity started to speak we tried to organize the “essence” of all information in different patterns. Archetypes contain a piece of the accumulated and universal knowledge about how human society works. Archetypes are inherited, it is embedded in every human psyche, therefore it is shared by every single individual on earth. It means that every single human being can recognize the pattern based on different archetypes in every single part of our life.
(According to C. G. Jung the archetypes have a much more general role as well. They play an important part in how the cosmos is organized and tell us a lot about the universal laws of the whole universe. But it’s the beginning of another discussion.)
ARCHETYPES ARE:
  • content of patterns in the human psyche
  • universal
  • inherited
  • unconscious

Archetypes in branding

If a person recognises a sharp archetypal pattern in a brand he immediately starts to use shortcuts to analyse the information. He starts to fill out the “knowledge gaps” in the brain, starts to complete the missing piece of information. In other words is someone can recognize the basic character of a brand or product he can immediately reach a conclusion about the brand’s attributes, strength, weaknesses. This can affect his overall perception of the whole character of the brand and can decide what to expect and what to not expect from this brand. So he immediately can make a whole picture of the brand based on a very limited amount of information. The mechanism is the same: the person immediately starts to generalize the information and compare it with information that is already known. This is how human perception works. When people are recognizing the patterns of archetypes most of the times they are not aware of it, they are doing it on an unconscious level. Therefore brands based on archetypes work the best when people make decisions based by emotions, like status, safety, satisfaction or trying to fulfil different psychological needs.
A carefully constructed brand, which is based on the very basic and universal pattern of the human psyche can immediately make sense for people without long explanations. It can immediately RESONATE with the audience on a very basic, very deep and unconscious level. A brand which is communicated on many different ways and trying to be “everything for everyone” creates confusing among the audience. And you know what people do when they are confused… Nothing.

Summary about archetypes

ARCHETYPES ARE:
 
  • very basic knowledge organizing patterns in the human psyche. They contain the “essence” of a huge amount of human knowledge accumulated in 100 000s of years.
  • universal, shared by every single individual
  • they are inherited. You’ll recognize these patterns no matter what you do. You cannot delete, modify of manipulate these basic patterns.
  • the brain tends to “fill out the gaps”, complete the incomplete part of the pattern
  • archetypes are unconscious: using archetypes we can connect with the audience on an emotional level and they have a great influence on our thoughts and actions
  • an archetype can be any commonality shared by a group of people: symbols, events, motives and experiences
“Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.”
Victor Hugo

And more...

History of archetypes

  • Carl Gustav Jung mentioned the term for the first time in 1919 (Instincts and the Unconscious)
  • ORIGINS: Jung was studying various mythologies from all around the world. He also studied the symbols and characters in his patient’s dreams. He observed lots of commonalities in all mythologies of the world. He recognized different repeated symbols, events and motives that can be found in most of the mythologies and in the major religions of the world. The same elements also the can be found in different dreams, and it also manifests itself in case of different patients who are suffering from different mental illnesses. This fact suggests that these common patterns are based deeply in the human psyche and it can be found in every human psyche.
  • Jung also developed the concept of COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS

“The collective unconscious is a part of the psyche which can be negatively distinguished from a personal unconscious by the fact that it does not, like the latter, owe its existence to personal experience and consequently is not a personal acquisition. (…) In addition to our immediate consciousness, which is of a thoroughly personal nature and which we believe to be the only empirical psyche (even if we tack on the personal unconscious as an appendix), there exists a second psychic system of a collective, universal, and impersonal nature which is identical in all individuals. This collective unconscious does not develop individually but is inherited. It consists of pre-existent forms, the archetypes, which can only become conscious secondarily and which give definite form to certain psychic contents.” C. G. Jung: Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious (1959)

  • Jung’s analogy: Human experiences are like colors on the spectrum. The center of the spectrum is visible, but as we’re moving towards the unconscious realms of the psyche the colors became invisible for the eye. The visible colors represent the consciousness, the infrared and ultraviolet represent the unconscious. The single difference in this analogy is that according to many psychologists 99% of all human experiences are happening unconsciously. That’s why archetypes have such a great influence on our decisions.
  • An example about the perceptible connection between the different forces of the collective unconscious: According to Mihály Csíkszentmilyályi (professor of psychology at The University of Chicago) there is an obvious connection between the terrible events of the 20th century and the rise of the abstract arts (like avant-garde painting and atonal music).

Categorizing archetypes

  • The possible number of archetypes are basically limitless. Every singe symbol, event, motive and experience shared by a community can be an archetype.

 

  • Jung identified 12 BASIC ARCHETYPES, which can be found in every major mythologies, religions and are shared by all human psyches.
CATEGORIZING BY CARDINAL ORIENTATION
 
  • Jung categorized these 12 archetypes into 4 distinct categories, which he called cardinal orientations.
  • The concept of the cardinal orientation explains:
    • the OVERALL MOTIVATION of the archetype
    • the MISSION of the archetype
    • the FORM IN WHICH the archetype SEEKS FULFILLMENT
The 4 different CARDINAL ORIENTATIONS are:
 

1. LEAVE A MARK – their overall motivation is to leave a mark on the world

  • HERO -> leave a mark through MASTERY
  • MAGICIAN -> leave a mark through POWER
  • OUTLAW -> leave a mark through LIBERATION from the tyranny
  •  

2. SPIRITUAL JOURNEY – the meaning of life is to go through a lifelong spiritual journey

  • INNOCENT -> spiritual journey toward SAFETY
  • SAGE -> spiritual journey toward UNDERSTANDING
  • EXPLORER -> spiritual journey toward FREEDOM
  •  

3. PROVIDE STRUCTURE – organize the world, provide a stable structure for others, so they can live in prosperity

  • ARTIST -> provide structure by INNOVATION
  • RULER -> provide structure by CONTROL
  • CAREGIVER -> provide structure by SERVICE

4. CONNECTWITH OTHERS – their overall motivation is to seek to belong and connect with other human beings

  • LOVER -> connect with others through INTIMACY
  • JESTER -> connect with others through PLEASURE and ENTERTAINMENT
  • EVERYMAN -> connect with others through BELONGING

(source: https://conorneill.com/)

the 12 archetypes

Cardinal orientation: LEAVE A MARK

HERO

MASTERY

MAGICIAN

POWER

OUTLAW

LIBERATION
Ego
Self
Soul

Cardinal orientation: SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

INNOCENT

SAFETY

SAGE

KNOWLEDGE

EXPLORER

FREEDOM
Ego
Self
Soul

Cardinal orientation: PROVIDE STRUCTURE

CAREGIVER

SERVICE

RULER

CONTROL

ARTIST

INNOVATION
Ego
Self
Soul

Cardinal orientation: CONNECT WITH OTHERS

EVERYMAN

BELONGING

JESTER

PLEASURE

LOVER

INTIMACY
Ego
Self
Soul

Cardinal orientation: LEAVE A MARK

THE HERO

Leave a mark on the world by accepting your destiny, going through challenges, completing your mission and gaining MASTERY.
OTHER NAMES and SUB-ARCHETYPES
 
  • warrior
  • soldier
  • competitor
  • knight
  • superhero
MOTTO
 

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” (English proverb from the 1600s)

ATTRIBUTES
 
  • strength, bravery, courage, hope, faith, discipline, strong sense of justice, ambitious, responsibility, impenetrability from corruption, urge to protect the weak, ability to influence others, self-confidence, ability to overcome all threads
  • He is a fighter. He goes against all odds for a worthy cause. Loosing is not an option he should win or die.
  • he is the only one who has the courage to confront with the dragon
MOTIVATION
 
  • Mastery: continuously working on mastering himself
  • wants to make a change in the world
  • “(…) overcome the monster of darkness, triumph the consciousness over the unconsciousness” (C. G. Jung: The Psychology of the Child Archetype)
JOURNEY
 
  • during his journey the hero goes through different obstacles, trials, milestones
  • he gradually metamorphoses with every milestone while learning different new skills and gaining MASTERY
  • The hero is restless. After finishing his journey he tends to start the cycle over again.
  • His journey usually has multiple layers: he is not fighting just in the physical world, but he is fighting the ultimate fight is happening inside him. He is trying to overcome his negative personality traits (his shadow), so he can metamorphose and achieve the ultimate mastery.
 
-stages of the journey
  • departure: -the hero is facing with a difficult task or trial, he accepts the ordeal
  • initiation: -the hero is facing with the unknown. He is facing with situations he is completely unfamiliar with.
  • different trials on different circumstances, different places
  • ally: -an ally joining him and helping him with knowledge or with different magical objects. The ally is often belongs to the sage archetype.
  • submergence: -this is the final and ultimate trial. The hero goes against all odds and completes the impossible mission. Then he experiences some kind of rebirth. The other scenario: he comes out with an incurable wound while trying to restore the piece for everyone else.
  • the final step, homecoming: The hero comes back to his home village. It’s a kind of re-integration. He realized that after so many trials he cannot live his previous life.
SHADOW (negative attributes and personality traits)
 
  • arrogance, heartlessness, jealousy
  • overestimating his abilities
  • refuse to cooperate with others, refuse to be a team member
  • his goal became to seek recognition, acknowledgement and admiration
  • fighting for honor
  • pushing others to the edge while gaining recognition for himself
  • overly controlling
  • loosing all of his sensitivity while fighting

THE MAGICIAN

Leave a mark on the world by gaining, controlling and channelling POWER. Make incredible things happen!
OTHER NAMES and SUB-ARCHETYPES
 
  • wizard
  • charismatic leader
  • catalyst
  • holy man
  • healer
  • ritual elder
  • medicine man or woman
  • mediator
  • prophet
MOTTO
 
  • “It can happen!”
  • “I make it happen!”
ATTRIBUTES
 
-gaining knowledge, understanding and skills
  • seeks to understand the basic laws of the nature and universe
  • he has extraordinary knowledge, understanding
  • possesses a variety of skills which seem extraordinary, even supernatural in the eyes of ordinary people
  • knowing and understanding is not enough for him (unlike the sage). He wants to directly experience the powers of the universe
 
-change and transformation:
  • because of his extraordinary knowledge and exceptional skills able to make a transformation and seemingly impossible changes happen
  • seeks constant growth for himself, for his narrower and wider environment
  • has the power to make a miracle or something very unexpected
  • has the ability to radiate the power toward others and bring positive change into the world
 
-he has the power to create
  • he is a master of technology
  • his skills enable him to form and manipulate the elements
  • able to see opportunity in chaos, make an order and create something new, which is impossible for ordinary people
 
-he is charismatic
  • has a vision
  • can influence others by communicating his values
  • has a very string belief system
  • they are very powerful and dynamic
 
-he is a man of connections
  • has a deep connection with the forces of the universe
  • in different mythologies he is the one who is the communicator between different worlds
  • he is the “bridge” between the mind, spirit, physical reality and the mystery of the cosmos, between the ancient and new, and between different worlds
 
-he is eccentric
  • he likes to spend time alone, building a wealth of knowledge and perfecting his skills. Wants to find his personal secret space and time to be able to learn and create.
  • sometimes is really difficult for others (and sometimes even for themselves) to understand who they really are
  • he is not concerned about the “affairs or mortals”. He doesn’t find them satisfying and fascinating enough. He is concerned about bigger, more general problems
MOTIVATIONS
 
-he is most concerned about power
  • his extraordinary skills and the huge amount of knowledge and understanding he possesses give him an enormous amount of power
  • “has knowledge about the energy flows and patterns in nature, human individuals and societies, and among the gods, the deep unconscious forces. He is a master of containing and channeling power” – King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine – Douglas Gillette and Robert L. Moore

 

-wants to harness the power and channel and redirect it for the benefit of all

-he is pursuing his vision
  • he has a vision and wants to see it come true for the benefit of all
SHADOW (negative attributes and personality traits)
 
-commotion, disarray
  • when he moves away from his core values tends to live inside his mind, rather than making meaningful connections
  • when he doesn’t have a clear vision tends to radiate the power toward many insignificant things. Or just stops completely to participate in the transformation of the world and became just an observer.

 

-manipulation
  • can become overly manipulative to others in order to achieve the wanted change and transformation
  • he can be perceived as dishonest, immoral and exploitative

THE OUTLAW

Leave a mark on the world by LIBERATING it from tyranny, corruption or conformism. Destroy what’s not working and build something new instead.
OTHER NAMES
 
  • rebel
  • revolutionary
  • wild man
  • villain
  • iconoclast
  • enemy
MOTTO
 
“Rules are meant to be broken.”
ATTRIBUTES
 
ambiguity: destruct and build at the same time
  • The outlaw is the destructive power which goes against every established system.
  • But he is a powerful instrument of progress at the same time.
 
urge for change
  • He can bring genuine change by destructing what’s not working and building something new instead.
  • He has the ability to move the world forward by replacing the old systems constantly by new ones.
  • They re-invent things, reconfigure, turn the world upside-down and make changes happen.
  • They disrupt all the conventions in social, institutional, personal and cultural level as well.
 
rebellious
  • wild, crazy, uncontrollable, non-conformist
  • goes against authorities, and established order
  • they don’t care at all about the status quo
  • they keep doing things that are unaccepted, are against the social norms
  • they are “free-spirited”. Trying to live by their own rules. Most of the times they are very certain that their way is the best to reform the world, even if it’s not acceptable by the society.
  • they don’t really care what people are saying about them
  • They are the ones who lead a revolution.
MOTIVATION
 
  • Ultimate motivation: Leave a mark on the world by liberating it from tyranny.
  • His deepest desire is freedom, to live a free-spirited life.
  • They feel an urge when they face with conformism, tyranny, cynicism or corruption
  • They are the most satisfied when they realized to make an important change.
SHADOW
 
-their greatest fear is to be powerless against authorities and to feeling trapped
-they can be dangerous, not considering consequences or other people in order to make their plans happen
 
-can turn to the negative side
  • can become destructive, out of control, dangerous and misguided
  • can engage in violent or even criminal activities
  • pushing people to the edge and sometimes harming even innocents in order to accomplish their wanted change
 
-when their plans don’t succeed
  • they can feel ridiculed, humiliated, excommunicated or punished
  • can turn against themselves and engage in self-destructive behaviour
  • tend to alienate everyone near them and often end-up alone, isolated and lonely

Cardinal orientation: SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

THE INNOCENT

Life is a spiritual journey towards SAFETY. Find your Paradise, so you can live the ultimate freedom and happiness.
OTHER NAMES
 
  • child
  • utopian
  • naive
  • dreamer
  • idealist
  • muse
  • tradicionalist
  • naive
  • mystic
  • romantic
MOTTO
 
“Free to be you and me.”
ATTRIBUTES
 
-searching for happiness
  • they are on a never-ending spiritual journey, searching for the ultimate happiness
  • most of the time they are joyful, enthusiastic and in good spirits
 
optimism
  • they see the good in everyone and in every situation
  • they are the one who sees the glass half full
  • they are idealists, always seeking to live by their ideas
 
simplicity
  • tend to live in their own world, in her childish, simpler life, where everything is straight forward
  • tend to keep all the things simple and not to over-complicate anything
  • because of her simplistic views, she can be overly naive
  • they are always straight-forward, their speech don’t contain hidden meanings and motivation
 
loyalty and faith
  • they tend to be extremely loyal, even if the circumstances are not in her favour
  • they have a deep faith that the things finally will work out well
  • they are willing to risk and trust people easily
MOTIVATION
 
freedom and happiness
  • they always seek freedom and ultimate happiness, not just for herself, but also for everyone else
  • they desire to find or make a secret place where they can live happily and freely
SHADOW
 
  • greatest fear: doing something wrong and being punished
  • can be overly simplistic
  • offer simplistic solutions for problems
  • lives her own simplistic world
  • don’t recognise hidden meanings
  • don’t understand complex situations
  • can be overly childish
  • can refuse to grow up and take responsibility
  • can be dependent on others, cannot solve her own problems
  • have a tendency to ignore the reality and to live in an idealistic fantasy world
  • cannot see their own weaknesses
  • inability to change, push their boundaries, grow and unwillingness put herself in new situations
LEVELS OF THE INNOCENT ARCHETYPE
 
LEVEL 1
  • childish, simplistic, naive, obedient, trusting, idyllic
  • it’s their privilege to be in paradise and can fell angry and blame others if they don’t get it immediately
 
LEVEL 2
  • openness, renewal, reinvention, positivism
  • actively searching for paradise
 
LEVEL 3
  • integrity, honesty, sense of spiritual oneness
  • highly developed innocents
  • trying to find the paradise within and not outside, in material experience
  • (this idea is very close to the Buddhist philosophy
SUB-ARCHETYPES
 
INNOCENT
  • happiness, optimism, integrity, honesty
  • renewal, reinvention
  • the world is a happy place
  • shadow: overly simplistic
 
CHILD
  • curiosity, positivity, extreme amount of energy
  • easy to amuse of fascinate by anything
  • shadow: refuse to grow up and take responsibility
 
DREAMER
  • strong imagination
  • living in their own worlds
  • ability to dream a better world and thrive for it
  • always can come up with endless new ideas
  • shadow:
    • lack of contact with reality
    • lack of capacity to implement all of their ideas
 
IDEALIST
  • peace, harmony, paradise
  • believing in communities, seeking wholeness as a society
  • the belief that the world can be changed
  • shadow: unable to see the potential danger in particular situations
 
MUSE
  • they are a source of creativity and inspiration for others
  • motivation, ability to create

THE SAGE

Life is a series of lessons. Gain KNOWLEDGE, wisdom, find the ultimate truth and meaning of life.
OTHER NAMES
 
  • wise old man
  • scholar
  • teacher
  • mentor
  • researcher
  • thinker
  • detective
  • oracle
  • planner
MOTTO
 
“The truth will set you free.”
ATTRIBUTES
 
-desire for knowledge
  • the sage’s whole life is devoted to continuous learning and gaining knowledge
  • they see life as a series of lessons
  • they find meaning in everything
  • they want to know everything about anything
  • ability to think analytically and logically
  • their deepest desire to find life’s ultimate meaning
  • they always make reflections about themselves
  • trying to answer life’s profound questions
 
-desire for truth
  • they desire to know the truth about everything because the truth gives them freedom
  • no matter how uncomfortable the truth may be
 
-source of wisdom
  • during their lifetime they accumulate a huge amount of knowledge
  • they have a critical role in their communities, but they are never in the centre
  • can act as a teacher of the hero, helping him to achieve mastery he desires. But most of the times he steps aside and gives the opportunity for the hero to develop on his own and fulfil his destiny.
SHADOW
 
-fear
  • being ignorant
  • being misled
  • arriving to truth based on false assumptions
 
-inability to action
  • tends to be overly analytical and unable to act based on his knowledge
  • spending too much time on learning and not enough time on acting
  • can be overly theoretic and not practical
 
arrogance
  • can look down on others because of being ignorant
  • can be overly critical, sarcastic and derisive
  • can be overly dogmatic, stubborn and unable to change his ideas and beliefs

THE EXPLORER

Go through a spiritual journey towards FREEDOM. Live life as freely as possible, find a better world and find your true self along the way.
MOTTO
 
“Don’t Fence Me In.”
OTHER NAMES
 
  • seeker
  • adventurer
  • iconoclast
  • pilgrim
  • wanderer
ATTRIBUTES
 
freedom
  • he is an adventurer, who values freedom the most
  • he needs a good amount of personal space and personal freedom
  • refuse to be caged in
  • he is always ready to park his backpack and go on another interesting journey
  • cannot live a monotonous everyday life
 
adventure
  • his ultimate goal is to live a fulfilled life, that is worth living
  • he wants to get out the most of his life
  • He is seeking unfamiliar places and situations. He is not afraid to put himself in strange or even dangerous situations.
THE EXPLORER’S JOURNEY
 
  • He faces a variety of challenges during his journey. But he doesn’t need a great cause to set sail (like the hero) or an establishment to fight with (like the outlaw).
  • His most common reasons for starting the journey are: restlessness, boredom, yearning, dissatisfaction.
  • he is more concerned by the adventure rather than the end-result
  • he is searching for a better world, desires to live a more purposeful and fulfilling life
  • but he cannot stay in one place too long. The goal of his journey is the journey itself.
  • Often his journey has a double meaning. He tried to find the meaning in the outside world, that is missing from the inside. His outside journey is often a metaphor of his inner self-discovery.
  • his ultimate questions are:
    • What am I here for?
    • What is my purpose in life?
MOTIVATIONS
 
  • freedom and independence
  • the journey itself, the process of searching a new, a better world
  • to live a life worth living
  • self-discovery, finding meaning and purpose in life
LEVELS OF THE EXPLORER ARCHETYPE
 
LEVEL 1
  • exploring nature
  • travelling anywhere without any particular purpose
 
LEVEL 2
  • desire to find his own identity and individuality
  • starts to explore the inner world as well in parallel with his journey in the outside world
  • asking existential questions about the meaning of life
  • desire to find a more fulfilling life
 
LIFE 3
  • already found his inner paradise
  • find his character, his unique identity and he is comfortable with who he is
EXPLORER SUB-ARCHETYPES
 
EXPLORER
 
  • risk-taker
  • pushing boundaries
  • tends to be pointless and going in circles without progress
 
ADVENTURER
  • spontaneous
  • he has an adrenaline addiction
  • no-fear attitude, disregards danger
  • cannot stand the monotonousness of everyday life
 
PIONEER
  • passionate and innovative
  • needs to manage their ego in order to avoid burnout
 
GENERALIST
  • explorer version of the Renaissance man
  • aims to experience many interests
  • has a wide range of understanding in a multitude of categories (perhaps not on an expert level)
 
SEEKER
  • frequently feel lonely and isolated
  • he is willing to go to the end of the world in order to find meaning
  • continuous learning
SHADOW
 
  • being a misfit
  • wandering without any purpose, not making any progress
  • finally cannot find a place that fits for him
  • gets easily bored and tends to start his journey without any particular reason
  • lack of commitment (in personal and professional life as well)
  • lose himself in the limitless opportunities and cannot find his own individual path
  • non-conformist, actively keeps away from groups
  • wandering restlessly
  • after achieving his goals he sets new goals and even higher expectations again and again

Cardinal orientation: PROVIDE STRUCTURE

THE CAREGIVER

Provide structure in the world by providing  SERVICE to others, protecting and nurturing the vulnerable.
MOTTO
 
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” Mark 12:31
OTHER NAMES
 
  • altruist
  • saint
  • helper
  • parent
  • supporter
ATTRIBUTES
 
-selflessness
  • providing care and support for other people is their biggest pleasure and satisfaction
  • they care more about other people than they care about themselves -> They always put other people’s needs before their own.
  • it’s not hard for them to sacrifice their own comfort, safety and goods for other people
  • they tend to give much more than they receive
 
sensitiveness
  • extremely sensitive to other people’s suffering -> The caregiver acts immediately if he sees that someone is suffering.
  • compassionate and considerate attitude -> They can sense immediately if someone needs help or attention.
  • a great deal of empathy towards others -> Can easily put himself in the shoes of others.
 
-nurturing mother
  • the character of the caregiver can be associated with the “nurturing mother”
  • “Throughout history, the Caregiver as an archetype has been associated with both maternal and paternal feelings of protectiveness toward children and the attendant willingness to do what is necessary to take care of them, even if doing so requires considerable sacrifice—but also, with the darker fears of exerting excessive power and of being controlled.”   Margaret Mark and Carol Pearson: The Hero and the Outlaw
MOTIVATIONS
 
  • their overall motivation is to provide structure in the world by providing service to others, protecting and nurturing the vulnerable.
  • they find satisfaction in making a difference in people’s lives
  • they value positivity and optimism
  • their motivation is giving -> They always tend to give, even if it requires a significant sacrifice from them
SHADOW
 
-giving too much
  • tend to give much more than they receive -> They can easily become exhausted, overwhelmed or just simply out of resources.
  • lack of private life -> They may end up not having a private life, not considering their own needs and always keeping busy with helping others.
  • Not having enough time for themselves, sacrificing their own needs and sometimes even their whole self
  • It is very difficult for them to say no to other people, even if the request is unreasonable or exploits them totally. Establishing boundaries is a hard challenge for them.
  • The constant demand from others can overwhelm them. Because they always put other’s needs before theirs they may develop feelings of inadequacy or a sense of worthlessness.
  • They fear taking for granted and not being valued as an equal person
  • Their generosity drives people towards them. They may end up being vulnerable for any potential danger. Sometimes they cannot sense if someone takes advantage of them.
  • They greatest fears are: selfishness and ingratitude
 
-overly controlling
  • playing games with others -> If they help others in order to get something in exchange or for their personal gain.
  • overly demanding, controlling with their environment -> They think they have the right to control others because people are dependent on them.
  • they can be manipulating with others -> They can be overly controlling to others. If they don’t get what they want they can threaten others with the deprivation of their care.
  • victimizing themselves -> If they don’t receive any compensation or recognition for their sacrifices they can act like victims.

THE RULER

Provide structure in the world by maintaining CONTROL. Set the rules, lead by example and create a thriving society.
MOTTO
 
‘‘Power isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.’’    –   Mario Puzo: The Last Don
OTHER NAMES
 
  • king
  • leader
  • aristocrat
  • role model
  • parent
  • politician
  • responsible citizen
  • queen
  • boss
ATTRIBUTES
 
-taking responsibility
  • the Ruler is always taking responsibility in his organization
  • taking control in situations of chaos -> They establish clear rules, creating balance and order in the organization and society
  • organizing the environment -> They create an environment for others in which they can create and thrive by setting and maintaining the rules.
  • They are the classic “leaders -> always up to take control in every situation and lead others and make important decisions.
  • They are always in the front-line, showing the direction to others.
 
-role model
  • courage, charisma, orderliness, stability, ability to see a bigger picture. These qualities give them enormous influence on others.
  • They act as a role model for others, leading by example.
  • This archetype has the ability to influence others by creating a hierarchy in society.
  • They are the visionaries who can see farther than others. They and has the ability to inspire others and prompts them to take action.
  • He is always playing by the rules and expects others as well to do so.
  • They are always confident in their abilities. It gives them an unshakeable character. They are always ready to jump and take control of every situation.
 
-power and authority
  • They can imagine the society and any types of organizations as a hierarchical structure with clear rules, clearly defined rights and obligations
  • aims to maintain the status quo -> They establish the rules and aims to make sure everything is done exactly according to their rules.
MOTIVATIONS
 
-control and status
  • power and control over everything -> They desire to control, lead and dominate others.
  • to be in control is the number one thing for them -> Because of that they are thinking in hierarchical structures: they must have a status in order to be able to take control.
  • They desire a clear and predictable hierarchy in which they will be able to take control and maintain their status.
 
-creating stability
  • The Ruler aims to create and maintain a stable, predictable and organized environment. This will enable others to thrive, be productive and live a fulfilling life.
  • They are motivated to create a prosperous community. They aim to create stability, order and security in their community.
  • The Ruler has a vision, usually about the future of their community. He is absolutely determined to make it a reality.
SHADOW
 
-overly controlling
  • Be in control is the number one priority for them. They tend to control everything to the extremes. Therefore they can be overly manipulating to others.
  • rigid, unable to change -> They can lead overly bureaucratically, always acting according to hierarchical roles and not taking into account people with lower status.
  • They can be arrogant, greedy and obsessed with power, manipulating, tyrannical and intimidating to others. They tend to punish and excommunicate people who are not following his orders.
  • they fear chaos -> They are willing to do everything in order to avoid chaos in their community. In the times of crisis they can become extremely controlling and eliminate everything and everyone who is associated with chaos.
 
-fear being overthrown
  • control and status is everything. They tend to be overly concerned with everyone who is threatening their status. They can punish people, remove them from their position and eliminate everything that questioning their status and position.
  • The shadow leader fears competition. He surrounds himself with perceptibly weaker characters in order to be able to dominate them.
  • They can hold on to their positions at any costs, regarding the consequences. (Footnote: Donald Trump and the US election in 2020)
  • Always anxious about loosing control, seeing everything as a threat and everyone as a potential rival.
  • desire to complete control -> the shadow leader wants to control every single moment and action of his people. He has a tendency to micromanagement, he want to be the decision maker in every little question. This can easily overwhelm him and can experience intense pressure and burnouts. He doesn’t have the ability to delegate and he is unable to stop or take a break.

THE ARTIST/CREATOR

Provide structure by INNOVATION. Create something new and find new ways of doing things.
OTHER NAMES
 
  • creator
  • inventor
  • musician
  • dreamer
  • writer
  • innovator
MOTTO
 
“If it can be imagined, it can be created.”
ATTRIBUTES
 
-the ability to create
  • has the ability to express himself
  • has the gift of creativity and imagination to create something completely new that didn’t exist before
  • ability to transform ordinary things into a breathtaking masterpiece
  • the creator provides structure by creating something new that restructures the world
 
-non-conformism
  • has the ability to create something that challenges the norm
  • transforming and reorganizing things at a completely new way
  • every single work is a unique masterpiece. He hates monotony and mass-production
  • he fears to be like everyone else. He wants to stand out among others, wants to be exceptional, or at least different.
 
-self-expression
  • art is a form of self-expression. He values his self-expression more than anything else. Every single piece of art expresses his inner world.
  • life is not fulfilling without art
  • An artist is just a tool for a higher force. The artist allows him to realize his purpose through him. He is just a “vehicle” of the unconscious psychic life.
MOTIVATIONS
 
  • his biggest pleasure is to create something that didn’t exist before. He is always hungry for new ideas and actively searching for new ways of doing things.
  • the work he created gives him a sense of immortality
  • his true core motivation is self-expression. He seeks to express his creativity through the form of art.
  • wants to constantly innovate the obsolete and find new ways of doing things
  • He wants to create more than anything else. So he can experience the divine sense of creating something from nothing, using just his own imagination.
  • he is motivated by creating something that stimulates our senses
  • need to be different to others: he wants to be an outstanding human being
SHADOW
 
-perfectionistic tendencies
  • his biggest fear is mediocrity (example: the character of Michelangelo from Dante’s Divine Comedy)
  • he has the tendency to perfect his work to the extremes
  • accepts just an absolutely perfect end result. If the work is not perfect he may abandon it all together.
  • tendency to work ineffectively: spending too much time on his work, years on a single painting or decades on a book in order to achieve the “perfect” result
  • he sees the imperfections of his (or others) work and because of this he tends to undervalue his art or consider is absolutely worthless
 
-self-destructive behaviour
  • artists tend to engage in eccentric and self-destructive behaviour (Jackson Pollock, József Attila)
  • being eccentric to such an extent to isolate himself from everyone
  • became so obsessed with creating that simply forget his needs as a human being
 
-lack of focus
  • may start many projects at the same time before finishing the one he is currently working on
  • bohemian lifestyle, lack of discipline, lack of focus and extremely disorganized
  • impulsivity: becoming obsessed with different big ideas every single day and constantly shifting focus from important things
A few words about the STARVING ARTIST AND TORTURED ARTIST archetypes
 
-attributes
  • the real creation must involve suffering, poverty and pain
  • extremely self-destructive behaviour: drugs, alcohol, addictive disorders
  • creativity is a form of mental illness or a consequence of drug use
 
This archetype is very common and popular nowadays in novels, movies and songs. However, real artists and creative people don’t really show these character traits. The high-achievers and the most creative people tend to be well-balanced personalities, completely happy with their professional and personal life. They tend to find satisfaction in the process of creation and experience the richness of human creativity. They share a supportive community and social network.
 
Further reading on this topic:

Cardinal orientation: CONNECT WITH OTHERS

THE EVERYMAN

Connect with others through BELONGING. Create meaningful and strong relationships with others.
OTHER NAMES
 
  • regular guy/gal
  • neighbour
  • realist
  • member
  • the silent majority
  • good citizen
MOTTO
 
“All men and women are created equal.”
ATTRIBUTES
 
-importance of the community
  • Always supports the common good. He is interested in the good of everyone. He recognizes the hierarchies of people, but don’t really believe in them. He is treating people as equals, regardless of their status or role.
  • can blend easily with any groups, regardless of orientation, as long as he is accepted as a equal member. They are very socials, always looking for the company of others, trying to spend as much time among people as possible.
  • archetype of democracy – accepts everyone regardless of race, religion of views. He believes that every person is equal. They always treating people fairly giving them an equal role in the community and opportunity to express themselves.
  • His biggest satisfaction is being connected to a group. He doesn’t have to achieve any particular role or position. He needs to be just as good to be accepted as a member of the community.
 
-values common sense
  • seeks simple solutions which is obvious and easily understandable and accepted by the majority
  • realistic and down to earth -> speaks concretely, doesn’t think in abstractions or in over complicated theories
  • he is practical and pragmatic – prefers to have a Volkswagen instead of a Ferrari, has a backpack instead of a good-looking suitcase and he is buying his furniture from IKEA, like the majority of people
MOTIVATIONS
 
  • values honesty and loyalty
  • aims to create meaningful, strong and long relationships with others
  • wants to have an ordinary life. He doesn’t need high position, role, status, too much money.
  • community and social interactions are everything. Wants to be accepted as an equal member of the community
SHADOW
 
-group psychology
  • his greatest fear is being left out from anything
  • he can easily blend with any kind of community. Therefore he can easily engage with dangerous and destructive communities which can adversely affect his behaviour.
  • can easily lose his personal opinions, values and his sense of self in order to match with the opinion of the group
  • can be a victim of the “group psychology” -> can think exactly alike than other people from his environment
  • tends to repress his own individual needs and desires (like the Caregiver archetype) in order to please others
 
-overly simplistic
  • he is very much grounded in reality, his thinking is “based” on common sense
  • cannot meaningfully think about abstract concepts of life and cannot contribute to meaningful breakthroughs
  • not accepting any solution or theory which is not concrete and easily understandable
  • can have a closed mindset and can be unable to change. Sometimes he can not accept ideas which are not common sense and which are against the opinion’s of the group
  • can accept mediocrity and not always tries to correct

THE JESTER

Connect with others through PLEASURE. Entertain those around him… and… yes… of course, himself as well.
MOTTO
 
“If I can’t dance I don’t want to be in your revolution,”    –   Emma Goldman, feminist activist, writer (1869-1940)
OTHER NAMES
 
  • trickster
  • joker
  • comedian
  • fool
  • punster
  • clown
ATTRIBUTES
 
childish: playfulness and spontaneity
  • He tends to react spontaneously to the events of life and not to overthink things
  • he is living in the here and now. Not concerned about the big and challenging questions of the world. He much prefers just “to be” in the present.
  • His thinking is usually straight forward, however, he can easily figure out very sophisticated ways of having fun. For example, he is able to twist every human situation and create abstract humour as well, and not just “easy” entertainment.
  • wants to get the most out of the moment -> he is addicted to enjoyment and entertainment, wants every single moment to be as fulfilling as possible
  • He reminds us of our childhood days when life was lighthearted and care-free.
 
-ability to relieve pressure
  • don’t take anything too seriously, not even his own life -> therefore has the ability to relieve the extreme pressure of stressful life events or in difficult historical times
  • In many  fairy tales, novels and stories he is placed on the Ruler’s or Leader’s right. So he will be able to ease the enormous pressure on the Leader’s shoulders. He is able to show the situation from a very different perspective.
  • Nothing is sacred and untouchable for him. He is questioning everything and can make fun of any situation. Therefore in some cases the Jester cannot be really punished, because people realise that he is living in a very different reality and is acting according to completely different rules.
  • He can create a connection with literally everyone very easily, regardless of their role or social, status. Therefore he can act as a mediator between people, he can bridge the gap between different social classes or even different cultures.
MOTIVATIONS
 
play, enjoyment and humor
  • source of entertainment -> he wants to entertain himself and also others. He can be easily bored, therefore seeks pleasure in every aspect of life.
  • regardless of the environment and situation he want to maintain joyfulness and happiness in every single moment of life. He wants to just enjoy the present moment without being concerned about the past or the future.
  • he wants to avoid boredom at any costs and to entertain others around him
  • In opposition with other archetypes he is much more light-hearted.  He doesn’t want to accomplish anything (like the hero) and doesn’t wants to get anywhere (like the Innocent: the Paradise) or doesn’t want to achieve anything (like the Lover: ultimate love).
SHADOW
 
-too much entertainment
  • His greatest fear is being bored. Therefore wants to fill every single moment with enjoyment.
  • He can experience a lack of entertainment as boredom and tend to seek more and more pleasure without limits. He wants to avoid boredom at any costs.
  • While seeking pleasure he can go to the extremes and engage in addictive and destructing activities, such as excessive gambling, drinking, drug use or extreme sports.
  • He can use his obsession with entertainment as a mask which is shown to the public. His real self however can be the exact opposite. Many professional comedians were suffering from depression, isolation and loneliness.
  • Similar to the Caregiver and Innocent archetypes they have a tendency for people-pleasing behaviour. They always want to entertain those around them. The greatest fear is being perceived as boring.
 
-out of focus
  • Can be lazy, not working on anything in particular, not taking anything seriously, just living day-by-day.
  • Because he is most concerned about the present moment it is difficult for him to plan ahead and imagine the future. He cannot stop the pleasure-seeking even if his livelihood is at stake. The shadow Jester is a typical time-waster and procrastinator.
  • He may refuse to grow up, be a part of society and take responsibility.
 
  • His jokes can be rude and insulting to others. The shadow Jester does not respect people’s boundaries and constantly goes beyond the limits of tolerance.
  • People can perceive him as rude and uncontrollable or a source of danger and tends to avoid him. Therefore the shadow Jester is often isolated and lonely.
  • If he doesn’t get the desired attention from others he can be harming to others. He can engage in any criminal activities, just to get the most desired attention. There are many such examples from the last 100 years, which are the basis of many documentaries and crime stories.

THE LOVER

Connect with others through INTIMACY. Find the ultimate relationship, live every moment fully, appreciate the beauty, seek pleasure and sensuality.
MOTTO
 
“Love makes the world go round”
OTHER NAMES
 
  • matchmaker
  • intimate
  • enthusiast
  • connoisseur
  • partner
  • friend
  • enthusiast
  • sensualist
  • harmonizer
ATTRIBUTES
 
  • The Lover can easily relate to any other type through love. She can easily find a connection with others.
  • It’s a very popular archetype: romantic novels throughout centuries, movies, songs, etc…
 
-sensitivity
  • The Lover is very sensitive for their environment and for those around her.
  • has deep feelings, she approaches the world through her feelings and emotions. (Could be considered the opposite of the Sage archetype, which approaches anything from the perspective of knowledge.)
  • The Lover is extremely caring for others, particularly for her partner. Her goal is to establish a real loving relationship.
  • She not just want to receive love, but desires to give as well. Wants to live in the harmonious balance of giving and receiving
 
-commitment
  • The Lover can devote all of her life searching for the ultimate loving relationship.
  • Once she found it she tends to be stubbornly loyal and committed to her partner.
  • Can be associated with familiar and parental relationships as well.
 
-beauty, sensuality and pleasure
  • The Lover archetype is not just about romantic relationships. The Lover can easily relate to anything that gives her pleasure and stimulate the senses.
    • appreciation of any form of art
    • gastronomic delights, such as good vines, gourmet food
    • appreciation of the beauty of their environment and also the richness of their inner lives
  • In Greek mythology, Dionysus is the God of wine, fertility, ritual madness, theatre, religious ecstasy. The modern equivalent of his character could be any time of pleasure, beauty and the enjoyment of the senses.
  • The Lover archetype can be associated with the Greek goddess, Aphrodite. She is the goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, passion and procreation.
  • When we say the words: beauty, enjoyment, pleasure we more often think about sex and romantic relationship. But the Lover archetype has a much broader meaning. If refers to the engagement with any kind of activities which provide sensory gratification. However, the sexual content plays a very important role in marketing. Brands associated with the Lover archetype often use sexual content openly or a hidden way.
MOTIVATION
 
  • The Lover’s ultimate motivation is to be in a relationship with the persons, things, activities and environment she lovers
  • to experience some form of sensory gratification, as a form of art, gastronomy, vine or any kind of pleasure
  • generally, seeks to find the “one”, the real romantic love, the ultimate relationship
  • wants to experience some form of sensuality
    • In a profound sense: she wants to live life as fully as possible.
    • In a “divine” sense: reaching a state of ecstasy to the extent of completely surrendering herself to the higher power.
SHADOW
 
-loneliness and rejection
  • The Lover’s greatest fear is loneliness and rejection -> she has a tendency of people-pleasing behaviour in order to avoid rejection.
  • She is so open for any kind of love that she became vulnerable.
  • The greatest challenge for her to live a fulfilling life without having the ultimate romantic relationship and trying to find pleasure and sensuality in other ways.
 
-obsessed with love
  • May become obsessed with the searching of the “one” ideal partner and may spend her entire life searching for the ultimate partner.
  • if she found the ultimate partner she wants to avoid every single possibility that is dangerous for the relationship. She may end up losing her uniqueness, personality or her entire sense of self.
  • She can be exploited by others. She may distort the reality, not admitting obvious problems even for herself, in order to preserve the relationship.
 
-the IMPOTENT LOVER archetype
  • Failed to find the real relationship she aimed for and cannot imagine any other source of pleasure or satisfaction.
  • Life lost its colour, the Impotent Lover beliefs she will never find again the source of satisfaction.
  • The Lover’s energies are repressed, not allowed to flow freely. She may have the urge to seek sensuality and pleasure, but she doesn’t allow herself.

Summary of Archetypal Marketing

1.

Is your communication coherent enough?

When you communicate you have to be concrete, coherent and understandable. Particularly in the age of information overload, your communication must be coherent and predictable as a bullet, fired from a gun. Regardless if you’re communicating as a company, a public figure or an individual, whether you are a professional, a politician, a teacher or a public speaker you can’t afford to confuse your audience. If your audience can not resonate with your message they will never act on what you say. And if they don’t act you’re lost, you’re history.

2.

Why archetypes are so powerful?

Archetypes are the 100 000 years old content marketing, seen by everyone, heard by everyone, sensed by everyone and wrote by everyone. Archetypes are content, present in every human psyche. They contain the very basis of human interactions that shaped our societies. Archetypes are unconscious, people are not aware of them, therefore they cannot ignore them. People are resonating with strong archetypal patterns unconsciously, on a deeper, very basic level. If you have a strong archetypal character people will understand what are you trying to say. Even if your speech is just one sentence long. Or even you’re not saying anything.

3.

You can make it happen... It's up to you!

There are thousands of different archetypes. Jung identified the 12 basic one. Now it’s your turn. Let’s use it!

WARNING!

Unfinished article!

Currently working on it…