Your Brand Archetypes Explained
For each of the 12 Business personalities – or Brand Archetypes, I have outlined, below, their main ‘driver’ or Spiritual Contract together with a fuller description of what it means for you, as your business brand to have that as your Signature Archetype or your Influencing Archetype
Be sure to take the ‘What’s your Business Archetype’ quiz FIRST. This is not something to guess at!
Explorer
"To discover deep fulfilment, freedom and authenticity"
The Explorer’s drive is to seek new experiences.
They have a foot in both the physical and the spiritual world, as they see both as landscapes of possibilities and self-expression.
Restless and often ambitious, the Explorer’s quest is for individuality and uniqueness. They often feel alone (since they are usually out in front, blazing a trail) and shy away from depending on others. Their intense need for wide-open vistas and what is new or different keeps them on the move.
For this reason, Explorers comfortably embrace different cultures and ideas.
Their deeply rooted need for self-expression and individuality gives us a positive role model for discovering our own unique brilliance and originality
Artist
"To confidently honour self-expression”
The Artist’s drive to re-imagine the ordinary and turn it into the extraordinary is fuelled by a deep desire to make things different than they are.
Their imagination and unwillingness to conform is the catalyst for innovation and a never-ending stream of possibility.
What we see as simply lumps of clay, bits of paint and canvas, bricks and mortar or untapped potential, the Artist sees as unlimited potential to transform our human experience. Their love of beauty, design and creativity can be expressed in any form, from great art to redesigning everyday tasks, objects and recreating our lives.
The Artist lifts us up and gives us permission to create not only how we see our world but who we are in it as well.
Sage
“To discover the truth and share wisdom”
The Sage archetype is driven to search for information, wisdom, and insight, and share these with the rest of the world.
The Sage is a natural sceptic and seeks to find proof or evidence to validate their discoveries, insights, or hypotheses.
At their best the Sage integrates information and insight to uplift our spirit and advance our lives.
When expressing their gifts, they are able to uncover true wisdom from the merely factual.
The Sage values experience, advice and a legacy.
The Sage appeals to our desire for rationale, logic and explanations to support their insights.
Ruler
“To create order, peace and prosperity”
The Ruler’s mission is to create structure so others can prosper.
Though often quiet, they are commanding, authoritative and have little patience for ambiguity.
The Ruler archetype appeals to our desire to feel important, in control and in charge.
Ruler brands help us become the King, Queen or Goddess of our domain.
While the Ruler can seem domineering or autocratic, their true gift is in empowering leadership, prosperity and success in others.
Hero
“To achieve grace by triumphing over adversity”
The Ruler’s mission is to create structure so others can prosper.
Though often quiet, they are commanding, authoritative and have little patience for ambiguity.
The Ruler archetype appeals to our desire to feel important, in control and in charge.
Ruler brands help us become the King, Queen or Goddess of our domain.
While the Ruler can seem domineering or autocratic, their true gift is in empowering leadership, prosperity and success in others.
Humanitarian
“To speak up for the common person”
The Humanitarian archetype is the unsung hero.
Their preference is to work behind the scenes for what they believe is fair and just, though they are willing to take centre stage for a cause that is important enough to them.
The Humanitarian wants to be sure the common person feels heard, recognized and valued.
In their “I’m just like you” style, they are often the driving force behind great social change.
They lead from the trenches, often inspiring others by their simple, forthright character.
The Humanitarian archetype taps into our desire to know that we all count, and we each have a voice, no matter what our status is in life.
Romantic
“To deepen intimate connections”
The Romantic archetype’s deep desire is for intimacy, connection and feeling singled out as special.
The Romantic covers the spectrum from pure sexuality to enduring love to deep friendship.
The Romantic is attentive, often elegant and promises a feeling of being loved, desired, indulged or decadent.
The Romantic appeals to our core need to be loved and appreciated.
The enduring quality of the Romantic appeals to our deep longing for the ideal relationship
Nurturer
“To care for, nourish and protect our mind, body and soul ”
The Nurturer’s compassion, generosity, and caring envelopes us in the feeling that we are home.
They care for our health, happiness, and well-being by soothing our hurts and comforting our hearts.
The Nurturer’s deep desire is to take care of the people and things in their world, keeping them safe and protected.
While often associated with women (“Mother Earth”) men too, can claim this role.
Although they are not typically the centre of attention, the Nurturer’s influence can be felt throughout our society and its social programs.
The Nurturer appeals to our need for comfort and acceptance, no matter what.
Innocent
“To make us new again”
The promise of the Innocent is we can be happy.
The Innocent’s child-like appeal touches our heart and holds out hope that somehow, we can escape the hectic life around us and instead find ourselves in our own version of Utopia.
The Innocent’s unwavering faith and optimism speaks to our need for simpler times, wholesomeness and honest values.
Innocent brands create long-lasting loyalty because there is always some part of us that wants to either be a kid again, or feel taken care of in at least one corner of our lives.
No matter how practical the product, when created by the Innocent archetype it becomes something that makes us smile, feeling good and hopeful about the world again.
Alchemist
“To make dreams come true”
The Alchemist is the visionary, catalyst, innovator, charismatic leader, mediator, shaman, healer, or medicine person.
They inspire people to commit to a higher vision of what they can be or do.
Their service promises transformation and often has the allure of an instant change.
Although Alchemist brands like Weight Watchers produce slower transformation, there is still a marked contrast between where a person starts and where they end up.
They love synchronicity, are unconventional, hopeful and value the link between magic and practical outcomes.
The Alchemist appeals to our desire to snap our fingers and experience a sense of magic, transforming ourselves or our situation into what we dream it can be.
Maverick
“Challenging the world as we know it”
The Maverick is driven to shake things up.
They are the rebel, outlaw, daredevil or revolutionary.
They feel like an alienated outsider yet often possess a romantic “bad boy” identity that is highly charismatic.
The Maverick’s power to transform is by disruption, breaking the rules and challenging authority.
Their need to revolt is a powerful force behind important social change, yet can also swing to lawlessness and even the victimizing of others.
Mavericks such as the mythic Bonnie and Clyde or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid give the rest of us permission to express our dark side that yearns to break loose, challenge limits or participate in forbidden behaviour.
Jester
“To offer a different perspective”
Never satisfied with the status quo, the Jester uses their cleverness to help us see the world from a new perspective.
The Jester’s love of the unexpected jars us out of complacency and reminds us not to take life too seriously.
The Jester’s disrespect for what is proper often puts them at odds with the “powers that be.”
Yet by doing so, the Jester creates the possibility for a variety of new ideas and innovations to be expressed.
The Jester gives us permission to, at times, be a little naughty, have fun and escape from our daily cares and responsibilities.
By making fun of anything and everything the Jester helps us relax and add fun, spontaneity and enjoyment into the predictability of our lives.