By: Anika Repole Wilson Brand ArchetypesIn 1934, psychoanalyst, psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology; Carl Jung published his work ‘The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious’, stirring the pot as it were, in early Psychology leading to further advancement and dynamism in the field. Why is this relevant? Well - Jung introduced then the concept of the Collective Unconscious, wherein subconcepts of Archetypes exist - these archetypes simply put, are universally shared, categorical understandings of how we perceive our world, things within it and thus ourselves. You may not have been aware of this theoretical approach but whether you knew it or not, you most certainly are aware of Archetypes. Regardless of culture and time in history, Archetypes exist, crossing language barriers, educational background etc to define various behavioural and social constructs. Examples include The Mother, The Rebel, The Lover and what we will cover in this Brand Study; the Hero. Since Jung outlined his Archetypes in 1934, they have evolved only minimally, and individuals have applied them to various fields of study since; such as Marketing. In crafting your brand strategy, it is helpful to understand the desired Archetype you wish to convey subconsciously to your audience. You do so through the intention placed behind your design elements; colours, typography, creative direction and tone of voice in communication. This creates the personality of your brand, something with which your audience naturally aligns to based on either similarity or aspiration. In other words, you can mindfully craft a Brand Archetype which your desired audience either perceives they need in their lives or wishes to be themselves. In the case of IceCream giant; Ben & Jerry’s - the Hero.
Brand ArchetypesBefore we nose-dive into the world of ice-cream, we first need to cover a fundamental understanding of the difference between Company Values and Brand Values. Company/ Business Values are created and outlined by the business, while Brand Values, though typically identified by the company, are fundamentally influenced and determined by the public.
Similarly, your brand identity can be visually created by the business, along with the personality of the brand, but it means nothing without the public to perceive it and draw a conclusion - this conclusion is the fulsome understanding and experience of your brand. Your business is determined by you - your brand is determined by the public.  Like most nuances about entrepreneurship, understanding Client Compatibility, may be something that can’t be taught, but rather experienced. Over time, most service oriented entrepreneurs learn these subtleties about client relationships usually through tremendous trial and error and considerable stress.
It was after one of these experiences in 2019, after only what I could describe as a bad break-up (and there have been many) with a client when I thought, there has got to be a better way for me to decide who my ideal client is. If you’re anything like me, you become personally invested in your client relationships. These relationships are quite close and intimate - I give of my time and energy. They take me away from my family and personal time, I become emotionally invested in their success, I feel their losses, I share in their excitement. Even though I tried at times to adjust my level of emotional investment in clients, for sake of what I thought was self-preservation, I realized quickly this is what makes me - me and what makes the experience of working with me unique. I thought, if I give my clients the attention of a lover/friend/family, why not examine the dynamic just as closely, it was then Dr. Gary Chapman’s Love Languages screamed loudly as a possible solution. The Five Love Languages Feeling blank on content creation for the month of June? Here's a bit of inspo for you. What will you be focusing on this month?  Never heard of Dessert Content? 🍩 Well Dessert Content is a key ingredient in your #contentmarketing recipe... its the indulgent sweet stuff. It targets your wider desired audience and is eye catching. Some 10 years ago, thanks to Ann Handley in her co-written book; Content Rules, with CC Chapman, the world was first introduced to the concept of Content Food Groups. Since coming across this approach to content marketing, I added some Caribbean flair, dug deep into the concept and added insights based on my own experience over the years creating content marketing strategy for clients of all sizes. What you will see here are a few tips to help you create your own Dessert Content; based on my adapted take on Handley's "Chocolate Cake" Content Food Group. Top of Funnel: AwarenessWe have a natural tendency to only consider December as the festive month (which it is) but there are so many international, noteworthy and monumental days observed in the upcoming month which speak directly to Human Rights and the celebrating of Freedoms. Certainly not a month to be just glazed over in tinsel, holiday decorations and sales promos. Check it out. How will your brand be acknowledging December?  Anika Repole WilsonFollow me on IG: @businesschicceo |
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