Why do Myth and Archetype Matter to Your Business?

2011-07-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

What is an Archetype?
An archetype is a universally understood framework of values, motivations and characteristics embodied by a particular type of personality. Different than a stereotype, archetypes are less about generalizing behaviors and more about understanding the emotional relevance and meaning in the world and how we relate to it through our experience.

Even before recorded history, stories were shared to give meaning and lesson to the world around us, and our experience and place within it.

Oral and written traditions from cultures all over the globe are filled with the same characters and relationships, going through the same types of experiences, learning the same lessons and values. Our subconscious is filled with these same stories and meanings.

I bet this guy was a serious badass

As far back as 450BC, Plato theorized about what he called Elemental, or Ideal Forms. These ideas were pure mental forms that were imprinted in the soul before it was born into the world. They were collective in the sense that they embodied the fundamental characteristics of a thing rather than its specific peculiarities.

In the early 20th century, the concept of psychological archetypes was advanced by Carl Jung. In Jung's psychological framework, archetypes are innate, universal prototypes for ideas and can be used to interpret observations. He called it " an inherited pattern of thought or symbolic imagery derived from the past collective experience and present in the individual unconscious." How Jungian of him.

The groundwork laid by Plato and Jung led to the discovery of numerous archetypes and patterns of meaning. In the book The Hero and The Outlaw by Margaret Mark and Carol Pearson, they speak of how today, though there are an unlimited number of archetypes, psychologists and scholars around the world would generally agree on 12 major archetypal figures. These figures can be group into the following:

The desire to connect The Regular guy/girl The Lover The Jester	Yearning for paradise The Innocent The Explorer The Sage
Leaving your mark in the world The Hero The Outlaw The Magician	Providing structure to the world The Caregiver The Creator The Ruler

Why does everybody know your name?
-Check out the strongly defined archetypes.

Why is this important?

Our brains use archetypes as a system for the management of meaning. Throughout our evolution as a species and society, we have unconsciously used these archetypes through stories as a way of relating to the people and understanding our desires and place within the world.

Some of the most popular movies, TV show and books use archetypal themes to tell a story that “everyone can relate to”. A perfect example is the Star Wars series, or virtually any Walt Disney story.

These stories offer the audience a gateway to understand the motivations and more importantly, the emotion and desire behind the actions and personalities of the characters and their relationships to each other. By aligning characters with an archetype, the audience or reader inherently understands and empathizes at a deeper level – the emotional level – to create a strong emotional connection.

How are archetypes being used in business today?
In much the same way an author or director uses archetypes to imply relevance to characters, businesses have learned that when they align themselves with their target, and an archetype that authentically represents them, they achieve incredible results.

For their customers, an important emotional connection is made that helps them to understand the company in a larger context. It creates meaning and relevance for the brand and this is identifiable with the consumer. Usually, they don’t even know this is happening.

Research has shown that brands that consciously align with an authentic archetype develop a much stronger culture of customer loyalty. In short, it can turn customers into fans.

For the company internally, it creates a clear set of criteria that “fit” the company personality. Working within the context of an archetype, it’s easy to see what belongs and what doesn’t – whether your talking about your elevator speech, type of music playing in your lobby, or the type of toilet paper in your bathrooms.

Having a clear archetype in mind helps cut down on the confusion of different messages and initiatives and helps companies think in terms of what it is they mean to people – not just what they provide.

It provides a common personality that the whole organization can relate to and use as a guide for all customer interactions, the company ethos and motivations.

This all leads to a more loyal customer base, a more coherent and focused executive team, more effective marketing, better customer service and a confidence in knowing you are walking your talk and people understand and value who you are as a company and what you offer – which is far more than selling stuff.

Who are you really? -And why should your customers care?

Five easy ways to build your brand

2011-07-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

One big thing that helps so many other aspects of your brand fall into place is to begin to think of your company in terms of a personality that your customers will absolutely LOVE.

Unless your brand is a personal one like Jim's Automotive, be sure to separate your personality from the brand's. You see the results of not doing this all the time when different people within a company design materials. It all looks different It is imbued with their own personality rather than that of the company.

Once you begin to explore this personality, you will begin to see what “fits” and what makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Take this personality to the most mundane aspects of your business (I’m talking toilet paper to invoices) and you will see results. It takes time, because branding is based on trust. It takes time for your customers to trust that you are authentic and will fulfill your promise.

That being said, here are a few ways you can start to flesh out brand and make it real with your customers.

Get Social
Partner with a blogger based in your industry. These are the folks who can help you become a recognized expert in your field. Submit articles or case studies where you can give your professional opinion. From wine paring to home insurance, people trust the experts. Are you one of them?

Your Game Face
What does your storefront or lobby look like? I’m not just talking about clean sidewalks and professional signage, but rather, does it say something unique about your company personality?

Artwork, music and even the types of plants you have can say a lot about you. Color is a great way to create a cohesive mood throughout a space. Think of your company personality - How do you want people to feel when they see your storefront or walk into your lobby?

Host an Event
Create an event to give back to your community and say something about who you are and what you believe. Partner with an organization you believe in to create an event that is memorable. Maybe it’s fun and exciting, maybe it’s powerful and informative. It depends on you and what your audience will absolutely love.

Your Tone
Close your eyes and pretend you are your ideal client or customer. Now listen to your voice mail message. Does it convey the type of emotion that your ideal client is looking for? Are you to the point and stoic or rambling and distracted?

I called a client once and their message sounded like it was a pain in the ass to record and they had better things to do. It kind of made me feel like I was bothering them. Is that what you want? Be sure the voice on the phone is articulate and has the emotion your audience is hungry for, and the personality of your company - which is probably not the same as your own.

Your Leave Behind
If you can actually get something into the hands of your customers, it’s a big deal. Beyond the immediate left-brain info and look and feel of the business card, or annual report, they are picking up on all sorts of emotional cues. Matte finish or glossy; good paper stock or whatever what lying around? It all says something to the right side of the brain. It all tells them something about you.

Look at your materials, touch them... whether it’s your cards or your to go menu and see what it says about you. Not just the words Think about how it would feel as a customer. How can you make it more meaningful?

Design In Mind

Why do Myth and Archetype Matter to Your Business?

Five easy ways to build your brand