An introduction To Brand Archetyping: harnessing the power of stories and archetypes to create legendary brands

1. An introduction to Brand Archetyping: harnessing the power of stories and archetypes to create legendary brands What is your story... ]…who is your brand? [ [©Jon Howard]

2. http://justglasssite.com/glass-pics/glass-bottles-10.jpg THE KEY QUESTION: Even with a great product, why are many brands so dull and uninspiring? [©Jon Howard]

3. http://www.seebyseeing.net/s/1-by-the-bee-gees “It’s only words, but words are all I have to steal your heart away” (The Bee Gees) [©Jon Howard]

4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/alittlesparc/6110493314/ Interchangeable adjectives, often uninspiring, always open to misinterpretation, and generally taken from the same dictionary as our competitors Tasty Versatile Healthy Convenient [©Jon Howard]

5. http://www.edupics.com/photo-grand-canyon-i8982.html The Grand Canyon: big, deep, brown, rocky But complex, emotive concepts are difficult to capture verbally [©Jon Howard]

6. http://heartoftheschool.edublogs.org/files/2011/11/boy-reading-vxvaji.jpg An alternative approach Or why there is power in thinking of brands as stories [©Jon Howard]

7. http://www.daniel-wong.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/campfire.jpg It is how we understand the world, explain our place in it and communicate this to others From camp fire to water cooler, story has always been central to what makes us human [©Jon Howard]

8. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bourke/2825741887/ Every conversation is both a story we are telling and a story we are part of [©Jon Howard]

9. http://www.investorschronicle.co.uk/2011/09/21/shares/news-and-analysis/supermarkets-on-special-offer- IAm8aNIk7NttooFpgg0oAN/article.html The things we buy, the clothes we wear, the music we listen to, what we eat and drink, our chosen career, are all vital components of the story we are telling about ourselves [©Jon Howard]

10. PETER: “I don’t know any stories. None of the lost boys knows any stories” WENDY: how perfectly awful” And without a story our lives can seem empty [©Jon Howard]

11. A story we tell to give voice to the emotions which drive us: our hopes and fears, dreams and desires [©Jon Howard]

12. http://historicalwallpapers.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/carl-jung-1875-1961.html Freud and Jung saw humanity’s needs and motivations as universal and eternal archetypes, transcending culture, geography and time [©Jon Howard]

13. Why some stories and characters resonate so powerfully and repeat so frequently: they are archetypal manifestations of our common needs [©Jon Howard]

14. http://www.109.dk/nickchanger/uploads/images/original/the-hero-with-a-thousand-faces.jpg The Hero’s Journey is our own journey [©Jon Howard]

15. “The great stories consist of common elements found universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams and movies. As soon as you enter their world, you become aware of recurring character types and relationships that are amazingly consistent” (Chris Vogler, “The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structures for Storytellers”) [©Jon Howard]

16. “All this has happened before, and all of it will happen again” [©Jon Howard]

17. “All this has happened before, and all of it will happen again” [©Jon Howard]

18. In 1893, nearly 400 different versions of the Cinderella story were identified from around the world (Marian Roalfe Cox) [©Jon Howard]

19. Connection at a primal level: it could be someone like you (UK X-Factor winner) [©Jon Howard]

20. Explains our love of star-crossed lovers “Titanic intentionally incorporates universals of human experience and emotion that are timeless and familiar because they reflect our basic emotional fabric. By dealing in archetypes, the film touches people in all cultures and of all ages” (James Cameron on Titanic) [©Jon Howard]

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24. Fated but possibly doomed relationships have an emotional power that can be exploited… (a connection with someone we all want…but fear losing) [©Jon Howard]

25. Kurosawa Shakespeare Hammett Dostoyevsky Hidden Fortress Star Wars Seven Samurai Magnificent Seven Yojimbo Fistful of dollars Ford [©Jon Howard]

26. http://uniballblog.com/2011/10/steve-jobs-follow-your-heart/ So building potent brands is not just about having good storytellers (though it always helps!) [©Jon Howard]

27. http://www.flickr.com/photos/12905355@N05/6629255509/ It’s about being a great story (ideally one built on archetypal foundations) [©Jon Howard]

28. “A brand is a metaphorical story that connects with something very deep – a fundamental human appreciation of mythology. Companies that manifest this sensibility…invoke something very powerful” (Scott Bedbury, ex-head of marketing at Nike and Starbucks) [©Jon Howard]

29. Archetypal stories are a language we all instinctively understand On our side against the powers that be [©Jon Howard]

30. http://acontinuouslean.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/life_hells_angels_044.jpg “What we sell is the ability for a 43 year old accountant to dress in black leather, ride through small towns and have people be afraid of him” (Harley Davidson marketing exec - apocryphal) They help us tell our own story more effectively (to others and to ourselves) [©Jon Howard]

31. They are a tonal and stylistic palette… …and a blueprint for the experience to be lived out [©Jon Howard]

32. http://hedvigmurray.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/img_0010.jpg They are an easy to follow roadmap for every aspect of the brand, how it behaves and what it does [©Jon Howard]

33. http://www.carsbase.com/photo/Caterpillar-793_mp330_pic_60094.jpg They help make sense of complexity and contradiction, evolving over time without losing the plot [©Jon Howard]

34. http://murphyod.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/whisper.jpg They provide a narrative framework that frees your story to be retold Brand management = Direction, curation and orchestration [©Jon Howard]

35. http://www.stylepark.com/db-images/cms/article/img/v283170_958_992_800-1.jpg And they create something uniquely yours, because only you can tell your story [©Jon Howard]

36. http://inside.nike.com/blogs/nikerunning_news-en_US/2009/06/01/who-was-bill-bowerman Remembering that if you have a story, tell it: don't invent a new one (it will be less compelling) [©Jon Howard]

37. http://www.flickr.com/photos/manusarubbi/6831687227/[©Jon Howard]

38. There is now a way to find out… So what are your stories and who are your brands? [©Jon Howard]

39. A MAP TO FOLLOW: Brand Archetyping™ [©Jon Howard]

40. http://edgeoftheframe.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/oscar_final_predictions_2012.jpg stories that deliver genuine and lasting engagement because they are built on archetypal foundations which resonate powerfully with people’s emotions enabling them to tell their own story more effectively Helping you ‘author’ compelling, brand defining stories [©Jon Howard]

41. http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/1/14/Got_A_Bad_feeling.jpg Any story is only as good as its lead character, so at the heart of Brand Archetyping is the search to find out who you are Analysis suggests there are twelve character types that consistently recur in stories: the basis for discussing and defining brand character [©Jon Howard]

42. InnocentLover Jester Ruler Magician Caregiver Champion Guide Outlaw Creator Explorer [©Jon Howard]

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46. WORKS AS A STANDALONE EXERCISE OR AS INPUT INTO… Archetype Assessor™ (key brand stakeholders rate a brand’s promise to indicate its character) Brand Archetyping™ (one day workshop deep dives into a brand’s character and the story it is part of) InnocentLover Jester Ruler Magician Caregiver Champion Guide Outlaw Creator Explorer What the process looks like [©Jon Howard]

47. TOP 10 PROMISE STATEMENT ARCHETYPE Concern for your happiness and wellbeing Caregiver Attention to the details that make something special Ruler A more varied and fulfilling life Explorer To ensure you are comfortable and contented Caregiver A sense of community and rootedness To look after your every need Caregiver A voyage of self discovery Explorer To make sure everything is just right for you Caregiver The best available so it won’t let you down Ruler An unpretentious common touch Magician (Holiday brand)[©Jon Howard]

48. (media brand) 1.3 1.9 1.3 3.1 8.1 1.3 5.0 8.8 3.1 7.5 2.5 0.0 InnocentLover Jester Ruler Magician Caregiver Champion Guide Outlaw Creator Explorer Archetype Map [©Jon Howard]

49. 11 17 0 0 5 9 18 17 3 12 0 9 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% INNOCENT EVERYMAN CAREGIVER CHAMPION EXPLORER LOVER CREATOR OUTLAW MAGICIAN RULER GUIDE JESTER (spirit brand) Archetype Spectrum [©Jon Howard]

50. Certainty 2.5 Responsibility 2.8 Experience 4.1 Authenticity 7.5 Power 3.4 Enlightenment 5.0 Archetype Drivers (clothing brand)[©Jon Howard]

51. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 52.4 15.9 31.7 Power & Enlightenment Experience & Authenticity Certainty & Responsibility (petcare brand) Archetype Need Hierarchy [©Jon Howard]

54. http://www.flickr.com/photos/legominha/4855435630/ Clichéd, superficial and culturally specific Don’t confuse archetypes with stereotypes [©Jon Howard]

55. Use examples people understand to help define your brand (and how this fits with the story of those the brand speaks to) [©Jon Howard]

56. Odysseus Nemesis Daedalus Luke Skywalker Bat Man Steve Jobs Use examples people understand to help define your brand (and how this fits with the story of those the brand speaks to) [©Jon Howard]

57. Some final thoughts on bringing the archetypes to life Magician An opportunity to explore the nuances of your character [©Jon Howard]

58. …to embrace the texture and tension that define them The most potent stories and characters have edges, margins and grey areas Magician Sage Jester Caregiver Champion [©Jon Howard]

59. http://wallpaperswide.com/jack_daniels-wallpapers.html A story of authenticity in two dimensions (Creator & Outlaw): Hand crafted in Lynchburg to be drunk by hardcore rockers [©Jon Howard]

60. http://interactive.wxxi.org/files/images/highlights/Marple_0.JPG …to look for differentiation beyond the generics Miss Marple is the ‘archetypal’ granny detective (Innocent + Guide), but it’s the hint of Jester and even Outlaw that makes her distinctive [©Jon Howard]

62. …to consider how brand and consumer stories interact Harrison (the brand) uses his power as Ruler and Magician to transform Hepburn (the consumer) The same story ‘promise’ as X Factor and the same role in it as Simon Cowell ‘rags to riches’ [©Jon Howard]

64. Ordinary World Call to Adventure Ordeal Reward Resurrection and Return Mentors Guardians Allies Enemies Where the brand fits into the Hero’s Journey people are on Overcoming the Monster Rags to Riches The Quest Voyage & Return Comedy Tragedy Rebirth There are also archetypal storylines… …and we can experience the same plots in our own lives [©Jon Howard]

65. SITUATIONS  Birth, death, rebirth SYMBOLS  Circle, triangle NATURE  Sun, moon, wind, fire, flood, lion, dove COLOURS  Green, red, white PLACES  Paradise, heaven, the cave (create an archetypal world for your brand to live in) …and how to integrate this within execution [©Jon Howard]

66. BRANDING DEVICE “Put a tiger in your tank” METAPHOR OF FUNCTIONAL BENEFIT Courage and bravery MEANING IN (CHINESE) MYTHOLOGY Sometimes you are saying things without even realising it [©Jon Howard]

67. Transforms the every day into something wonderful Transforming Authoritative Enriching Imaginative Solution-focused Practical Surprising Archetype Wheel (condiment brand) ARCHETYPE STORY PERSONIFICATION BEHAVIOUR Magician CORE: SECONDARY: Innocent [©Jon Howard]

68. http://www.flickr.com/photos/manusarubbi/6831687227/ And remember: like actual stories, the most interesting brands are in constant script development not carved in tablets of stone [©Jon Howard]

71. EMAIL: jon@quietstorm.co.uk Thank you! (AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO PRESENT ON ARCHETYPES TO YOUR ORGANISATION, OR RUN A BRAND ARCHETYPING SESSION, DON’T HESITATE TO GET IN CONTACT ) [©Jon Howard]