Understanding your company’s brand archetype helps you to communicate effectively with both your existing and future clients.
When you know who you are and what you stand for, you’re giving us, as your recruiter, the best possible chance of finding candidates who will fit perfectly into your organisation.
The archetype model is the brain child of the psychologist Carl Jung. It’s based on the theory that people instinctively want to identify with a universally familiar character or situation. One that transcends time, place, culture, gender and age.
Put simply, archetypes are symbols of your mind’s subconscious desires and truths. As part of a rebranding exercise at Headway a few years ago we explored brand archetypes. It was insightful, valuable – and fun to do. After a lively office debate, we came to a consensus that the Hero archetype best represented Headway as a company.
As a client, when you work with us, you’ll find that we solve your recruitment problems. We meet your immediate needs in times of crisis – when a member of your team leaves unexpectedly, for example, or in periods of rapid growth and expansion. Headway provide you with the help you need, when you need it.
As a candidate, we know that finding a job that makes you happy and an employer that values your worth is not the easiest thing to do. You might be looking at your next step on the career ladder. You might be facing redundancy, or seeking a complete change of direction. As your recruiter, Headway can help you make your next move. A move that’s right for you.
So when we look for a new member of the Headway team, we seek dynamic action-takers who’ll fit perfectly into our company culture. People who will go above and beyond to meet the needs of our clients and candidates and get the job done.
Understanding your brand is the first step on your recruitment journey. When coupled with an overview of your business objectives and your company culture, then we can really get to grips with the employment needs of your business.
You make people feel safe and secure. It’s your aim to overcome any sense of uncontrolled chaos and disorder.
Within Stability please choose the Archetype you feel most closely resembles your company.
A brand that wants to “Rule them all” will have a narrative that demonstrates why they’re the leader of the industry.
If you’re the Ruler, then your company narrative makes your position as industry leader very clear. As the leader of the pack, you’re driven by control and your ultimate aim is to be a power player. You’re brand is authoritative, and you’re not afraid to say that you’re the best at what you do.
Think of being President or CEO – that’s the mindset of the Ruler. Associated with wealth and success, to the rest of the world, you’re polished, solid and quite simply the top dog. Your strong point is bringing order to everything that you do, even if you’re presented with chaos and instability.
Be mindful and not dominate or intimidate those around you. You should avoid being seen as too political or hierarchical. Always ensure that you use your power and a force for good and creating positive outcomes for all.
Goal
To create a prosperous, successful community
Strategy
To exercise power
Key Attributes
Manager, Organiser, Productive, Confidence, Responsible, Role Model, The Boss, The Leader
Greatest Fear
Chaos and being overthrown
Personalities
Peacemaker, Powerbroker, Conductor
The parent of the brand archetypes – the mother. The Caregiver wants to protect and care for others.
Driven by a need to care for others, the Caregiver archetype has a need to provide protection. Your brand offers support and safety to your customers and you take pride in nurturing them. You would hate for your brand to be seen as a means of exploitation or as harmful, and you’ll find that you share this archetype with businesses in the public sector, healthcare and education. Baby and healthcare brands also tend to fall into the camp of the Caregiver.
Your customer is your top priority. You want to enable them to take care of themselves and you’ll do what you can to help them to do this.
Goal
To help and care for others
Strategy
Protecting and doing things for others
Key Attributes
Altruistic, Selfless, Nurturing, Compassionate, Empathetic, Supportive and Generous
Greatest Fear
Selfishness and Ingratitude
Personalities
Supporter, Advocate, Nurturer
Non-conformist, idealist and builder. The Creator’s main aim is to us the tools they have at their disposal to build a world that’s better for everyone.
If you’re the Creator brand archetype, then you’re trying to create something truly special and filled with meaning. You specialise in authenticity and you want to make things actually happen rather than just talking about it.
Your brand has vision and you love to come up with new ideas and concepts. You like to bring something new to the table, things that haven’t existed previously or been seen before. Many of the technology and design brands are this archetype and you can see why.
Mediocrity is not for you, your brand is too imaginative for that. You thrive on the exciting and the new – your brand is a perfectionist. Sometimes, your need for perfection can lead to you being seen as melodramatic and self-indulgent. But you make up for that in imagination and innovation.
Goal
To realise a vision
Strategy
To develop artistic control and skill
Key Attributes
Innovative, Imaginative, Creative, Artistic, Experimental, Willing to take risks, Ambitious, Desire to turn ideals into reality, Inventor, Musician, Writer or Dreamer
Greatest Fear
Mediocre vision or execution
Personalities
Artisan, Innovator, Inventor
You want your customers to feel a sense of community and belonging, and love and togetherness.
Within Belonging please choose the Archetype you feel most closely resembles your company.
The Lover is bursting with idealism. They epitomise the idea of true love and sensual pleasure.
When it comes to your brand, you’re all about creating relationships and evoking emotions. You want to make people feel special, blissful and connected spiritually – it’s a wonderfully intimate approach. After all, no person is an island. Your ultimate aim is to bring people together and for them to feel a sense of love.
Your brand stands for pleasure. Enticing the senses and beautiful to look at, it celebrates being human and all of the joyful experiences that go with it. As the Lover, you may sometimes be seen as shallow, obsessive and eager to please. However, whilst your overriding qualities are being committed, charismatic and magnetic.
Goal
To be in a relationship with people, work and surroundings they love
Strategy
To become more and more physically and emotionally attractive
Key Attributes
Seek true love, Intimacy, Sensuality, Passionate, Sexy, Seductive, Erotic, To seek pleasure, To indulge, Follow emotions
Greatest Fear
Being alone or feeling unwanted
Personalities
Harmoniser, Connector, Partner
The ultimate hedonist; life is fun so let’s enjoy every moment.
If you’re the Jester, your brand excels at teasing your audience and exciting them in clever ways. Your brand may use funny and elaborate imagery, and you and your team enjoy having lots of fun whilst brainstorming ideas for how to make your customers tick.
Boredom is simply not an option. As a Jester brand archetype, you’re all about living for and in the moment. People see you as spontaneous and impulsive, and not hemmed in by constraints. You encourage those around you to connect with their inner child and to value fun and play. You stand out and are comfortable with who you are, and this is an attractive quality for your brand.
You would hate to be seen as dull and boring, or in any way strict. At your worst, you risk being labelled as irresponsible or even cruel, but your positive traits are being different from everyone else out there and fresh and carefree.
Goal
To have fun
Strategy
To live in the moment and not be too serious
Key Attributes
Joker, Playful, Carefree, Joyful, Original, Teaser and Foolish
Greatest Fear
To come across as boring
Personalities
Comedian, Practical Joker, The Fool
The regular person, man or woman. Someone everyone can relate to and get along with – that’s the everyman.
If you’re the everyman, then you and your consumer are on exactly the same level. You don’t think of your customers or client base as beneath you, you’re all equal and in the same boat. You identify with your customers and are completely without pretension in your approach to business. You get the job done, and you do it well.
Your brand is one that can be trusted and depended on. You stand for quality and your customers like that you’re a familiar and safe thing to invest in. Brands with this archetype don’t like to be alone, so your brand is likely to ‘fit in’ and not do anything too outrageous. You’re not one for standing out, you’re all about the collective.
Your brand embodies simple values, the common good and wholesome virtues. Your brand is rooted in every day life thats real, and so thing that your customers identify with completely.
Goal
To belong
Strategy
Be down to earth and develop solid virtues
Key Attributes
Everyday Functionality, Honesty, Dependable, Not Pretentious, Straight-shooter, People-orientated
Greatest Fear
To be left out or stand out from the crowd
Personalities
Realist, Democrat, Comrade
Your customers don’t like feeling empty, or as though they’re selling out. It’s your aim to help them find happiness.
Within Independence please choose the Archetype you feel most closely resembles your company.
The sage values knowledge and can never know too much – the truth can set you free.
If you’re the sage, you place a high value on learning and knowledge, and won’t be phased by the most challenging of ordeals. You seek the truth, looking for the wisdom in every situation and thriving on solving problems and finding answers to the most challenging of questions.
Your brand may use symbolic imagery and sophisticated vocabulary. It represents intelligence, teaching and learning in equal measure. If you’re looking to find a brand comparison, Google is probably the ultimate modern Sage.
You might sometimes be considered cold and self-absorbed, but your true purpose is to use your intelligence to promote open-mindedness and an understanding of the wider world.
Goal
To use intelligence and wisdom to understand the world
Strategy
Seek out information and knowledge
Key Attributes
Expert, Thinker, Philosopher, Reflective, Advisor, Teacher, Confident, In control, Wisdom, Intelligence, Planner
Greatest Fear
Being misled or ignored
Personalities
Investigator, Mentor, Expert
The brand archetype that sees the good in everything and everyone. They bring happiness to everything they do.
Your overriding desire is to do the right thing. Freedom and happiness are the name of the game, and you’re brimming with enthusiasm and optimism. You value the simple things in life and trust is important to you – you don’t like double meanings or hidden agenda’s. Your brand is a trusted one.
The thought of doing something wrong and being reprimanded is something you fear. But at the same time, your eternal optimism allows you to navigate and overcome barriers that would stop others from progressing. Your faith in everything is a motivator to those around you, because you believe that everything will work out fine in the end. Your brand represents good, clean fun and is often associated with health, wellbeing and cleanliness.
Goal
To create a prosperous, successful community
Strategy
To exercise power
Key Attributes
Manager, Organiser, Productive, Confidence, Responsible, Role Model, The Boss, The Leader
Greatest Fear
Chaos and being overthrown
Personalities
Peacemaker, Powerbroker, Conductor
The explorer’s curiosity makes them want to travel the world and experience everything it has to offer.
Your business is adventurous and eager to discover the world. You’re on trend, and up to date with the latest developments, fads and happenings in your marketplace. You’re independent, self-sufficient and full of ambition
At worst, your archetype can be considered restless, flaky and aimless. But in truth you have a spiritual side which makes you want to help others use their initiative to grow and develop. You want to promote enlightenment, and your products and services promote excitement, individuality and fresh experiences.
Goal
To be happy
Strategy
To do things right
Key Attributes
Wholesome, Pure, Trusting, Honest, Happy, Optimistic, Simple, Punishment for doing something wrong
Greatest Fear
Traditionalist
Personalities
Optimist, Cheerleader
Your customers don’t like feeling powerless. You want to help your customers to achieve things.
Within Mastery please choose the Archetype you feel most closely resembles your company.
The outlaw is a revolutionary! The outlaw will break the rules without fear to achieve what’s necessary.
You’re consistently coming up with radical new ideas, products and services. This is the remit of the outlaw. Being revolutionary, if you see something that you don’t like in the world, you set out to change it in your own way and on your own terms. You’re very action-orientated and like to be the boss.
Your brand is inspirational and innovative. You’re anything but mainstream and have the desire to stand out. you’re definitely a key player in your field and you fear becoming powerless.
At times, you’re seen as reckless, and tread a fine line between inspiration and negatively shaking things up. However, at the core, you’re free-spirited, brave and very adaptable. Your customers are finding faith ion something new, turning away from the traditional and are drawn to your difference and energy.
Goal
To overturn what isn’t working
Strategy
Disrupt, Destroy or Shock
Key Attributes
Rebellious, Shocking, Outrageous, Disruptive, Feared, Powerful, Counter Cultural, Liberated, Freedom
Greatest Fear
To be powerless
Personalities
The Trouble-shooter, Game Changer, The Challenger
The extent of the magician’s knowledge makes them seem supernatural.
You want to understand the universe and your position within it. You want to understand how things work and your fear of negative consequences drives you to achieve positive outcomes.
Your brand makes your customers feel their best. You believe in the importance of the individual and are intent on flattering your customers. You’ll also encourage them to trust their own instincts, and your brand is known as the way to open up transformative experiences. You’re not all about the mystical though – far from it. You might also be known as a healer, or a visionary.
Sometimes, you’re seen as manipulative and dishonest, but your positives are your drive, charisma and desire to heal and make good.
Goal
To make dreams come true
Strategy
Develop a vision and live by it
Key Attributes
The visionary, Inventor, Spiritual, Charismatic, Leader, Holistic
Greatest Fear
Negative consequences
Personalities
The Envisioner, Healer, Catalyst
Selfless and brave, Heroes are intent on defending the underdog and stand up to the bad guys.
Being the Hero comes with a strong motivation to prove your worth. You’re not one for showing weakness and you fear failure. You have a strong desire to leave your mark on the world and your industry, and you’re willing to make sacrifices to ensure that this happens. One of your greatest fears is a competitor being seen as superior to you – you’ll avoid this at all costs.
Your brand is superior to your competitors and the best in quality. You may use strong colours and bold and powerful imagery to get your point across. There are times when you might comes across as arrogant and aggressive, but mostly you display great skill and are very determined to get the job done.
Goal
Expert mastery in a way that improves the world
Strategy
To be as strong and competent as possible
Key Attributes
Warrior, Competitive, Winner, Principled, Idealist, Challenge, Courageous and Proud
Greatest Fear
Vulnerability and weakness
Personalities
Competitor, Achiever, Coach
Use Headway INSIGHT to build a team who will propel your business forward.