And interestingly, the word Archetype is from the Greek “arche” and “typos,” words which mean “beginning” and “imprint” respectively. So, an archetype could be thought of as something that makes an initial impression on us that sticks… which is a goal of a strong brand, too.

Archetypes were studied by psychiatrist Carl Jung in the early 20th century. Later, at the beginning of this century, leadership consultant Carol Pearson applied Jung’s concepts to business and marketing.

In her book, The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes (co-authored by Pearson and Margaret Mark), twelve individual types are identified and analyzed. As part of that analysis, specific traits, drivers, and values were identified in each archetype.  

This book was the source of the material that sparked an “ah-ha moment” for me several years back. Since then, I’ve been using archetypes to help entrepreneurs launch and scale impactful brands.

My method, The Clarity Code™, is built around my strong belief that when businesses act more human, we’ll be more successful. When we show more personality, are honest about our values and beliefs – and if we work hard to make a real difference in people’s lives – traditional success will follow.

You can harness the power of archetypes too. By figuring out what yours is, you give yourself an effective and enduring framework around which to craft your brand.

So, are you ready to learn your archetype? My tried and true method for identifying it is my Brand Personality Quiz. Taken more than 80,000 times (Crazy!), it’s the tool you need to get started with adopting this approach.