Brand Archetypes

Some things in our culture disappear.  Even in the world of branding, change happens. Part of the challenge of being in business is keeping tabs on changes that affect our operations.  This is not to say you need to react to every change that comes your way … but you need to be sensitive to…

You see ALL kinds of company names out there.  Almost 2/3 of a million new companies, in the U.S. alone, are spawned each year.  And, although some of those names are good, what we’re talking about today is bad company names and how to avoid them! Here are some things to consider: Make it Memorable…

Kevin Breaks down five episodes from the relatively new brand, Ladder Life Insurance.  They get classified into three groups; The Good, The Bad, and .... you guessed it ... The Ugly. 

Amy is a graduate from Michigan State and Kevin from Michigan, it's obvious they are both fans of the Big 10…. But today we're talking about the Big Five. The Big Five Archetypes, that is.  Those that get embraced most often by organizations using archetypes for their brand strategy.  Let's start by listing them. Here…

Amy comes back this week after a week off to work on the Marketing Summit.  Shameless plug: Zeedia Media is hosting a Marketing Summit on May 6, 2022, in Lansing, Michigan. Amy is the key note speaker, talking about Brand Archetypes (of course) and there will be 16 other speakers – all big bosses in…

Here are the ten commandments of branding that I reference in this podcast: STRATEGY Hyper-focus on your strategy No flip-flopping Be Consistent EMOTIONS Know your emotions Avoid all other emotions What’s the energy level of your strategy? Understand The Law of Attraction (stay positive people) AUDIENCE Know your target audience demographics & psychographics Establish personas…

WONDER TWIN POWERS ACTIVATE!!! Today we're talking about combining archetypes in the process of coming up with a brand strategy. Listen in to hear how Kevin and his twin sister pretended to the Wonder Twins. Here are some of the big ideas when combining two archetypes: It's possible to pair archetypes, but you have to…

We have a special treat for you today. Amy had the opportunity to be a guest on her show, Open School of Business and now we have the please to chat with Anar Umurzak as our guest today. Anar is committed to bringing real-life experts from different walks of life to share different perspectives and paths…

While Kevin goes to get himself some more coffee, I'll go ahead and let you in on the topic for the day.  Today, we're talking about high-energy archetypes.  Those choice few archetypes where being high energy is a strategic decision and can when done properly, lead to super-strong brand strategies AND higher levels of excitement.…

Today, we're talking about low-energy archetypes.  The choice few where if you chose them because of their mellowness, can be a strategic decision. When done properly leads to super-strong brand strategies AND higher levels of customer trust and engagement!  Low energy does NOT mean a lack of power.   The low-energy archetypes, in no particular order,…

We're BAAAAACK! It's a little late for a “happy new year” but this is our first time recording in a while.  Today, we're talking about the process of selecting an archetype for your organization.  We refer to this process as “brand discovery.” Now, in years past, before we really refined this into the brainstorming/discovery session…

Every year we hear about some clients who go into Holiday sales frantic mode (restaurants, retail, etc.), and some clients who go completely silent (career counselors, fitness coaches, etc.). Regardless of what happens to your particular business, we know that this time of the year has its unique challenges … and, most of us start…

Join Amy on her first solo episode without Kevin. Don’t worry – he’ll be back! Listen as Amy regales you with tales from her recent trip to Seattle, Washington, where she walks through Pike Place Market with her brand eyes open and her marketing hat on … and, yes, she even finds ways to protect…

Well, you knew we would talk about it. Facebook’s new name. Yay? Nay? What do you think? No surprise that Kevin and Amy both have opinions about this. Is it a name change or a corporate restructuring? It reminds us of how Google changed its corporate structure and, along with that, changed the parent company…

It's been a while since we've talked about Newsjacking, but for our listeners, Newsjacking is when a brand or firm mentions or creates a campaign centered around a major, well-discussed news item. It’s slightly different from a publicity stunt in that the news item is leveraged in marketing while a stunt might acknowledge news within…

Be Aspirational in your marketing!  Picture the 1995 movie Jumanji, with Robin Williams? In the movie, the main character, Alan Parrish was the son of a business owner who owned a factory that made shoes. As you would expect from a shoe manufacturing company in the sixties, there was a lot of machinery in an…

Join Kevin and Amy as they get “sultry” and “passionate” about ideas on how to market the Lover Archetype.  If you are wondering what archetype your company might be, take our FREE QUESTIONNAIRE. It’s the first step in discovering your Brand. Passionate Brands Think of a person or a company who is really passionate about…

We had the very amazing privilege of having a great conversation with Olga Nesterova, founder of  OnestBusiness.com. Her podcast is Onest Conversations, and we got suuuuper honest about brand and marketing. Olga is an experienced marketing strategist who has worked with Fortune 500 companies in New York City successfully growing their social media reach, engagement,…

We're gonna channel our inner Sacagawea today.  It's all about The Explorer archetype. I know it's a little like saying out loud which of your kids you like the best … but, if you were to ask me, “which is your favorite archetype, Kevin?”, I'd have to put The Explorer way high on that list.…

How many times have we been asked (about Brand Archetypes), “Does this reeeeally work?” A LOT! Way more than we would expect and way more than other, seemingly more obvious, questions.  After putting a little thought into this, we have something for us to explore: What is the essence of why Brand Archetypes works so…

There's a really big idea in the world of branding that's an obvious question to ask by ALL business owners … but the idea is not so often seen as a branding issue.  And, the question – this big idea – is, “How do I get customers to buy from me, instead of my competitors?”…

Western Michigan University Rebranding We came across a branding news story from just a week ago that's both spot-on for the topic of branding, but is also a local story for us Michiganders. Last week, Western Michigan University rolled out a press release unveiling its new logo. First, you have to understand that Kevin’s wife…

What are the BIG IDEAS when it comes to Marketing the Artist Archetype? Let’s find out! We're talking about The Artist Archetype today.  To be clear, to pull this off does NOT require you to be a Michelangelo … nor does it require us to roll our paint-covered, naked bodies all over a big canvas…

We're usually pretty upbeat and easily excitable in our podcasts.  Today, we're going to ratchet it down a couple of notches…. We're going to take a chill pill and take it easy. Maybe chillax a bit. Are you ready? For a refreshing on what the Neighbor is all about check out these resources: The Neighbor…

Taking brand tips from infomercials for your products and services. Kids today live in a world where they have almost unlimited options of what we’re now referring to as “screen time.”  All forms of screens: TV, tablets, mobile phones, and other devices.  However, despite all that screen time, there’s a possibility they don’t know what…

Is your business growing internationally? Are you moving into foreign markets? WOOHOO! That’s awesome. It must mean your marketing strategy is working. Remember when we reviewed taglines and quite a few of the funnier gaffes had to do with mistranslations?  Remember Kevin’s favorite? The Parker Pens tagline “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass…

Join Kevin and Amy for another round of evaluating recent rebrand initiatives by well-known companies. Our listeners have started to get that we will almost always express strong words of caution whenever the topic of “RE-branding” is put on the table.  Today we have a review of four biggies that have all happened this year. …

We had a request from one of our listeners, Zoe, to review Marketing the Magician archetype.  And, if you recall, her company is a line of skincare products.  We waved our magic wand and VOILA! — Here we are.  Are you ready? If you’ve been listening to the past couple of episodes, we have, so…

Join Kevin and Amy as they slow down and reminisce about the good ‘ole days while discussing Marketing the Innocent Archetype. The gang starts by dissing Coca-Cola’s latest commercial for being widely off-brand. Watch it and let us know if you agree. The main concepts of the Innocent brand are: #1 Simplicity  Remove chaos from…

Amy is so excited for today! Her favorite: Marketing the Outlaw Archetype, and the one that represents her company Zeedia Media.  Today’s podcast is for all you rebellious, contrarian, authority-questioners… for all you radical, free-spirited, wind-in-the-hair types!  The Outlaw is also commonly referred to as The Rebel.  The following are the most critical aspects of…

Is it possible for a brand to go “too far” with their messaging – even when they are staying on brand? Kevin and Amy discuss their thoughts on this podcast episode. What word would you use to describe a Jester brand that’s too Jestery? (Ridiculous) How about an Outlaw brand that’s too Outlaw? (Dangerous) A…

Do you know the history of April Fools Day?  Well, there isn’t a definitive story on the origins of this event.  Some say it’s somehow related to a papal bull by Pope Gregory XIII changed, by decree, the first day of the year from late March/early April, to January 1st.  Supposedly, the people who didn’t…

If your brand is not about you, what is it about? Last week we talked about brand mistakes. We danced around the topic of how you need to connect to your audience, but we never came out and said the words, “Your Brand is NOT About YOU!” So, if the statement “Your Brand is NOT…

We never let our clients make branding mistakes, but here is a list we put together of what we think are the biggest branding mistakes you want to always avoid.   Some may seem obvious – others not so much. You’d still be surprised how many companies still do this today despite our warnings and podcast they…

We are very excited to have Drs. Allyson and Ryan Moore from Moore Life Health and Healing on our show today. They have been slaying it as a Magician Archetype in an industry dominated by Mother Archetypes.     Join us as we chat with the good doctors about how they chose their archetype and…

Kevin is doing a happy dance today because are talking about Marketing the Jester Archetype. If the 12 archetypes were children and Kevin had to pick his favorite it is definitely The Jester. As we have been saying all along, the key to making any archetype work is to embrace it fully. Kevin definitely lives…

Continuing on with our series on how to marketing each archetype, we are discussing Marketing the Hero Archetype in this episode. To learn more visit our HERO page on our website. You can also listen to our previous podcast episode which gives an overview of what the Hero is all about. You don’t have to…

Do you pay attention to what your competition is doing with their marketing?  For our frequent listeners, they’ve heard us say over and over that the most important thing you can do is to use an archetype to help you differentiate. But that comment always comes with a caveat:  To evaluate what your competitors are…

Once in a while, we discuss an entire industry and the popular brand strategy that it has adopted. Today we’re talking about the Legal Industry. Recently we have covered the Healthcare Industry and the Food Industry if you want to check out those episodes as well.  This isn’t just for attorneys or law firms, it’s…

Wooh. This is a hot topic and negative comments or a bad online review can get you HOT under the collar. Most companies, at some point, will have to deal with an angry customer or internet troll who is ranting about them behind the safety of their keyboard. It’s ok. Take a deep breath. Join…

This episode is all about branding in the food industry. Not just restaurants, but food products as well. And, as always, Kevin and Amy cover the importance of having a brand focus – ahem – an Archetype. A few things to keep in mind that are SUUUUUUPPPEEERRRRR important for the food industry are: Imagery: You…

Happy New Year! Cheers to a new year and hopefully lots of positive changes. We are starting this new year by trying something new. Kevin picked a brand and asked Amy to watch 3 different videos by the Hint Water Company. The videos are embedded below. We suggest you watch them in order. After getting…

Join Kevin and Amy as they discuss favorite Christmas commercials and branding campaigns. They both agree that the longevity and success of Coca-Cola is one of their favorites. Did you know that back in ‘31, Coca-Cola commissioned an illustrator named Haddon Sundblom to make a painting of Santa drinking a coke? Who would have guessed…

Join Kevin and Amy as they interview David Shotwell and Nick Nauta, two financial advisers with the firm Shotwell Rutter Baer, in Lansing Michigan. Learn how they went through the brand archetype process and how it has changed their approaches to marketing and branding. Amy has been working with SRB for a couple of years…

How well are you measuring your brand effectiveness? Do you know how to measure it? “If you aren’t measuring your marketing you aren’t doing marketing. If you aren’t measuring your brand, you aren’t really branding.” ~ Kevin Skarritt, Co-Founder of Brand Archetypes and owner of Flock Marketing No truer words have been spoken about marketing…

Are you “giving thanks” this season with your brand strategy? The Holidays are upon us. Many companies will knee create jerk marketing campaigns that revolve around the Holidays.  And, although there’s nothing inherently wrong with this, far too often these campaigns are NOT within any type of brand strategy.  We see this year after year…

Are you familiar with how the oreo brand has remained consistent over the decades? The most recent Oreo commercial sparked a conversation between Kevin, his wife Francie, and her son Drew. The discussion centered around the manipulation of marketing and whether or not it is ethical. Francie exclaimed that she loved the new commercial and…

Is your brand the Mother? Do you need some ideas for marketing the Mother Archetype? Getting ideas and discussing brand and marketing with other businesses that have the same archetype as you can be far more valuable than studying those who have the same business as you. You want to be different from them anyway.…

Let’s face it – some industries, products, and services are just way easier to market than others. We call these “sexy” industries. Not necessarily because they are sexy in their branding (Lover Archetype) but because everyone likes them and uses them. For example, food, travel, and clothing. These are things you can get excited about!…

Kevin and Amy interview Lisa Fisher, owner of Lisa Fisher & Associates. Lisa took her company through the Brand Archetype process and the gang discusses that experience. Lisa explains how it has helped her brand and marketing and why it is important to enlist the help of experts to grow your business. Lisa is a…

Last episode we discussed the brand changes that Rite Aide is going through and we thought it might be interesting to explore the healthcare industry in general and some trends we see in branding there.  When you are deciding on an archetype is important to consider what other companies in your industry are doing –…