When a company seeks to attract customers passionate about innovation, experimentation and the pursuit of the ultimate truth, it must become a Magician.
While not novel, the idea of brand archetypes that businesses can embody in order to create a deeper relationship with their customers and secure their market share has not yet risen to prominence.
We oft speak of branding as though it is a completely common practice. However, for the customers of brands that employ the knowledge of Jungian archetypes to the way they market their products, branding is nothing short of magic.
In this article, we are going to discuss the importance of the Magician archetype, how your company can benefit from this world-changing brand identity, and how to develop it.
The Importance of Brand Archetypes to Brand Strategy
Often, brand strategy is informed only by instincts or very lax customer research.
However, few marketers and companies uncover the real truths of motivations that make your customers buy your product over every other product in the market.
Of course, this is completely understandable. We do not have all the resources in the world; customers often subjectively answer surveys, not understanding their very own reasons behind purchasing certain products.
And therein lies the importance of branding. Quality, features, all of these aspects weigh into the purchasing decision. However, there is something far more important:
Values and identity.
When customers are able to relate to your company, they no longer perceive your products as objects. Instead, they begin perceiving your products as representations of their desires and their experiences.
Therefore, when a brand strategy is informed by the motivations, experiences, and desires of your customers, you can truly expect it to be effective.
Be that as it may, humans are complex creatures. This is why Carl Jung, the Swiss psychologist, developed his theory of 12 archetypes:
- The Sage
- The Lover
- The Hero
- The Everyman
- The Creator
- The Ruler
- The Caregiver
- The Outlaw
- The Explorer
- The Magician
- The Jester
- The Innocent
Each archetype represents certain human experiences and motivations.
We commonly see them as stereotypes in our daily lives: Some people embody the Hero (always to be found when we need them); whereas, others can be the Jester (finding humor in the darkest times).
And if the key to capturing a more significant market share is in relating to our customers and helping our customers relate to us, there is no more suitable alternative to doing it than Jungian brand archetypes.
For those brands which seek to transform and change lives, there is the appeal of the Magician.
The Magician Brand Identity
Normally, you can recognize the Magician brands by the nature of their products; they are transformative.
They come with a promise of: “Nothing will ever be the same after using our product.”
Simply think of the greats such as Polaroid, iPod, Xbox.
All of these brands have in some way altered the lives of their users with the promise that knowledge will set us free. For brands which employ the Magician archetype for their brand development, there is nothing more important than changing lives and creating unforgettable experiences.
There is a sense of otherworldliness to the Magician. While their products and their visions are rooted in science, their customers are often drawn in by the near-magical effects of their products.
Consider MLM (multi-level marketing) companies that draw in more customers with the promise of an incredible life as soon as they join it. While not beloved by the public, MLM companies certainly leverage the idea of transformation from financial inadequacy to wealth, effectively becoming magicians in the eyes of their customers.
For a more positive example, we can also consider life coaches who take their customers on a journey from chaos to enlightenment.
It is due to this transformative and (secret) knowledge-driven identity that the Magician resonates best with the customers in the IT, cosmetics and beauty, life coaching and executive training industries.
How to Embody the Magician Brand Archetype
If your product or service is of a transformative nature true to the Magician brand identity, you can express it by including the following practices into your brand strategy:
- Juxtaposing ideas of the before and the after; the bleakness of life before using your product and the awe and improvement which come after using your product or service
- Publicizing the most transformative experiences your customers have had with your products
- Educating customers through content marketing and similar techniques while simultaneously retaining the aura of mystery
The Magician may be beloved for its transformative nature, but it is revered for its mystique. Quod Erat Demonstrandum: change the world. But do not tell your customers all the details about your ability to do so.
Let them wonder, and let them fall in love with your brand.
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