An important concept that Jim Signorelli constantly stresses in "Storybranding 2.0" is the idea of thinking of your brand as a person. As I previously elaborated on in my recent blog posts, the brand has layers in which it possesses its values and how they communicate those values. Thinking of the brand as a person is the perfect way to understand the brand's layers.
The human body is the best representation of the brand's inner and outer layers. The skin and skeleton of the human body is the support system and protects the inside. The skull protects the brain, the ribs protect the lungs and so on. What is on the outside of the human body is what is communicated to the public. It showcases itself to represent what is inside. In a sense, this is the brand's outer layer. Take Nike for example. Nike possesses qualities like courage, determination, endurance, strength, etc. But, how does Nike communicate those values? That is the outer layer's job. Nike showcases those values by producing products like running shoes, athletic clothing, etc.
The inner layer of the brand is the human body's inner organs, which are protected by the skeleton. The values and beliefs of the brand are the heart, lungs, brain, etc. It is the core and the soul of the brand. The inner layer is where Signorelli presents the concept of archetypes. By definition, archetypes are "an original model of a person, ideal example, or a prototype after which others are copied, patterned, or emulated; a symbol universally recognized by all." Examples of archetypes are entertainer, conqueror, rebel, emperor, and many more. These archetypes help see the brand as a person with values, rather than a "thing."
From my own experiences, I have an emotional connection with the brand known as Tiffany. The reason I have an emotional connection with Tiffany is because we share the same values. Our inner layers align, which is the ultimate goal. Tiffany's archetype is the emperor, which means it champions values like leadership, strength, influence, dominance, respect and so on. Those qualities are some that I possess are that are very important to me. Tiffany does an amazing job by using their outer layer to represent what is inside. They present the brand as clean, beautiful, and classy. The Tiffany jewelry I possess has a deep emotional connection because it makes me feel those values that I have inside. So, as Signorelli would say, I have reached a Level IV connection with Tiffany.
Signorelli's whole point of using archetypal analysis is to show that brand's are way more complex than what they appear to be on the surface. If marketers can remember to put the brand first before understanding the consumer, then I believe a Level IV connection is easier to obtain. Hopefully, all brands can emotionally connect like I do with Tiffany.
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