REGENERATIVE JOURNEY TOOLKIT.

If the brand came to life, what personality would it have?

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One way of capturing the essence of your brand's soul is to use Archetypes. They are universal patterns of behavior and symbols that are found in every culture and individual. They are like templates of mindsets and behaviours, and they have been studied by many great thinkers in the last century.

The most influential figure in the study of archetypes was Carl Jung, an early 20th century Swiss psychiatrist. He believed that the human mind is made up of both a conscious and an unconscious part, and that the unconscious mind contains a collective layer shared by all humans, which he called the "collective unconscious". According to Jung, this collective unconscious contains archetypes, which are instinctive patterns of behaviour and symbols that we all share.

Joseph Campbell, an American writer and mythologist, further developed Jung's ideas about archetypes. He believed that archetypes are found in myths and stories from all over the world, and that they reflect the fundamental experiences and struggles of human life. Campbell called this universal pattern the "hero's journey", which he believed was the basic structure of all myths and stories.

Carol Pearson and Margaret Mark also studied archetypes and their role in modern society. They identified archetypes such as the "Sage" (wise teacher), the "Hero" (protector and fighter), and the "Lover" (intimate connection and passion), among others.

In simpler terms, archetypes are like the building blocks of stories and myths, representing universal themes and characters that we can all relate to on a deep level. They help us understand ourselves and the world around us by providing a shared language and framework for human experience.

These archetypes allow us to approach the personification of the brands through 12 universal figures.

The personality is usually drawn around the meeting of two archetypes; primary and secondary.

Sometimes a third is needed when many brands occupy a similar space.

It is key to be able to distill down the key aspects of what makes our organisation what it is and make sure every team member adheres to its DNA.

This compass is typically developed during a workshop following a survey where every member has had an opportuynity to share their perspective. 

It comprises 4 key sections:

• North Star: the guiding principles that unite and drive the organisation - WHY, VALUES, MISSION, NEW NARRATIVES BEING SEEDED.

• Community: everyone closely or remotely involved in our ecosystem - USER SEGMENTS or PERSONA, THEIR CORE NEEDS, STAKEHOLDERS.

• Personality: as we relate to brand similarly to how we do with people it is key to define what mental image we project - ARCHETYPE, CHARACTER, TONE OF VOICE, VISUAL WORLD

• Impact: the (ideally) regenerative trail we leave behind - PROBLEM SOLVED OR ENABLEMENT, TRANSFORMATIONAL TALENT, CONTENT POLLINATION