Podcast

Jane McCarthy

#488: How to Discover Your Brand’s Authentic Feminine Archetype

Early in my career, I was taught to ask my customers insipid questions like: If your brand was a dog, what kind of dog would it be?

What kind of car reflects your personality? How about a drink? Are you a cocktail? A beer? Diet soda? Energy drink?

This accepted branding process never sat well with me.

From all our insightful exploration, we have determined that your brand is a five-year-old green golden doodle named Hazel that drives an Audi Q3, enjoys Manhattaans, reads Vogue and Outisde magazines, and gives her Nordstrom personal shopper birthday presents.

Seriously, man, that was nuts. This put me on a quest for a more authentic exploration, which led to my discovery of brand archetyping.

Here at last I found a foolproof way of sculpting and authenticating a brand’s distinctive, enticing personality.

It is important to understand your brand personality because it informs the creative expression of your communications.

How do you currently look, sound, and feel to your customers? Are you a Ruler brand like American Express, a Creator personality like Lego or Ikea, a Regular Guy/Gal persona like Charles Schwab, a Caregiver identity like Oprah and her OWN Network, or do you represent the character of the Hero archetype like Patagonia?

The above is an excerpt from Chapter 6 of Brand Bewitchery, on how to identify your personal and professional brand.

But my guest takes exception to the idea of using the 12 Jungian archetypes to define your brand personality.

She says they are too masculine and don’t address feminine archetypes found in most brands.

Jane McCarthy is a brand strategist with over a decade of experience in advertising.

She has collaborated with global and local brands in a variety of categories, working with brands like SweeTarts, Southern California Edison, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Jane’s emphasis is on leveraging archetypes to unlock a brand’s true essence and power.

Her new book The Goddess Guide to Branding is focused on helping female founders and brand leaders build their brands with the help of powerful feminine archetypes.

Along with her sister Kate McAndrew, a venture capitalist and co-author of the book, she recently launched The Goddess Office on Substack, a new platform for inspiring women in business.

Jane shares her journey into the world of branding, her insights on how archetypes can shape brand identity, and provides examples of brands that embody these archetypes.

The discussion also delves into practical exercises for identifying and evolving a brand’s archetype, emphasizing the importance of storytelling in creating meaningful connections with customers.

What’s In It For You:

Archetypes are powerful tools for branding and marketing.
Feminine archetypes can be expressed in various ways beyond traditional roles.
Brands like North Face can embody both masculine and feminine archetypes.
The Maiden Persephone archetype represents youth and joy in branding.
Finding the right archetype involves understanding both authenticity and customer desire.
Brands can evolve their archetypes based on market feedback.
The goddess archetypes provide a fresh perspective on branding.