Heroes in Business - Your Brand is NOT Your Logo and Font

Episode Date: June 2, 2021

This episode has the 12 archetypes of brands, the first step in your brand identity: The voice, the mission, and more. Your logo and fonts are small elements of your brand. They are NOT your brand. Social Media on Steroids with Dan Shinder  

Hi and welcome to the Social Media on Steroids podcast. I'm Dan Schindler and I created the Social Media on Steroids brand of education, training, consulting, and services to help others learn from my experience of achieving extraordinary results with content marketing on social. I attracted a following of over 1 million people and reach millions more online each month, 100% organically. Do you need a million followers? Probably not. After all, wouldn't 10,000, 25,000, 100,000 new followers of your target market in love with what you do help your business? help your business? Of course it would, if you know how to cater to them by giving value,

which increases your ability to drive traffic to where you want it. And you can use the same strategies to begin getting better results now. Okay, let's jump in. All right, welcome to episode 11, Your Brand Is Not Your Logo and Font. Be sure to check out more episodes you may have missed by searching Dan Schinder, that's S-H-I-N-D-E-R, on Eliancer.com or your favorite podcast platform. This is on about 40 or more, so it should be easy to find subscribe on your favorite platform. Okay, it's important to understand the true meaning of what a brand is in order to get your content marketing right. Many people do not know what any of this means, and that's okay. I'm here to help, even if I sound

a bit wound up, and I'll probably get a bit wound up here, So bear with me, please. So here's a myth. Many believe their logo and font and their colors are their brand. This is not the case. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, especially your graphic artist. The person who created your logo did not create your brand. Don't let them take credit for that. That's ridiculous. I even heard a graphic designer the other day, we will call him Jed, who helped someone with a logo and a couple merchandising ideas for aprons and hats say, I created a brand for, well, let's call his customer Clyde. So Jed said he helped Clyde create his brand just because Jed created a logo and a couple merch ideas. No, let's be absolutely 100% crystal clear about this with any candy coating or

anything or pulling punches or even being politically correct. Jed did not in any effing way, politically correct. Jed did not in any effing way, shape, or form create a brand for Clyde when all he did was create a logo and a couple of merch ideas with that logo. None of that is Clyde's brand. Clyde created his brand. The following is what a brand really is and how to create one or give yours a checkup in step one of four simple steps. We will cover the others in the following episodes. And Clyde, the business owner, created his brand, not Jed, the graphic artist. A logo is merely an element of the brand's representation. It is not what the brand is. So step one that we're covering today is defining your company's identity, which includes the brand voice. And in developing a brand's voice, one must explore Carl Jung's 12 brand archetypes. Once you decide this,

and you can always change it, brands change. We've seen that over years. Then you can craft your slogan, your tagline, your mantra, your mission statement, your vision statement in a fashion through your brand's voice, which is representative of the archetype that is your brand's identity. You with me so far? Okay. This then can pave the way for what the logo and the other related visual elements are, not the other way around. In no universe is a logo determining the aforementioned complexities and idiosyncrasies of what defines a brand. Shake my head. Okay. Here we go with the 12 classic brand archetypes. And before

we launch into that, here's a sneak peek example. Think about this for a moment. Think for a moment the differences in perception you may have of Microsoft and Apple. And I don't want to get political about this, but just think for a moment how those brands look and feel to you, or most people for that matter. Microsoft is what you call the ruler. That's their brand archetype, the ruler. While Apple is the magician.

Think of how those two brands feel to you in comparison to each other. So my example is this. Microsoft is equivalent to walking down a long vinyl tile hall with fluorescent lights, white walls, doors on either side with the clickety-clack of dress shoe heels. That's, to me, Microsoft. Whereas Apple is lying on your back in a breezy meadow, looking at the clouds and finding what animal shapes you see.

They are two completely different brand archetypes in the same industry to some degree. Make sense? Okay. So here are the big 12. There are more but let's just stick with these 12 for now and think of which one is your brand or which one you strive to be. Here we go. The innocent, their goal is to be happy. Their traits, they strive to be good, pure, young, optimistic, simple, moral, romantic, and loyal. That's the innocent. Their drawback, they could appear to be naive or boring,

or they actually could be naive or boring. Their marketing niche are often companies with strong values seen as trustworthy, reliable, and honest, associated with morality, good values, simplicity, and can be nostalgic. Examples of the innocent brands are Dove Soap, Coca-Cola, and Continental Bathroom Tissue. Okay, moving along. How about the regular guy or gal? So their goal of that brand archetype is to belong or connect with others.

Traits might include being down to earth, supportive, faithful, folksy. The person next door connects with others. Their drawback could lack a distinctive identity and blend in too much. And that's really shown in the name if you think about it, right? The regular guy or girl could blend in too much, but I can see how that's who they're also going after. So it's also a reflection of their

target market and their market niche. Common touch, solid virtues, gives a sense of belonging. An example would be Home Depot or eBay. Why do we say Home Depot? The name of the company is actually The Home Depot. But why do we say just Home Depot? I guess it's just easier. All right, next. Ready? The hero. The goal of the hero is to help and improve the world. Traits could include courageous, bold, honorable, strong, confident, inspirational. Drawback could be arrogant or aloof. Drawback, could be arrogant or aloof. Marketing niche, make a positive mark on the world, solve major problems or enable or inspire others to do so.

Examples of hero brand archetype would be Nike, BMW, and Duracell. When I think of this brand, advanced social marketing or social media on steroids, to a point, there's a hero element in there because I have this save the world complex. I see so much garbage out there being put out and this is how you do it. No, it's like this. No, follow these instructions. And I know I'm doing that too. I'm telling you, hey, please pay attention. I've gotten great results. Do what I do. There's no way it won't work. And that's true. But there's a lot of people just copying what other people are doing. And I really wish I could help everybody. I really wish I could. The only reason I can't is not everyone wants to be helped. Not everyone believes they need to be helped. So there's a hero element in this brand here. We'll get to my other founding brand in a bit. Then there's the outlaw.

Their goal is to break the rules and fight authority. So in my mind, I think of Maverick, right? Like a Maverick brand. Their traits are, well, here you go, rebellious, icon-clastic, wild, paving the way for change. Drawback could take it too far and be seen in a negative way. And that's true. I mean, but you got to stick to your conviction. You're never going to resonate with everybody, no matter which brand archetype you are or strive to be. You will never resonate with everybody. And that's okay. That's totally okay. Hey, we have 11 kids and 19 grandkids and a cat.

I can tell you, you will not please everybody, okay? All right, next, the explorer. The goal of the explorer finds fulfillment through discovery and new experiences. Traits include being restless, adventurous, ambitions, individualistic, independent, and pioneering. And let's throw in words that use lots of syllables. They're a drawback. They might not be a fit into the mainstream, but that's okay. I don't see that as a drawback if that's not their target market. My target market is not the

mainstream. Could I help the mainstream? 100% absolutely yes. Does the mainstream think they need help? Want to be helped? For the most part, no. And I'm cool with that. I mean, I feel bad for them, but I'm cool with not being able to help them if that's not what they want. Okay, so for the explorer,

their marketing niche is often exciting, risk-taking, and authentic. Example would be Indiana Jones, Jeep, and Red Bull. You've got wings. The Creator. Gosh, that's got to be like the biggest title ever if you think about it. The Creator. Their goal as a brand would be to create something with meaning and enduring value. would be to create something with meaning and enduring value. Traits include being creative, imaginative, artistic, inventive, entrepreneurial, and non-conformist. Most artistics are not. I know. I'm married to one. And I come from the music industry. Drawback could be perfectionistic or impractical. Yes and yes.

Marketing niche would include being visionary, help customers express or create, and foster their imagination. An example would be Lego and Crayola. Those are great examples, actually, and there are plenty of others, so I love that. A culinary school can, to a degree, be the creator, whereas a culinary school could also be very strict and rigid, especially if it's on the pastry side, the dessert side. Next, the ruler.

No, we're not talking like a third of a yardstick. We're talking the ruler, their goal is to control, create order from chaos. Traits include leadership, being responsible, organized, role model, and administrator. Now, before I even look at the niche, I could tell you that I think that the drawback could be getting people to follow that path with you. You know, you've got to really play well. If you're going to be the Pied Piper, you've got to really make some music with that flute. You know what I mean?

So I don't know. Drawback could lack a common connection or be too authoritative or controlling. Just like I said, I was in that marriage once. Marketing niche would be to help people become more organized, restore order, and create more stability and security in a chaotic world. Example would be, here it is, Microsoft, Barclays, and Mercedes-Benz. Interesting. I don't see Mercedes that way, but that's just my personal perception. Next, we've got, that's funny that these two are back-to-back,

Microsoft and Apple, because I mentioned that Apple's part of the archetype, the magician. Their goal might be to make dreams come true, create something special. That was Steve Jobs, right? Well, and his team. Traits, visionary, charismatic, imaginative, idealistic, spiritual. Drawback is that they could take risks that lead to bad outcomes. Sometimes you need that, though, for progress. Marketing niche is to help people transform their world, inspire change, expand consciousness.

Example, Disney, Wizard of Oz, Apple. I would throw in, to some degree, Yogi's, perhaps, in different levels of maybe even NLP, to a degree. Maybe, actually. NLP is Neuro Linguistic Programming. Okay, how about this one? The lover. Their goal is to create intimacy and inspire love. Traits include being passionate, sensual, intimate, romantic, warm, committed, and idealistic. Drawback could be too selfless and not grounded enough. By the way, each one of these drawbacks, I see how they could also be big benefits depending on what the brand's target market is, as well as how that fits into the equation of their products or

services. So drawback to me on this list isn't always, and this list you can find anywhere. If you email me, I'll send it to you. It's going to go out in an email blast as well. Email's at the end and probably in the description or depending on where you're seeing. Anyways, their market niche is to help people feel appreciated, belong, connect, enjoy intimacy, build relationships. Example, the first one, example, Victoria's Secret, Good Dive at Chocolate, and Marie Claire. How about this one? The caregiver. Now, I've been a caregiver. I was a caregiver for both my parents at the end of their lives. My wife was a caregiver for her mom. So I'm curious. I did not, I mean, I've read all these, I'm familiar with these, but I did not read them like today as I'm recording this. So the caregiver, the goal is

to care for and protect others. Well, yeah, that sounds like a caregiver to me. Traits are caring, maternal, nurturing, selfless, generous, and compassionate. I have to say that's me to a degree as a dad and grandpa and in my relationship. I'm very nurturing. And that's partly why I started this business, to be honest with you, serious. Not to give a plug, but seriously. I started social media on steroids series of consulting and courses and workshops and all of that out of the success I had with my other brand, Drum Talk TV. I realized, wow, I need to teach other people these strategies I figured out so they can thrive. So to a degree, I am a caregiver brand. The jester. Goal is to bring joy to the world. Joy to the world. Okay, I won't go on. Traits, fun, sense of humor,

lighthearted, mischievous, irreverent. Drawback, could be seen as frivolous or disrespectful. Eh, if you throw in snarky, yes. Irreverent, I guess, ties into that. Marketing niche, help people have a good time or enjoy what they are doing. Allow people to be more impulsive and spontaneous. Example, Motley Fool, Ben and Jerry's, Ikea. Clearly, my founding brand, as I mentioned, Drum Talk TV, is a jester brand. It's based on me, so what do you expect?

It's silly, playful, sometimes snarky, and all the other elements mentioned as a classic jester brand. That's absolutely Drum Talk TV. And we identified that in the very first year. This is a good one. How many of you are this? The sage. Their goal is to help the world gain wisdom and insight. I guess that's partly what I do too. How about you? I think most education and consulting brands have a bit of sage element in them, if not completely sage, or I think they ought to. Traits are knowledgeable, trusted source of information, wisdom and intelligence, thoughtful, analytical, mentor, guru, advisor. Drawback could be overly contemplative or too opinionated. or too opinionated. I know that I may come across as too opinionated sometimes, but my opinions are typically based on fact, what works and what doesn't work, and that's what I'm here to share

with you. Their marketing niche for the Sage is to help people better understand the world, provide practical information, and analysis. Example. Oh, these are great. BBC, PBS, Google, Philips, and I would even throw in NPR, National Public Radio. So there you go. That's the 12 classic brand archetypes. Which one are you? Write me and let me know. I'd really be curious and let me know what you do too. write me and let me know. I'd really be curious and let me know what you do too. I'm at dan at advancedsocialmarketing.com. And if you're visual like me and need to see this list,

go ahead and mention that in the email and I will send it out. Or you could subscribe to my list at the same URL, advancedsocialmarketing.com. And the email will be sent out soon with this list and some other related info. And we'll cover the other three simple steps to developing slash identifying slash crafting your brand in the next consecutive podcast episodes.

We're not gonna cover how to make a logo. We're not gonna cover that or what font to pick. We're not covering that. That's not your brand. We did cover that, okay? But remember, you could have the most compelling mission statement, vision statement, mantra, and tagline, product or service, and pricing, but ultimately, it's the content marketing that will determine whether or not you are successful in growing your following, driving traffic, and more sales,

because your content marketing has to resonate with your target market. That's why understanding which brand archetype you are makes such a huge difference. The voice of your brand, how you're going to put out that content marketing, how you're going to speak to the different personas that make up your target market, and they're not all the same. Even if they're buying the same product or service from you for the same reason, they're not all the same. Many of you may have already heard me use the hiking boot analogy. Imagine this for a moment. We're a hiking boot brand. Let's call it Dan's Boot. If I only put out TV commercials and videos on social media that depicted 18 to 24-year-olds

wearing Dan's Boot, the older seniors like me, yeah, I know, I sound like a 15-year-old, but I'm a senior. All the seniors would say, oh, those boots aren't for me. Those are for the youngsters. I need boots for my rickety feet with all my 60 years of mileage. Or if we only made boots for those people, the 18 to 24-year-olds would say, ah, those are for the rickety people. I need some young, agile boots. That's what I need. But they're the same product. So this is why you need to drill down to your target market, identify and define the different personas, coupled with identifying which brand archetype you are so that you can put your content out in that voice and in manners that resonate with the different personas

that make up your target market. Make sense? Apply what I teach and begin getting better results immediately, guaranteed. There's no way it won't work, I promise. And if you have questions, just reach out. Much more to be covered in more episodes. And if you need to learn more or need your team trained

or just a service provider who knows how it really works to do all or a portion of your marketing, or if you just have questions, reach out, pop me an email, and cue the music. So remember, if you're serious about what you do, get serious about how you market it. Sign up for my newsletter and get my Six steps to daily success PDF

at advancedsocialmarketing.com and get notifications about my free workshops and other learning opportunities, as well as the wacky changes on the major platforms. Stay up to date and see how I can help you further at the same URL. Check out the blog there and follow the Advanced Social

Marketing YouTube channel as well. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com slash in slash Dan Schindler. Happy marketing!