A HERO'S JOURNEY FOR BRANDS
Amidst the vast sea of media platforms, the integration of evolving contextual forces like AI and blockchain, and Gen Z's preference for authentic experiences and storytelling, there's a clear urgency for brands to adopt a modernized marketing framework. It’s getting really messy managing all the silos, don’t you think?
This new framework should seamlessly blend brand and performance marketing, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints. After all, a brand's character should remain true across both brand and performance marketing efforts with community, content, or commerce-driven customer journeys that connect arterially to the soul of the brand.
The Shadow
Enter Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey and Carl Jung's archetypes – age-old concepts that offer a refreshingly straightforward approach to creating personalized and scalable marketing journeys. The Hero's Journey – a narrative roadmap, employed in almost every film and story from the dawn of time, that brings about transformation for the individual beginning with answering a call for adventure, fighting inner and external foes, then returning to a new normal and embracing victory. Beyond just ancient tales, this structure becomes a catalyst for brands seeking reinvention. Just as characters evolve, brands can also shed outdated processes, emerging with a stronger identity and clearer purpose. In a world filled with complexities, this transformation's efficiency is a valuable asset.
The Legend
Leveraging brand archetypes is not a new concept. In 2001, before there was such a thing as performance marketing, Carol S. Pearson and Margaret Mark coined 12 brand archetypes in their book, "The Hero and the Outlaw," drawing from Jungian and Briggs-Myers theories. Brand archetypes have had little relevance in the world of performance marketing, until now. Infusing archetypes in the marketing and branding process and applying them throughout the customer journey proves to be an infallible way to create a north star for all channels and partners who touch the brand. These personas – the Guide, the Hero, the Sage, the Outlaw – create a common thread that maintains a consistent voice and purpose across brand and performance marketing. This nurturing of familiarity and connection forms the bedrock of trust, both for customers and employees.
The Magician
These journeys, personalized for each archetype, resonate particularly in a landscape where brand and performance marketing need to coexist at every point where customers interact with the brand.
Taking a cue from Disney’s or Mattel’s playbook, we recognize the significance of world-building. While many brands stick to the routine of quarterly campaigns for different channels that are more often than not, disconnected, Disney's commitment to building consistent, immersive universes establishes trust – a key element that bridges the gap between fleeting campaigns and enduring brand connection.
Duolingo employs a similar strategy with its mascot Duo, a cartoon owl, The Guide archetype. Duo began as a character that popped up on your phone as a reminder to complete assignments. Over time, Duo has become synonymous with the brand itself and has championed the brand across channels.
The Visionary
In the dynamic realm of brand and performance marketing, the insights from Campbell and Jung shine as beacons for modern marketers. This fusion serves as a compass, guiding brands to navigate the diverse landscapes they need to be a part of simultaneously. As a result, marketers can shape journeys that captivate, convert, and deeply resonate.
Far From Timid has created a groundbreaking methodology that breaks free from 20th century marketing models to unite brand and performance marketing–earned, owned, and paid, using archetypes weaved through a brand hero’s journey in our Journey To Legendary.
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