THE EVERYMAN

All men and women are created equal

The Everyman seeks to be accepted by society and promote equality. They are motivated by a sense of belonging. The Everyman is known to be very relatable and wholesome, which helps them to foster authentic relationships with others. They are often hardworking, down to Earth individuals who yearn to have authentic relationships and simply just want to be accepted for who they are.

This archetype is also called the Citizen, Common Man, Good Neighbor, Good Old Boy, Member, Orphan, Person Next Door, Realist, Regular Jane, Regular Person, Silent Majority, or Working Stiff.

The 12 Brand Archetypes were developed and articulated in "The Hero and The Outlaw" by Margaret Mark and Carol Pearson

The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes Hardcover - (Amazon Affiliate Link)

EVERYMAN MARKETING OPPORTUNITY

The Everyman archetype provides a good identity for brands:

  • Whose use helps people belong or feel that they belong

  • Whose function is something used commonly in everyday life

  • With pricing that is moderate to low (or that is an upscale version of a product that would ordinarily be inexpensive)

  • Produced or sold by a company with a down-home organizational culture

  • They want to differentiate themselves in a positive way from a higher priced or more elitist brand


MARKETING APPROACH | Giving off a sense of belonging that is welcoming and inclusive

TONE | Authentic, Friendly, Direct, Honest, Inclusive, Inviting, Family-Focused, Practical, Realistic, Relaxed, Unpretentious, and Welcoming

VALUE PROPOSITION | Helps people be OK just as they are

CUSTOMER FEAR | Exile, orphaning, abandonment, engulfment

 

EVERYMAN MINDSET & TRAITS

GOAL | To connect with others by embracing equality, and to feel a sense of belonging within their community

STRATEGY | To develop common virtues that are widely accepted among society

MOTIVATION | Belonging & Enjoyment

CALL | Loneliness, alienation

CORE DESIRE | Connection with others

GIFT | Realism, empathy, lack of pretense

CHAMPIONS | Acceptance, Authenticity, Empathy, Equality, Hard-Work, Inclusivity, Dedication, Realisms, and Lasting Relationships

SUPER POWERS | Seeing people for their authentic selves and accepting them without pretense, despite their differences

SHADOW | The victim who is willing to be abused rather than be alone, or the lynch-mob member, willing to go along with abuse in order to be one of the gang

TRAP | The potential to lose their own identity trying too hard to blend in and be accepted by all

FEARS | Being excluded from society; losing their self-identity in an attempt to blend in; being seen as superior

TURN-OFFS | Arrogance, Entitlement, Extravagance, Extroversion, Elitists, Isolation, and Judgement

 

LEVELS OF THE EVERYMAN

LEVEL 1 The orphan, feeling abandoned and alone, seeking affiliation

LEVEL 2 The joiner, learning to connect, fit in , accept help and friendship

LEVEL 3 The humanitarian, believing in the natural dignity of every person regardless of his or her abilities or circumstances

 

SIMILAR BRAND ARCHETYPES


SOURCES

Mark, Margaret, Pearson, Carol, (2001). The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes Hardcover - (Amazon Affiliate Link) pages 13, 18, 165-166, 169, 177

The authors developed the 12 Brand Archetypes as a tool for marketing in 1995 and explained their methodology and ideas in their seminal book. Some of the content on this page are ideas cited directly to maintain correctness and some have been paraphrased where possible.