THE HERO
Where there’s a will, there’s a way
The Hero seeks to improve society through courageous acts and to leave behind a legacy in hopes that they will inspire others. They are motivated by their constant need to prove to themselves and others that they are capable of enduring the most difficult of challenges in order to improve society as a whole. They crave the gratification that comes from this.
This archetype is also called the Athlete, Champion, Competitor, Crusader, Dragon Slayer, Liberator, Rescuer, Soldier, Superhero, Team Player, Victor, or Warrior.
The 12 Brand Archetypes were developed and articulated in "The Hero and The Outlaw" by Margaret Mark and Carol Pearson
HERO MARKETING OPPORTUNITY
The Hero identity may be right for your brand if:
You have an invention or innovation that will have a major impact on the world
Your product helps people perform at their upper limit
You are addressing a major social problem and asking people to step up to the plate to help address it
You have a clear opponent or competitor you want to beat
You are the underdog and want to rival the competition
The strength of your product or service is its ability to do a tough job efficiently and well
You need to differentiate your product from one that has problems with follow-through
Your customer base identifies itself as good, moral citizens
MARKETING APPROACH | Exemplifying mastery to overcome societal adversity, and by doing so, leaving behind a positive and inspiring legacy
TONE | Competent, Confident, Courageous, Direct, Disciplined, Encouraging, Empowering, Goal-Focused, Inspirational, Proud, and Motivated
VALUE PROPOSITION | Helps people act courageously
CUSTOMER FEAR | Ineffectuality, impotence, powerlessness
HERO MINDSET & TRAITS
GOAL | To improve the world and inspire others through their determination and courageous acts
STRATEGY | To motivate others and encourage bravery, strength, and competency in order to overcome challenges
MOTIVATION | Risk & Mastery
CALL | The bully kicks sand in your face or someone tries to intimidate or abuses you; a challenge beckons; someone needs you to help defend him or her
CORE DESIRE | Prove one’s worth through courageous and difficult actions
GIFT | Competence and courage
CHAMPIONS | Achievement, Competence, Courage, Determination, Discipline, Mastery, Strength, and Self-Sacrifice
SUPER POWERS | Commitment and determination to triumph adversity through courageous acts
SHADOW | Ruthlessness and obsessive need to win
TRAP | Arrogance, developing a need for there always to be an enemy
FEARS | Inability to accomplish their goals; being perceived as weak and cowardly
TURN-OFFS | Angst, Fear, Cynicism, Distress, Introversion, Skepticism, and Vulnerability
LEVELS OF THE HERO
LEVEL 1 The development of boundaries, competence, mastery, expressed through achievement, motivated or tested through competition
LEVEL 2 As with a soldier, doing your duty for your country, or organization, community, or family
LEVEL 3 Using your strength, competence, and courage for something that makes a difference to you and to the world
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, 105-107, 121
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.