Ly's brand builder system
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← The method · Scene 03 · Character

meet
the cast.

Twelve characters sit behind almost every brand you love. You already know them from stories: the wise teacher, the rebel, the friend who makes everyone laugh. Find the one that is already in you, and your brand gets easier to build.

Take the 2-minute quizMeet all 12
The idea

people connect with people. not companies.

An archetype is a character everyone recognises without being told. You pick one, and it tells you how your brand should act, talk and look.

1

It's already familiar

The same 12 characters show up in myths, films and fairy tales all over the world. When your brand acts like one, people "get" you fast, without needing an explanation.

2

It makes decisions easier

Which words? Which photo? Which colour? Ask: "What would my character do?" Suddenly you have an answer, and your posts, website and shop all feel like the same person.

3

It stops you sounding like everyone else

Most small businesses describe what they sell. A character gives you a personality, and personality is the thing competitors can't copy.

4

You pick two, not twelve

Choose one main character, the core of who you are. Then add one supporting character for colour. A café can be a caring Caregiver with a little Jester humour.

The map

four things people want.

Every character is driven by one of four basic human needs. Start here: which need does your brand help people meet? Tap one to see its three characters.

Left: stability and controlRight: risk and masteryTop: freedom and finding paradiseBottom: belonging and enjoyment
The cast

all twelve, up close.
One café, twelve ways

same coffee. different character.

Mai runs a small coffee shop in Saigon. She is launching a cold brew. Watch how the same post changes when a different character writes it. Same product, same price. A completely different brand.

maicoffee.saigon
New · cold brew

The quiz

who's your main character?

Six quick questions. Answer for your brand, or for yourself if you are building a personal brand. Go with your gut. There are no wrong answers, only honest ones.

Tip: pick what you are on your best day, not what sounds impressive.

Use it

from character to brand.

1

pick your main character

The one that sounds like you on your best day. Read its weak side too. If that makes you wince a little, you probably picked right.

2

add a supporting one

One more for colour. A Sage with some Jester is a teacher people actually enjoy. Never more than two.

3

write it in one line

"[Your brand] is a [main character] who [does what], with a [supporting character] attitude." Put it where you will see it.

4

check everything against it

Every caption, photo, colour and reply to a customer. Ask: would my character say this? If not, rewrite it.

Next scene

now build the rest of your brand.

Your character is scene 03 of 8 in my free brand system. Ly's Brand Builder Studio takes you through all eight: why you exist, who you're for, how you sound and why you're different. Or we can do it together, one to one.

Open Ly's Brand Builder StudioGet the free workbook
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Ly on a phone call, smiling

Where this comes from: the 12 archetypes grew out of the psychologist Carl Jung's work on the characters that repeat in human stories. Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson turned them into a tool for brands in their book The Hero and the Outlaw (2001). I have taught this version in brand workshops since 2015. Brand examples are well-known illustrations, not official positions of those companies.