The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes

by Margaret Mark, Carol Pearson

A brand’s meaning―how it resonates in the public heart and mind―is a company’s most valuable competitive advantage. Yet, few companies really know how brand meaning works, how to manage it, and how to use brand meaning strategically. Written by best-selling author Carol S. Pearson (The Hero Within) and branding guru Margaret Mark, this groundbreaking book provides the illusive and compelling answer. Using studies drawn from the experiences of Nike, Marlboro, Ivory and other powerhouse brands, the authors show that the most successful brands are those that most effectively correspond to fundamental patterns in the unconscious mind known as archetypes. The book provides tools and strategies
• Implement a proven system for identifying the most appropriate and leverageable archetypes for any company and/or brand
• Harness the power of the archetype to align corporate strategy to sustain competitive advantage

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Psychology, Design, Sociology, Writing, Communication

400 pages, Hardcover

Published February 6, 2001

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written for the marketing professional facing down a new millennium, The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes outlines twelve stories that have permeated global societies throughout time. The authors claim that these archetypes are the key to marketing anything and that any truly meaningful communication will be based on one of the archetypes. I admit that I had my doubts about the relevance of a marketing book facing down its twentieth birthday, but the fundamental truths I found in its pages rang so true with me that I was compelled to share them.

Full summary here: https://medium.com/@catkodesign/three...

[Valari Westeren · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC

[Jerard Fagerberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A crucial guidepost for brand building. Probably a better reference than a straight read, but full of practical wisdom well beyond books of its category. Though many examples used in the book are dated, most stand the test of time and are educational.

[Fernanda Kraemer · Rating 1 out of 5]

"If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail". This proverb is the best description about this shallow and, many times, boring book.

[Jakub Dovcik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written almost a quarter century ago and for a marketing professionals, this book is a pop-sci take on Jungean archetypes and their use in marketing. For how much it claims to be ‘scientific’, as a non-marketing person I found there to be a lot of superficial fluff, but also some interesting insights - especially the potential negative sides of the archetypes.

The main argument of the book is that the brands that succeed capture the essence of their category and use it in their communication persuasively - they fall squarely into an archetype which people recognise from myths, societal norms, popular culture or religion. What your brand means to its consumers is as important as what it does.

I think the book could have a good use as a textbook-ish resource for creating marketing strategies - to a large extent the most useful bit is the descriptive table form the beginning of the book. While at a lot of the points it falls into a bit of a stereotypical definitions of some stories or their meaning, I think it can be useful if not taken too literally. Many sections feel outdated and I think it does not deal with the question of what happens then the archetype one falls into does not work for the market they are trying to reach (for instance it references the 1992 loss of George H. W. Bush to Bill Clinton as his failure to use the ‘ruler’ archetype well enough, but I find that hard to square with the fact that it would probably not have been an effective strategy in any case), or for that matter how to balance the contrasting archetypes one’s communication might inevitably bring (think blue-collar billionaires of late).

I really liked the focus on the organisational culture for companies and brands that should then translate into the kind of archetype is used for branding that company’s or brand’s product. This connection between internal values (or content) with the marketing or communication strategy is something very much missing in areas such as political communication, when ‘the product’ (policy package, a political party or a movement) is often sold almost a pre-packaged good. That’s why this book might be a useful read for even non-marketing people.

[Massimo Venegoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

"No one wants the field of marketing to become the nursemaid of culture, preaching about what people should and should not do".

While the book could benefit from a clearer and simpler structure, Mark and Pearsons's well grounded and informed work remains an essential read for every marketeer, in a world where it is so easy to make surface-level assumptions of what people value (or should value).

Beyond that, I argue it is useful for everyone willing to introspectively understand the meaning behind their own values, and those of the organizations and people surrounding them.

[Kiryll Kadyrka · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first dive into the Jungian archetypes, and I'm surprised they haven't been on my radar before. It's great to see how they find their applicability in marketing and how important it is to stick to some particular archetype. Some of this can be considered common sense, but you want to bang your head against the wall when you see how many companies market themselves.

Honestly, as someone who's not really into marketing, I didn't gain a ton of takeaways, but it was still a pretty interesting read. I gotta give it to Jung, the dude really knew what he was talking about.

[Christopher Liechty]

This book is very helpful to marketers to help you learn how to connect your brand to the Hero's Journey. It helps you to identify what archetypal role your brand plays and how to stay in that lane. Consistency in playing that role will help you to build trust with your audience and help you to make decisions on how to respond to difficult situations.

The book is well written and connected to the deep studies on Jungian archetypes.

I enjoyed reading this book and I refer to it and use the principles regularly in my branding work.

[Carrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great intro/basic marketing book. I believe it is going to be a significant help to me for a very long time! I found my mind brimming with ideas as I read it. Despite quite a few errors in the editing (of course the Pillsbury Doughboy's image was not tarnished by his appearance in Ghostbusters--the Pillsbury Doughboy did not appear in Ghostbusters!), this has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf, and I feel sure I will turn to it as a reference again and again.

[Verena Alves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Não é apenas um livro é uma verdadeira aula sobre arquétipos. Cheio de muitas referências clássicas e internacionais com exemplos de marcas.
O que mais me destacou foi centralizar, o escolher de apenas um arquétipo para ter como essencial, o principal. As marcas que mais cresceram e se estabeleceram no mercado são as que têm seus arquétipos bem estabelecidos.
"Até que um negócio apresente um lucro maior que seu custo de capital, ela opera no vermelho. Não importa o fato de que ela paga impostos como se tivesse um lucro genuíno, o empreendimento ainda retorna menos para a economia do que devora em recursos. até então, ela não cria riqueza, ela a destrói."

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of the book is excellent, but unfortunately, I found it poorly executed. It could easily be half the length—there’s a lot of unnecessary detail, yet it still feels broad and superficial. It didn’t meet my expectations: the archetypes aren’t clearly summarised, nor does it offer practical guidance on how to market to each one. I ended up skimming large sections, as the content didn’t seem to lead anywhere. For me, it’s more of a reference book—something to dip into occasionally when I need insight on a particular archetype or marketing angle, rather than something to read cover to cover.

[Cyndie Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made my entrepreneurial mind explode in a good way. Talks about how we and our brands fit into the larger stories we tell about the world and how it works. It was particularly surprising because it helped me recognize that my own brand fit better into a different box, and that I could use that to help it appeal to a broader audience. Have been recommending it to pretty much everyone I know who is working on their own business or project ever since.

[Nancy Schumann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a good deal about understanding and applying archetypes to marketing.
I also learned that the authors’ views on films have not been anywhere near a film studies expert. Apparently the rise of Nazis in 1930s Germany can be explained as a marketing need in the consumer. And “early American settlers” were protecting themselves from “Indians”.
As examples for marketing theory and general comments, I found those parts highly problematic.

[Ties · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that we, at our agency, found to be the best basic guide for the use of archetypes in branding. No, it's not perfect but if you want to use archetypes as a guideline for determining a brands identity and/or positioning it really helps clarify the options within this model. We use it as a reference a lot.

[Bhuwan Chand · Rating 5 out of 5]

A practical guide for understanding Brands through the lens of Archetypes. Extremely detailed explanation of Archetypes, how they have evolved over the years, and how they are distinct from each other. Some really great examples of Brands that represent different Archetypes, how they have evolved over the years.

A really wonderful book which helps understand this interesting topic in-depth.

[Myra Nawabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Insightful Book

While I am not a marketer and don’t work for an ad agency, I still found this book packed with rich and relevant information. I have been recommending this to all of my Entreprenuer friends!

[Steve Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend for CEOs and brand building

Enjoyed the references to myth and using ancient wisdom to inform modern thinking. Would recommend. Provides practical advice for anyone thinking about branding

[Bogdan Goncharenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revelation in marketing and storytelling

The scientific approach in defining archetypes helps to reveal a common pattern in mythical stories and modern advertising.
Highly recommended

[Arne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great piece of research and insight that balances theory with practice. Definitely gets you thinking not only about the brands you love but about yourself and which of the archetypes you as a person embody.

Would recommend.

[Macy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Read it for my thesis. It could do with a good dose of the 21st century. It barely mentions the internet at all, and this topic is even more relevant now in digital spaces, but you can’t fault them for having written this in 2001 lol

[Ken Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book to skim and use to shape your branding. Each of the archetypes has a few highlighted paragraphs that distill it into a couple of key points and what kind of products it may match (so you don't have to read examples for each.

[Brian Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Valuable concept, immensely applicable, thought provoking
-References could use a modern day refresh (many of the iconic brands referenced are long out of business)
-As with most business books, could be half as long or shorter and achieve just as much

[Victor Volpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Positively surprised with this book. Possibly the best “branding” boom I read. Although it starts slow, it develops into a very nice and insightful read once fhe archetypes start to be presented. Well deserving of 5 stars.

[Bohdan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Я по жизни exploper.

[Oleg Paralyush · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most comprehensive manual on building solid brands.

[Ivan Zatko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Archetypy sú mocný nástroj a niečo, čo chýbalo do mojej "skladačky". Odporúčam všetkým markeťákom :)

[Abhay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

Insightful and compelling.The archetype modelling framework certainly makes for deeper introspection and makes you view your brand in a new dimension

[Simon Håkansson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pairs well with vaporwave.

[Natya Nauri · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the bibles marketeers and consumer researcher should read!

[Braulio Valenzuela · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s an interesting thesis, although stretched to make a thick book.