An archetypal product identity speaks directly to the deep psychic imprint within the consumer, sparking a sense of recognition and of meaning.

Buyers today are savvy, deeply skeptical of advertising hype, and more concerned with finding and expressing their individuality than conforming to societal norms.

Today the brand is a repository, not merely of functional characteristics, but of meaning and value. But if we are to identify and effectively leverage the essential elements, or “immutables,” of our brands, we must become fluent in the visual and verbal language of archetypes.

Marketing without a system for managing meaning is analogous to ancient navigators trying to find port in treacherous seas on a starless night.

We now know that brands that consistently express an appropriate archetype drive profitability and success in real and sustainable ways.

Similarly, entire product lines can take on a meaning that gives them symbolic power in all of our lives. A tuxedo (black tie) signifies that an occasion is important. Champagne says that we are celebrating.

Understanding and leveraging archetypal meaning, once an interesting “bonus” to effective marketing, is now a prerequisite.

Therefore, the meaning of a product can be communicated very quickly simply by evoking a story or a concept that calls forth the viewer’s instinctual recognition of some fundamental, recognizable truth.

Brands that capture the essential meaning of their category—and communicate that message in subtle and refined ways—dominate the market,