Purpose

An archetype quiz is an activity for brands to better understand who they are and how they show up for their customers. You can think of it as a brand personality test that helps a brand refine and communicate their identity to the world.

Often, brands will determine their archetype after their internal positioning statement is finished. We like to do this quiz before the positioning statement, so that a client has a full sense of how they show up in the world before defining themselves.

What are archetypes?

Archetypes are characters that represent 12 dominant personalities across the full range of human emotion. These Jungian archetypes can be further segmented into four categories, or “orientations” (the inside of the circle).

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Who should take the quiz?

This quiz is useful for all kinds of companies, whether B2B or B2C. Direct-to-consumer brands tend to have an easier time defining their brand based on the direct value they provide to customers (it’s easier to be personal when you’re selling to an actual person). Therefore, archetype quizzes tend to set a good baseline for a DTC company to form their identity, then use customer feedback to shape it as they grow.

Archetype quizzes are especially helpful for B2B companies where a human-first mindset may feel farther removed than a DTC brand. An archetype can help B2B brands solidify their voice, tone, and positioning statements to better serve their customers and express their unique mission and vision.

What are the questions?

Which statement is the most true about your brand?

The goal of this first question is to narrow down to a single category (quadrant on the circle). The key to this question is remembering to keep it at the brand personality level. I like to re-phrase it as: “What is our first impression after someone meets us?”

How does your brand help its customers?

This question keeps us grounded in what is most important: our customers. How do we want to add to our customers’ lives? How does our personality reflect how we show up for our customers? From here, your choice translates to your brand archetype!

How to facilitate an archetypes quiz

Before facilitating the quiz, make sure that you:

[ ] Are familiar with each of the archetypes and what each might mean in relation to how your client plans to position themselves.
[ ] Allow time for people to ask for clarity around both the questions and the archetypes. Some may interpret the questions differently from others. In some ways, that evokes great discussion. Or, it may confuse them! Be ready to answer the questions themselves.