The Hero brand is a symbol of courage and a source of inspiration. Hero brand’s mission is to see a need, fill it and make the world a better place. Hero brands are brave, not intimidating. They embrace any challenges that come their way, have big ambitions, and inspire people to work harder.

How to Apply the Hero Brand Strategy

Write with inspirational messaging that taps into your audience’s motivations and helps them take action. Clearly describe the problem and solution. To be more relatable, highlight CMU people in your stories. Just as sports brands use athletes in their advertising campaigns, CMU spotlights our subject matter experts, leaders, researchers and students as heroes.

Examples: Nike, FedEx, Marvel

Personality

Bold, Youthful, Pragmatic, Conscientious, Visionary, Fearless

The Sage brand archetype exists for knowledge, truth, and wisdom, striving to seek valuable information and share it with others.

The goal of the Sage is to empower people to change the world rather than creating change on their own. They are thought leaders and trusted sources of information. People rely on them to better understand the world around them. Most Sage brands have loyal followers who return repeatedly to learn more.

How to Apply the Sage Brand Strategy

Teach as you tell. Avoid vague information. Use solid facts and statistics to back up your statements. Sage audiences are looking for the most reliable source of information. To win their loyalty, continuously provide up-to-date and insightful content that’s useful to them.

Examples: Google, Mayo Clinic, The Smithsonian, TED Talk

Personality

Ingenious, Passionate, Creative, Collaborative, Insightful, Quirky

The Creator brand archetype is all about innovation and creativity. These brands are nonconformists, and are usually the first ones to introduce a new technology or create a unique combination of features. The goal of a Creator is to solve a problem by inventing something. 

Naturally, Creators appeal more to creative or artistic audiences who value self-expression, experimenting with new products and standing out from the crowd. This is why most Creators thrive in art, design, technology and marketing. Creator brands empower others to express themselves freely.

How to Apply the Creator Brand Strategy

Communicate CMU’s authenticity and creative freedom. This should be reflected in writing and visuals that clearly convey the CMU culture. The Creator’s audience will not appreciate mediocre products, stories, ads and features. Experiment with new solutions, stories and design. Focus on delivering extraordinary experiences. You should tap into your audience’s imagination and strive to bring their ideas to life.

Examples: Apple, Adobe, Lego

Personality

Expressive, Original, Innovative, Visionary, Individualistic