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

A System of Meaning Management

the first-ever systematic approach to successful brand meaning

"this book illuminates the most ancient grooves in our mental architecture, which carol jung described as "archetypes", and shows how they can be employed to bring meaning and profit to a brand. there is a nascent power here, which, if understood correctly, can bring a rare vitality to a brand or a corporation."
­­From the Foreward by Alex Kroll
former Creative Director,
CEO and Chairman of Young & Rubicam

some brands are so extraordinary that they become larger-than-life, symbolic of entire cultures, and used and admired by consumers the world over.

but in spite of all the books and banter about branding, few companies come even close to developing iconic identities for their brands.

new internet brands are being born every minute, with lots of flash and fanfare, but often with no real human connection to make them truly relevant. at the same time, mature brands are diluting their identities in an attempt to respond to shifting trends, while other others attempt to graft meaning onto products in artificial and ineffectual ways.

as a result, millions of advertising and promotional dollars are being squandered.

understanding and leveraging archetypal meanings-that is, finding the soul of your brand and then expressing it in ways that tap into universal feelings and instincts­­are key prerequisites to effective marketing in today's intensely competitive and complex environment. archetypes­­which can be found in reoccurring patterns in art, literature, myth and fables­­show us the way. carol pearson and margaret reveal that when these deep psychic imprints are understood and employed, brands not only gain meaning, but companies can also gain market share and increase shareholder value.

yet, until now, no system has been available to help guide the management of archetypal meaning. best-selling author carol pearson has spent 30 years developing systematic psychological frameworks and applying and field-testing them in business and educational settings.

margaret mark is the strategist behind many of today's most enduring and successful brands, from at&t and kraft foods to general motors and madison square garden. together, mark and pearson have created the first systematic methodology for leveraging archetypal meanings to build successful brands.

in an easily accessible way, The Hero and the Outlaw offers a clearly structured system that all business and marketing professionals can follow and replicate. After presenting the compelling concept of archetypal meaning, the authors demonstrate specific methods for implementing this concept into real-world setting, including: how to understand the deep meaning of your product category and "claim" it for your brand, how to assess the competitive landscape from an archetypal perspect...