Whether you’re selling a soft drink or a politician, what your brand means to people will be as important as its function — if not more so — because it is meaning that tells us “This one feels right” or “This one’s for me”.

Among the archetypes studied so far, the Ruler represents queens, kings, CEO’s, presidents or even capable career mothers. Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill, any Supreme Court Justice or anyone with power can be considered the Ruler.

Mercedes Benz, American Express, Microsoft, Brooks Brothers, Citibank and IBM are considered ruler brands. Ruler brands and associated digital customer experience appeal to the customer’s wish to be powerful and important. The ruler identity might be right for your brand if you make a high-status product used by the powerful to enhance their stature, help people become organized or provide stability in our unstable world.

The Ruler archetype likes hierarchical organizations because, in them, you know where you stand. Your role is clearly defined by a job description that tells you what you are supposed to do. You know who reports to you and who your boss is.

Bill Gates (who later in his life evolved into the Caregiver archetype) and Paul Allen purchased an existing system from another company, developed it, and entered into a partnership with IBM that was highly advantageous to Microsoft. IBM could use MS-DOS, but Microsoft kept ownership of the software and was also allowed to license its use to other firms. As a result, every time IBM sold a PC, it promoted Microsoft. Of course, appealing to the Ruler, Microsoft always wanted to let the customer have power. At the same time rulers like control, and they do not like to be told what to do.

The Ruler identity might be right for your brand and digital customer experience if you sell a high-status product used by people to enhance their power; a product that helps people be more organized; a product at the moderate to high price range or seeking to differentiate from a more populist one or that is the clear leader in the field (The Regular Guy/Girl). In essence in all situations when your brand promise is relative stability, safety and predictability in a chaotic world.

Discover also:

  • The Innocent: Life does not have to be hard, this myth promises.
  • The Explorer: Don’t fence me in.
  • The Sage: Sharing wisdom with you.
  • The Hero: Triumphing over adversity and evil.
  • The Outlaw: Rules were meant to be broken.
  • The Magician: The shaman at the forefront of great scientific changes.
  • The Regular Guy/Girl: The virtues of being ordinary.
  • The Lover: Intimacy and elegance.
  • The Jester: To live in the moment with full enjoyment, having fun, and stop worrying about consequences.
  • The Caregiver: The altruist, moved by compassion, generosity and a desire to help others.
  • The Creator: Helping you be you (only better).
  • The Ruler: Queens, kings, CEO’s, presidents, or anyone with power represents the ruler.