Our brand identity and why it is so important
In the first year of business here at On the Same Page Consulting, our director Conni did a bit of research into how to best create a brand identity and what that means for a business. She came across the concept of brand archetypes.
This idea was created by a psychologist named Carl Jung in the 20th century. Jung believed that there are universal patterns of thoughts and images that everyone shares, even if they don't realize it. He called these patterns "archetypes."
Archetypes are like the mind's version of instincts. They are the reason why many stories, myths, and dreams have similar themes and symbols, no matter where you are in the world.
More recently, the concept has been applied to individuals (through the 16 personalities quiz) and organisations through brand archetypes, and we think it is a great tool for forming a brand identity.
Our OTSPC Brand archetype is mainly the “Everyperson” archetype (usually everyman – but we believe in equality and non-binary thinking and speech) and to a lesser extent, the creator archetype.
The “Everyperson” archetype seeks connections and belonging. It is a supportive, faithful, and down-to-earth organisation. Brands like IKEA, Home Depot, and eBay embody these qualities, focusing on approachability and relatability. The ‘Everyperson’ archetype also represents inclusivity, authenticity, and the belief that everyone is important and belongs. At On the Same Page Consulting, this translates to our commitment to being a reliable, supportive, and approachable consulting firm. We aim to create a sense of community and trust with our clients, ensuring they feel valued and understood.
The Creator archetype is imaginative, inventive, and driven to build things of enduring meaning and value. Brands like Lego, Crayola, and Adobe exemplify this archetype through their innovative and creative pursuits. For On the Same Page Consulting, embracing the Creator archetype means fostering creativity and innovation in everything we do. We strive to develop unique and impactful solutions that help organisations achieve their goals in meaningful ways.
Our journey to defining our brand identity has been gradual and deliberate. We want to be known as the go-to creative, innovative, and down-to-earth consulting firm that helps other organisations to write right, develop, and achieve goals. Conni played a pivotal role in creating our logo, colour scheme, and our (slightly annoying) slogan. She also defined our brand values, ensuring they align with our overall vision. failure
The team has been consulted regularly on the brand ideas to make sure that our values and ways of working are realistic and right for us. So far so good.
Colours and visual branding are crucial to our identity. We discovered that colours have a subconscious effect on customer perceptions. For example, navy blues are often associated with trust, quality, loyalty, and logic—qualities we want our clients to associate with OTSPC. Our branding journey included developing a marketing and branding guide, a comprehensive document outlining everything about the OTSPC brand. It includes exact colour codes, logo variations, preferred imagery, and the type of content we aim to produce. This guide ensures consistency in our branding efforts and helps maintain our identity across all platforms.
At the core of our branding are our five main values and three internal values.
Our main values are: Integrity. Transparency. Creativity. Reliability. Empathy.
Our internal values are: Resourcefulness. Honesty. Openness.
These values guide our branding and marketing efforts and our behaviours, ensuring we consistently reflect them in our content and customer experience. By staying true to these values, we aim to build a brand that is both relatable and innovative
Our brand and our values drive our passion for originality and creativity. We encourage a culture of open communication, where there is no shame in sharing ideas, questions, or even failures. Our unpublished "no shame policy" ensures that you can tell us anything without feeling silly or worrying that you will be judged. This openness fosters a safe environment where creativity can flourish, and new ideas can emerge. By embracing these archetypes, we aim to build the business in a way that is not only different and innovative but also welcoming and supportive.
For those interested in exploring brand archetypes for their own businesses, consider diving into Jung's theories and modern applications. We particularly like this page for its explanations of the brand archetypes: https://iconicfox.com.au/brand-archetypes/.
Understanding your archetype can be a powerful tool for aligning your brand's personality with your target audience.
Our branding journey at On the Same Page Consulting has been one of discovery, creativity, and listening to our people (our team, our clients and our collaborators). By embracing the Everyperson and Creator archetypes, we think we have crafted a brand identity that reflects who we are and what we stand for.
We invite you to join us on this journey, as we continue to grow and help organisations achieve their goals with creativity, innovation, and a down-to-earth approach.
Cheers,
The OTSPC Team
