As such, Allergan presents themselves as strong, dependable brand whose products are there to be just that, a hero in the customer’s life! They are there to provide customers with products that help them be their best self. They embrace the hero archetype in all their communications by using very strong words, typical of a hero. Through the use of strong words, they communicate how their products will empower customers and create stories around their brand tagline “Bold for Life”.
They are often committed to a worthwhile cause or want to help their customers and employees to be the best they can be. They are strong and their products generate consistent results. They are constantly innovating and providing customers that create an impact in the world.
For Allergan, the Hero archetype is particularly beneficial because customers want pharmaceutical products to “save their lives” by taking away their pain or by making them look and feel better. At the end, what customers actually want is that the product does exactly what they read it would do (e.g. relieve pain). Allergan stands out by communicating how they are a hero in the industry; they use heroic words to communicate they are constantly developing innovative products that can solve a major problem in people’s lives. For instance, instead of simply saying they are committed to advancing eye care treatments, they use phrases such as “unwavering commitment to advancing eye care”. The use of the word unwavering is key here because it tells the customer they have a firm commitment to be their hero and provide them with an innovative solution for their problem. Thus, they must stay with the brand as they will be sure to provide them with the help they need.
A well-known example of a Hero brand is Duracell. Their product literally provides customers with the power for their electronic devices (whether is a toy or TV remote) to keep going so it make sense to come across as powerful and dependable. They market themselves as being better than others, which is typical for Hero brands. Their advertisements often show a side by side comparison of the same product being powered by both Duracell batteries and those of their competitors. As expected, the inferior generic batteries wither away, while the Duracell-powered product keeps going and going and going and…
Marketing your brand as a Hero and using strong, empowering words in your communications will help customers understand you are there to solve problems that have a major impact in the world. Your brand will come across as dependable and reassuring.
How else could you play to this Archetype? It’s in your language, your visual communication, your social media, and at the very heart of your brand – its people. Want to learn more about your Archetype?