Introducing The Regular Guy Brand Archetype
The Regular Guy brand archetype is also sometimes known as the Guy-Next-Door, the Friend, the Everyman or the Realist. It is one of the 12 brand archetypes which will be explained in a series of article about brand personality.
| Core Desire | To connect with others |
|---|---|
| Talent | Realism, empathy, humility |
| Motivation | Belongingness |
| Fear | Standing out, being rejected, looking like an elitist |
| Weakness | Lack of sense of self and identity |
The Regular Guy brand archetype’s main motivation is to feel belong and become a part of the community. This archetype believes everyone is created equally and prefers the familiar from the strange. Being the opposite of the Ruler and the Rebel, the Regular Guy does not desire status, luxury or to be different.
This archetype is humble, trustworthy, dependable and honest. The last things it wants is to appear as greedy or worse, an elitist. Being one of the guys is enough for the Regular Guy. This archetype wants you to feel at home around it, and it wants to be relatable to you, your family your friends and your community.
Around town, Regular Guy brand archetypes can be found at your local restaurant, sundry shops, small family-run businesses and community centers.
The Popular Bookstore chain is one example of a Regular Guy brand archetype. Their outlets are accessible around Malaysia, offering everyday items such as stationeries, gifts, books, novelty items and many more.
Local apparel retailer Brands Outlet is also a Regular Guy brand for its affordable and quality clothing offered in their stores. The same can be said as well for Metrowealth’s Reject Shop, where they retail branded clothing at discounted prices without any compromise on quality.
How to know if you are a Regular Guy brand?
Regular Guy brand archetypes promise dependability. Quality is still an important factor to be dependable and likeable, and Regular Guy brands deliver to satisfy their customers. They believe in family values and they appeal to a broad audience, generally because they address basic needs.
Regular Guy brands market themselves using the local colloquial. They avoid outlandish claims or advertising with shock-value imagery. Their structure is transparent and their relationship with customers are approachable, genuine and helpful.
Your brand could be a Regular Guy brand archetype if you help people fit in, be better versions of themselves and be comfortable. Your products are common and needed in day-to-day life (so a yacht or a gaming PC might not be it).
We talk more about the Regular Guy, other archetypes and other branding strategies in our new book The CEO’s Strategy Playbook: The Brand Building Playbook for Business Leaders. Download it free for a limited time and get your own do-it-yourself brand strategy worksheet!
