Brand Archetype Series: The Ruler
Aug 01, 2024When it comes to building a business that you love showing up in each day and that naturally attracts your soulmate clients, understanding brand archetypes can be incredibly helpful.
The twelve archetypes, first introduced by psychologist Carl Jung, provide a framework for understanding the different personalities that brands can adopt to build faster connection and trust with their audiences.
Using archetypes in branding goes far beyond the surface. By adopting a specific archetype, you’re inviting your audience into a story where they can see themselves; and showing them the role you’ll play in their journey – will you be the supportive and nurturing Caregiver, the adventurous Explorer, or the passionate Lover?
This narrative approach to branding taps into universal truths, stories we’re all familiar with, and emotions everyone understands, making your message so much more relatable and memorable.
When you align your brand with an archetype, you’re essentially creating a living, breathing entity that speaks directly to the heart of your audience. And in today’s busier-than-ever online world, having a brand that feels like a friend or role model can make all the difference in grabbing your audience’s attention
For an overview of all 12 archetypes, check out this blog post. Otherwise, keep reading to discover more about the Ruler.
What is the Ruler Brand Archetype?
The Ruler archetype, also known as the Leader, Role Model, Queen, Boss or CEO is powerful, confident and a natural born leader.
The Ruler has an innate ability to motivate, inspire and lead. Their structured, sophisticated and ambitious personality will keep them and their community on top and above the competition, and the Ruler's ability to take action, influence others and get things done are the perfect recipe to create success.
You can leverage the Ruler archetype by emphasizing structure, authority, and high standards in your programs, products, and services. Focus on creating experiences that convey leadership and excellence, ensuring your clients feel confident, secure, and respected. Personalize these experiences with elements that reflect the Ruler's commanding presence, such as exclusive access, premium offerings, and a confident communication style, making your clients feel empowered, important, and in control.
The Ruler’s personality is controlled, organized, responsible, commanding and action-oriented. They are usually not tender, messy, or frantic.
The Ruler’s core desire is to be powerful and in control so they can help the world, and they are motivated by being recognized for their achievements. Their big purpose is to create a stable and organized community where members feel empowered, confident and safe.
They value excellence, leadership and high quality things and experiences.
Their strengths include leadership, taking decisive action, responsibility, creating order out of chaos, and juggling many important responsibilities with grace. However, their weaknesses include entitlement, a cold demeanor, greediness, bossiness, and rigidity.
No matter what, the Ruler does not tolerate mediocrity, irresponsibility or chaos.
The Ruler Archetype in Branding
Through their brand, the Ruler promises to help you achieve excellence, confidence and success.
They make their clients and audience feel important, empowered, and safe.
They achieve this through a unique brand voice that is confident, clear, authoritative, and uplifting.
This voice includes brand messaging such as phrases like, “build your empire,” “dress for success,” and “take control.” The Ruler may also use words like, “ambition,” “composure,” “dignified,” “queen,” and “power.”
The Ruler’s brand visuals are characterized by polished, classy, and substantial elements that create a sense of high standards and ambition. Ruler color palettes tend to be dark and bold, incorporating colors that represent confidence and wealth. Although the Ruler isn’t limited to only certain colors, purple, green, gold, red, and black pair well with the Ruler archetype.
Images portray related themes, activities, and motifs, such as queens and kings, the efficient soccer mom or Greek gods carrying the world on their shoulders. Below is an example of a brand moodboard from our Ruler Brand Bundle, so you can get a feel for the visuals.
In practice, Ruler brands exhibit authority and control in all their communications and interactions. They focus on establishing and maintaining a sense of order and structure, providing guidance and leadership to their audience. Ruler brands also emphasize high standards and excellence, encouraging their clients to aspire to the best and take decisive actions to achieve their goals. They often present themselves as successful role models who inspire their clients to become more successful themselves.
Ruler Brand Examples
Ritz Carlton
The Ritz Carlton embodies the Ruler archetype through its unwavering commitment to luxury, excellence, and impeccable service. By setting the highest standards in hospitality and maintaining an atmosphere of sophistication and control, the brand exudes authority and commands respect, attracting clients who value prestige and a refined experience.
Rolls Royce
Rolls Royce epitomizes the Ruler archetype by consistently delivering unparalleled luxury, precision engineering, and a timeless sense of authority. The brand's commitment to excellence and exclusivity resonates with those who seek the utmost in status and refinement, positioning Rolls Royce as a symbol of power and sophistication in the automotive world.
Cartier
Cartier embodies the Ruler archetype through its exquisite craftsmanship, luxurious designs, and heritage of elegance. The brand's commitment to creating timeless, high-quality jewelry and watches symbolizes prestige and authority, appealing to those who seek to express their status and refined taste.
Ruler Pop Culture Examples
Beyonce
Beyoncé embodies the Ruler archetype through her commanding presence and leadership in the music industry. As a powerful performer and businesswoman, she consistently sets high standards, controls her artistic vision, and inspires millions with her confidence and authority. Beyoncé's influence extends beyond music, as she uses her platform to advocate for important social issues, further solidifying her role as a leader and icon.
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill exemplifies the Ruler archetype through his strong leadership during a critical period in history. As Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II, he demonstrated decisive action, authority, and resilience, guiding the nation through its darkest hours. His ability to inspire and command respect made him a symbol of strength and stability, traits central to the Ruler archetype.
"Kate Middleton at the Garter Procession 2008" by Nick Warner from Windsor, England is licensed under CC BY 2.0, cropped.
Kate Middleton
Kate Middleton exemplifies the Ruler archetype through her poised and graceful presence as a member of the British royal family. As the Duchess of Cambridge, she consistently demonstrates leadership and a commitment to duty, often engaging in charitable work and public service. Her influence and ability to navigate the responsibilities of her role with elegance and authority make her a symbol of stability and refinement, traits central to the Ruler archetype.
These brands and individuals not only express the external traits associated with the Ruler archetype—such as class, leadership, and influence—but they also evoke deeper emotional responses that resonate with audiences, making them enduring symbols of the Ruler.
Get the Ruler Brand Bundle
To get access to my Ruler Brand Bundle, complete with visual guidelines and marketing templates, logos, color palettes, images, patterns, elements, and so much more, join us in the Impact Tribe here!
Check out The Rest of This Series
- Explorer (coming soon)
- Innocent (coming soon)
- Sage (coming soon)
- Creator (coming soon)
Find Your Brand Archetype
Recognizing your archetype is just the beginning. From there, it’s important to integrate it into every facet of your brand, your messaging, and your visuals in a way that resonates with those you aim to serve.
If you're ready to dive deeper and uncover the archetype that reflects YOUR brand's personality, I invite you to take my brand personality quiz today. Discover which archetype aligns with your brand's essence and how you can leverage this understanding to craft a brand that stands out and speaks directly to the hearts of your audience.
Don't stop here, though. Join our community in the Impact Tribe to get immediate access to all 12 brand bundles, and stay in touch by subscribing to our emails so you can stay tuned as we continue to explore each archetype in depth in the coming weeks.
