The bold traveler. The Explorer brand archetype set out for uncharted waters, not necessarily hoping for adventure. It’s more that they must answer the call to see what’s out there. They have a deep love of discovering new places, things, or people. They can be prone to perfectionism in that they’re never satisfied.
The Explorer Brand Archetype
The explorer brand lives for adventure. Or, more precisely, they exist to help their customers go on adventures, express themselves or find self-actualization. They’re all about freedom and individualism. They want to discover all there is to discover. These brands are ambitious and they often keep their fans engaged by announcing new initiatives, programs or plans.
Brand Promise: Freedom
Goal: To find fulfillment.
Strategy: To experience all there is to experience.
Personality to project: The seeker, the trailblazer.
Ideal Customer: These consumers value freedom of expression and trailblazing, and they feel loyal to brands that display these characteristics. Explorers tend to be risk takers, so they value ads that take risks too. They tend to sit up and take notice when presented with new stimuli.
Weakness: These brands can be perceived as reckless or as encouraging questionable activities, and they may be perceived as flaky.
Suggested Color Palette
This is just a suggested palette. Colors should be selected based on a robust brand strategy and should be part of the brand identity development.
JEEP
Jeep is the quintessential explorer brand. Notice how neatly aligned their image is with the product they sell. Consumers are loyal to this brand because Jeep ‘gets it.’ Their ads often showcase their customers enjoying a grand adventure behind the wheel.
RED BULL
Red Bull is another strong explorer brand. It wasn’t particularly well known until it started sponsoring a lot—we mean a lot—of sporting events. But it took advantage of these sponsorships by rebranding itself as one of the most exciting sports drinks out there. Red Bull, it gives you wings.