Come as you are

The Everyman brands promise belonging.

Essence: Belonging. Relatability. Realism.

• Does your brand empathize with your audience?

• Does your brand value humility and honesty?

• Does your brand appeal to the silent majority?

• Is your brand an advocate for ordinary joys?

• Does your brand give people a sense of belonging?

• Does your brand offer reliable and practical products or services?

If you have responded yes to many of the questions above, your brand may be best represented by the Everyman archetype.

Purpose: To belong

Alter egos: The regular guy - the realist - the friend - the straight shooter - the person next door - the good neighbor - the common man - the networker

Personality traits: Humble - unpretentious - dependable - reliable - stable - trustworthy - familiar - down-to-earth - people-oriented - honest - practical - emphatic - relatable - ordinary - friendly - common sense - understanding - outgoing - connected - genuine - likeable - frugal - welcoming - transparent - helpful - sincere

Everyman brand example

Ikea playfully embodies the Everyman archetype.

The good

Brands that adhere to the Everyman archetype are unpretentious and respectful of others. They put themselves on equal footing with their customer. They are humble, down-to-earth and dependable. Everyman brands appreciate the ordinary, simple joys in life and they embrace solid virtues like common sense, authenticity and hard work. As such, they're not interested in luxury or status. Instead, they maintain a realistic perspective on the world.

They aim to be neighborly and helpful, also motivating others to do their best or to pitch in to help solve problems. Everyman brands will bounce back after a setback as they're naturally resilient. They will get the job done properly and they will consistently offer quality products and services. Everyman brands are familiar, honest and friendly with a strong feeling of empathy. They strive to make connections as their ultimate goal is to create a sense of belonging.

The bad

Everyman brands dislike being seen as greedy or putting on air. However, their greatest fear is to stand out too much or to feel left out. In a frantic effort to fit in, they could lose their personality. Due to their desperate need to belong to a group, the Everyman would rather be abused than alone. As another extreme, they might even end up as part of a mob rejecting those who are different. Additionally, the downside of their idealistic qualities is that when the world doesn't meet their expectations, they can become negative and cynical, playing the victim and blaming others for their misfortune.

The believers

The Everyman audience desires to connect with others. They prefer familiar to strange and so they appreciate brands that are trustworthy and that provide reliable products. The Everyman brands help their customers accept themselves as they are. They appeal to their audience by being approachable, friendly and likeable. Innovation is not as important as the sense of being ‘one of us’.

The brands

Everyman brands go back to basics. They don't offer anything fancy or extravagant. Instead, they provide practical and functional products that focus on meeting a basic need and that appeal to a broad audience. They also cultivate a simple brand image, representing themselves as dependable and open. Everyman brands typically present products that give people a sense of belonging. In terms of communication, the Everyman brands express themselves in an ordinary voice. They commonly include money back guarantees to build trust and they avoid outlandish claims or anything that could shock or disturb their audience.