THE SAGE

The truth will set you free

The Sage seeks to gain knowledge in order to become wise and share their expertise with the world. They are energized by analysis and research that can lead to more elegant solutions. They are generous in sharing their knowledge and encourage others to also embrace the pursuit of wisdom. However, they know few truly will.

This archetype is also called the Advisor, Contemplative, Detective, Evaluator, Expert, Investigator, Mentor, Oracle, Philosopher, Planner, Professional, Researcher, Scholar, Teacher, or Thinker.

The 12 Brand Archetypes were developed and articulated in "The Hero and The Outlaw" by Margaret Mark and Carol Pearson

The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes Hardcover - (Amazon Affiliate Link)

SAGE MARKETING OPPORTUNITY

The Sage archetype might provide a suitable identity for your brand if:

  • It provides expertise or information to your customers

  • It encourages customers or clients to think

  • The brand is based on a new scientific breakthrough or esoteric knowledge

  • The quality of the brand is supported by hard data

  • You are differentiating the product from others whose quality or performance is questionable


MARKETING APPROACH | Appeal to logic & attraction to wisdom versus conventional promotion

TONE | Intelligent, fact-based, decisive, sophisticated, deep, humane, understated authority

VALUE PROPOSITION | Helps customers find happiness

CUSTOMER FEAR | Entrapment, Selling Out & Emptiness

 

SAGE MINDSET & TRAITS

GOAL | To leverage intelligence and analysis to grow wise. Seeks to share expertise to benefit mankind.

STRATEGY | Using research, objectivity, diligence and self-reflection, the Sage seeks knowledge and mastery

MOTIVATION | Independence and fulfillment

CALL | Confusion, doubt, deep desire to find the truth

CORE DESIRE | The discovery of truth

GIFT | Wisdom, Intelligence

CHAMPIONS | Truth, intelligence, analysis, learning, individuality, critical thinking

SUPER POWERS | Leading visionary exploratory conversations to develop novel approaches to age old problems

SHADOW | Disconnection from reality. Being driven by facts, they can lack interest in emotions 

TRAP | Analysis paralysis can be caused by endlessly studying details for the sake of learning

FEARS | Being fooled or misled; appearing ignorant

TURN-OFFS | Superficiality, ignorance, ambiguity, status quo, gimmicks

 

LEVELS OF THE SAGE

LEVEL 1 Search for absolute truth, desire for objectivity, looking to experts (Apprentice)

LEVEL 2 Skepticism, critical and innovative thinking, becoming an expert (Practitioner)

LEVEL 3 Wisdom, confidence, mastery (Master)

 

SIMILAR BRAND ARCHETYPES


SOURCES

Mark, Margaret, Pearson, Carol, (2001). The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes Hardcover - (Amazon Affiliate Link) pages 13, 18, 88-90, 100

The authors developed the 12 Brand Archetypes as a tool for marketing in 1995 and explained their methodology and ideas in their seminal book. Some of the content on this page are ideas cited directly to maintain correctness and some have been paraphrased where possible.