The Friend-Next-Door brand archetype is your regular gal. Friendly, approachable, and down-to-earth, this archetype is all about being part of the community. Where the Lover wants to stand out and be noticed, the Friend-Next-Door is happy to belong.

The Friend-Next-Door Brand Archetype Vibe:

Approachable, easygoing, upbeat, unpretentious.

The Friend-Next-Door Brand Archetype Purpose:

To belong and be part of the community.

Emotions Evoked:

Feeling included, welcome, and accepted as you are. “If a regular person like her can do it, so can I!”.

The Friend-Next-Door Archetype Strengths:

Realism, empathy, lack of pretense.

Be Careful With:

Sometimes, the Friend-Next-Door can hide their true selves to fit in, creating superficial connections.

The Friend-Next-Door Archetype Likes:

• Creating connections and being part of a group.
• Tradition and hard work.
• The status-quo.
• Simple, down-to-earth things.

The Friend-Next-Door Archetype Dislikes:

• Pretense or putting on airs.
• Hype.
• Elitism.
• Standing out from the crowd.

The Friend-Next-Door Archetype Colors:

The colors for this archetype can vary, but they tend to be primary, upbeat colors. Stay away from blacks and dark colors.

The Friend-Next-Door Archetype Examples

Some classic Friend-Next-Door brands are Gap, Target, Covergirl, and Walmart (“Ordinary People Accomplishing Extraordinary Things”).

A mega-successful personal Friend-Next-Door brand is Jenna Kutcher. She’s built a multiple seven figure business on this archetype. Her brand story is classical for this personality: “I’m a small-town Minnesota photographer, podcaster, educator, and author with big dreams. Obsessed with: mac and cheese, puppies, a nap in the sunshine, and yoga pants. I’ve been keepin’ it real since 1988.”  Her images and messages are unpretentious, friendly and down-to-earth:

Lately, since having two babies, she’s also taken on a strong Caregiver presence too.

Another Friend-Next-Door personal brand is Kristen Bell, using everyday, regular images and a friendly approachable tone.

How to Express Your Friend-Next-Door Brand Archetype

Use normal, regular clothes and brands (even if you have a nice big bank account).

Appreciate normal, everyday things in life. Also, show that you don’t take yourself too seriously by using humor.

Friend-Next-Door brands are frequently great at social media because they love to connect and be part of the group. This way they can be in constant communication with their audience. Use normal, relatable marketing techniques, nothing too flashy or fancy.

Want to know more?

Like what you’re reading? Click here if you’d like to explore the other 11 brand archetypes.

Also, if you want to explore your archetype more in-depth and learn how to express it in your brand, book a Brand-In with me. For 2 hours, we’ll look at you, your business, and where you want to go. After, I’ll send you a plan with your biggest brand opportunities, and next steps to implement them.