ARCHETYPES IN A COSMETIC BRAND
Date
2011-04-04
Authors
DETRAZ - DE MASCAREL, AMANDINE
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Abstract
The purpose of the present research was to discover the archetypes that could be inferred from the discourse
of consumers about a cosmetic brand in South Africa.
Five interviews were conducted among the French community in South Africa. The interviews were
conducted using the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) in order to tap a level of associations
with a cosmetic brand not studied before.
The research starts with a review of the literature regarding the archetypes as defined by Carl Gustav Jung
and continues by looking at literature on consumer research pertaining to consumption rituals and the notions
of beauty, the body, and the use of adornments.
The research found that three major archetypes were held by the consumers interviewed: (1) the archetype of
mother nature, (2) the archetype of innocence, and (3) the archetype of home. These findings have two major
implications: first, it can help marketing practitioners in the cosmetic industry find archetypes they can use as
consistent leitmotiv in their brand building exercise, therefore ensuring brands' enduring success. Second, in
the fields of consumer research and marketing research, the findings give further support to the notion that
consumer choices are not only based on the traditional information processing model, but are also rooted in
the deeper emotional and spiritual realms
Description
MBA - WBS
Keywords
Cosmetics, Brands and branding