/04-select-archetype

Select Brand Archetype

You are helping a startup founder select their brand archetype using the 12 Jungian archetypes. This establishes the emotional personality foundation that guides all brand expression.

Context Loading

Founder Brief (required): @docs/00-BRAND/00-DISCOVERY/01-founder-brief.md

Audience Research (optional): @docs/00-BRAND/00-DISCOVERY/02-audience-research.md

Competitive Audit (optional): @docs/00-BRAND/00-DISCOVERY/03-competitive-audit.md

Brand Name (optional): @docs/00-BRAND/00-DISCOVERY/04-brand-name.md

Purpose/Mission/Vision (required): @docs/00-BRAND/01-STRATEGY/01-purpose-mission-vision.md

Core Values (optional): @docs/00-BRAND/01-STRATEGY/02-core-values.md

Positioning (optional): @docs/00-BRAND/01-STRATEGY/03-positioning.md

Check above: If founder brief or purpose/mission/vision content is missing, STOP and tell the user to complete prerequisites first.

Optional archetype direction: $ARGUMENTS

Your Role

CRITICAL: ALWAYS use the AskUserQuestion tool for ANY question to the user. Never ask questions as plain text output. The AskUserQuestion tool ensures a guided, interactive experience with structured options. Every single user question must go through this tool.

CRITICAL: You MUST use the Task tool to launch the brand-archetype-selector agent. Do not select archetypes yourself — that's what the specialized agent is for.

Your job is to:

1. Verify prerequisites exist
2. Extract key context from loaded documents
3. Prepare a comprehensive, structured prompt for the agent
4. Launch the agent
5. Save and review the results

Interactive Experience (CRITICAL)

ALWAYS use the AskUserQuestion tool when interacting with the user. This ensures a guided, interactive experience where the founder feels engaged and consulted throughout the branding process.

Use AskUserQuestion to:

• Gather preferences before launching agents
• Present options with clear tradeoffs
• Validate agent outputs before saving
• Get feedback and iterate on results

Never save final outputs without user approval.

Human-Sounding Writing Protocol

BEFORE launching the brand-archetype-selector agent, you MUST:

1. Use the Skill tool to invoke claude-vibes:ai-writing-detection

   • This loads expert-level knowledge of AI writing patterns to avoid

2. Use the Sequential Thinking MCP tool (ultrathink) to prepare AI-aware instructions:

   • Review vocabulary patterns to avoid: "delve", "tapestry", "multifaceted", "leverage", "crucial", "comprehensive", "foster", "harness", "navigate", "landscape", "realm", "beacon", "pivotal"
   • Review phrases to avoid: "It's important to note", "In today's fast-paced world", "At its core", "Let me explain"
   • Review structural patterns to avoid: uniform sentence lengths, excessive tricolons, em dash overuse (LLMs use em dashes formulaically to create "punched up" sales rhythms—swapping to commas doesn't help; vary your structures instead)

3. Include AI-aware instructions in the agent prompt so output is human-sounding from the start

Launch the Agent

Use Task tool with subagent_type: "claude-vibes:BRANDING:brand-archetype-selector" and this prompt:

Select the brand archetype(s) for this startup. ultrathink

## FOUNDER CONTEXT

**Business**: [Extract from founder brief — what they do]
**Founder Personality**: [From founder brief — personality traits, style]
**Founder Motivation**: [Why they started — what drives them]
**What They Admire**: [From founder brief — brands/people they respect]

## PURPOSE FOUNDATION

**Purpose (WHY)**: [From purpose-mission-vision.md]
**Mission (HOW)**: [From purpose-mission-vision.md]
**Vision (WHERE)**: [From purpose-mission-vision.md]
**Core Values**: [From core-values.md if exists]

## AUDIENCE INSIGHTS

**Who They Serve**: [From audience research — primary customer segment]
**Audience Aspirations**: [What customers aspire to]
**Audience Fears**: [What customers fear/avoid]
**Emotional Needs**: [What emotional needs you fulfill]

## COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

**Industry**: [What industry/category]
**Industry Default Archetype**: [The expected archetype for this industry]
**Competitor Archetypes**: [From competitive audit — what archetypes competitors use]
**Differentiation Opportunity**: [Archetype gaps in competitive set]

## POSITIONING CONTEXT

**Positioning Strategy**: [From positioning.md if exists]
**Emotional Territory to Own**: [From positioning — what feelings we want to claim]

## BRAND NAME

**Name**: [From brand name document]
**Name Rationale**: [Why this name — may inform archetype expression]

## CRITICAL: INTERACTIVE DISCOVERY

**ALWAYS use the AskUserQuestion tool to ensure an interactive, guided experience:**
- Gather preferences and opinions before making recommendations
- Present options with clear tradeoffs for the user to choose from
- Validate findings and get feedback before proceeding
- Confirm final outputs resonate before saving

Never make significant decisions without user input. The brand identity belongs to them.

## DISCOVERY APPROACH

### Phase 1: Context Analysis
Analyze all inputs to understand:
- Brand purpose and values
- Target audience characteristics
- Competitive positioning
- Founder personality
- Desired emotional territory

### Phase 2: Audience Archetype Alignment
Understand what archetypes resonate with the target audience:
- What do they aspire to? (Hero, Ruler, Magician)
- What do they fear? (determines avoidance)
- What emotional needs do we fulfill?
- What brands do they love and why?

### Phase 3: Competitive Archetype Mapping
Map the competitive landscape:
- What archetype is each competitor?
- What archetypes are overused in this space?
- What archetypes are underrepresented?
- Is there white space for differentiation?

### Phase 4: Apply the 70/30 Rule
Select archetypes using the Mark-Pearson methodology:
- **Primary archetype (70%)** — core personality, aligned with purpose
- **Secondary archetype (30%)** — for differentiation
- Validate combinations are complementary, not conflicting

### Phase 5: Validate Selection
Run validation tests:
- **Authenticity Test**: Does this feel true to the founder?
- **Audience Test**: Does this resonate with customers?
- **Differentiation Test**: Does this stand out from competitors?
- **Consistency Test**: Can we express this across all touchpoints?
- **Shadow Test**: Can we avoid the archetype's dark side?

### Phase 6: Document Expression
Define how archetype manifests:
- Voice and personality traits
- Visual identity direction
- Experience guidelines
- Marketing approach

## TOOLS TO USE

- **Sequential Thinking MCP**: Systematically evaluate each archetype against brand context, map competitive archetypes, validate combinations
- **AskUserQuestion**: Validate archetype resonates with founder's vision, get input on emotional territory
- **WebSearch**: Research archetype case studies, competitive brand analysis, successful archetype implementations
- **WebFetch**: Read competitor about pages and brand materials — understand their archetypal expression to differentiate

## OUTPUT REQUIREMENTS

Deliver the complete archetype documentation using the Archetype Documentation Template from the `brand-archetype-selection` skill. Must include:

1. **Executive Summary**
2. **Context Review** (purpose, values, audience, positioning)
3. **Audience Archetype Alignment** (what archetypes resonate)
4. **Competitive Archetype Landscape** (competitor mapping)
5. **Primary Archetype Recommendation** (full profile with rationale)
6. **Secondary Archetype Recommendation** (complement rationale)
7. **Alternative Archetypes Considered** (with fit scores)
8. **Archetype Expression Guide** (voice, visuals, experience)
9. **Shadow Side Analysis** (risks and mitigation)
10. **Quick Reference Card** (summary for daily use)

Guidelines

• Apply the 70/30 rule: One clear primary, one complementary secondary
• Authenticity matters: The archetype must feel true to the founder
• Audience alignment: The archetype must resonate with customers
• Competitive differentiation: Consider what archetypes competitors use
• Avoid the shadow: Every archetype has a dark side to watch for
• Consistency is key: Once chosen, express the archetype consistently

Output

After the agent returns:

1. Ensure docs/00-BRAND/01-STRATEGY/ directory exists

2. Save to docs/00-BRAND/01-STRATEGY/04-archetype.md

3. Next step: "Run /00-BRAND:01-strategy/05-define-voice to define your brand personality and voice."