Build A Sticky Rebel Brand!

If There Weren't Any Rules, How Could You Break Them?

IMPACT IS RADICAL FREEDOM. OVERTURNING WHAT ISN'T WORKING.

You’ve never really felt like you’ve belonged to anything other than yourself. Your very existence is different-the pied piper of rebels and the maestro of outcasts leading an insurrection of the soul. And that’s your allure isn’t it? We are attracted to your wildness, the danger, the freedom you feel to “say the thing”. You remind us that we aren't just workers, consumers, followers – we are MF-ing iridescent beings starting wildfires, destroying everything in our paths (if need be) to ensure there's no way back to conformity, beckoning us to dance in the flames and emerge reborn, having spun boring and mundane into blasphemous paradise from the ashes.

From head to toe, we can see from a mile away that you were born to disobey- every heartbeat a battle cry for individuality, and every breath an act of defiance. You live by a system of your own making- and you reel us in because, we too, are dyyyyyiiiing to break free of this pretty little box- so, “There must be more than this provincial life”. We, of course, are the beasts in this story. Leave the beauty for the others I say- lest we rip off the perfect packaging and expose that idea for what it really is…. After all, you’re just the heathen to do it. But not, of course, before bringing a few others over to the dark side to stage the most brilliant heist the world has ever seen. Villain or revolutionary? Guess that all depends on who you ask.

THE COMMON THREAD

So why build a Rebel brand? You first exist to break away from convention and rules to establish your own way of doing things THEN add value to others by inspiring a voice, action, and ideas to breaking down outdated institutions, thinking, and fear of victimization.

ON-BRAND BEHAVIOR

You create experiences that make people feel more EXHILARATED, REBELLIOUS, and AUDACIOUS. You'd set fire to the entire world and toss the match defiantly over your shoulder before settling into "normal", doing what you're told, or being censored. Your messaging encourages others to buck the system, break free of limitations, and live by their own rules.

SHADES OF THE REBEL ARCHETYPE

MAVERICK | REVOLUTIONARY | WILDMAN | ICONOCLAST | GAMBLER | VILLIAN

While there are universal truths about the Rebel archetype, there are shades to this! On one end of the spectrum, you may be on a thrill-seeking mission to shock and awe (for personal gain) . On the other end, you may be a revolutionary seeking to liberate an entire group of people.

THE BREAKDOWN:

Here is the quick and dirty hit list of traits, brand do's and don'ts, themes and IN THE WILD examples to inspire your sticky Rebel brand elements!

• Audacious

• Irreverent/ Outrageous

• Defiant

• Original

• Brave

• Raw

• Honest

• Candid

• Thrilling

• Bold

• Leadership

• Disruption

• Shock + Awe

• Opinions

• Counter-culture

• Danger

• Provocative

• Fearlessness

• Adrenaline

• Taboos

• Push the envelope

• Aliens

• Warning labels

• Bold colors

• High-contrast
  

• Conform

• Pretty/Cute

• Safe

• Pastels

• Censor

• Subtlety

• Boring

• Manipulation

• Anger/Rage

• Follow

• Loss of boundaries

• Become a victim

• Inaction

• Powerlessness

Your offers lead your audience to disobey and destroy any idea or system that blindly conforms or doesn't work by taking audacious action. Consider:

• Lead magnet: A 5-Day Challenge or Signatures on a decree for protest

• Hero product: A Bootcamp (an intense, thrilling, training)

• High-end service: 1:1 Jail-break or group coup

On-brand themes + perspectives to jumpstart a brilliant brand story!

Angle//

Permission granted. What is the #1 rule you feel we should break? Your story gives us permission to feel it and break it. Share with us your plan for a coup-we're playing a high-stakes game here. After all, what happens when you open Pandora's box? Exactly! That's a story we want to read. Whether you (or your audience) are a rebel or a cheat, share your story of vindication or downfalls that led to valuable lessons learned to inspire us to start our own mini or major rebellion.

Lens//

• Honor Amongst Thieves

• Wide Open Spaces

• Destroy the ______. You'll need a new one anyway

• The Coup

• We are not the same. I am a Martian.

Word Bank//

• Rebel

• Anarchy

• Revolution

• Disruptive

• Overturn

• Freedom

• Revolt

• Rule Breaker

• Society

• Disobedient

• Nonconformist

• Candid

• Raw

• Unapologetic

• Maverick

• Different

• Thrilled

• Stimulated

• Unexpected

• Risks

• Extra-terrestrial

• Unorthodox

Be inspired by other Rebel brands out in the wild!

• Harley Davidson

• MTV

• Diesel (fashion)

• Captain Morgans Rum

• Madonna

• Malcom X

EXPLORER | INNOCENT | SAGE | HERO | MAGICIAN | REBEL | CREATOR | NURTURER | RULER | GUY/GIRL NEXT DOOR | LOVER | JESTER

GET YOUR FREE "STICKY BRAND SLINGSHOT" NOW!

Sticky brands carefully blend two or three archetypes into an irresistible cocktail to tell a richer, more nuanced story and connect in ways that feel more human and desirable! Grab this free slingshot to help you craft your sticky brand right now!

Credit:

The information shared within this article is based on the psychology-backed work of Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson as well as Margaret Hartwell and Joshua C. Chen.