The Lover

About the Lover

The Lover celebrates everything beautiful, attractive, desirable, and passionate. And it’s about far more than flirtation and sensuality. This archetype is about deep, meaningful connections and relationships of all kinds, which makes it a powerful brand identity: it speaks to a yearning we all have for love and connection, and to feel attractive and desired.

People love Lover brands because they encourage us to follow our hearts, even when it isn’t practical. They appeal to emotion and passion, they often help us improve our relationships, and they tell us we don’t need to feel guilty about giving in to our desires.

Here’s the key distinction: the Girl/Guy Next Door’s connection is about belonging as equals, but the Lover is about feeling special, chosen, and one-of-a-kind. Many Lover brands offer a Cinderella-like transformation, but it’s never about putting on a mask. The Lover product reveals the true beauty that was inside all along.

The Lover Subtypes

The Don Juan / Femme Fatale

This subtype focuses on sexuality, attraction, and pleasure (it may sell the pleasure of fashion, for instance) and encourages the consumer to give in to yearning and ignore the consequences. The questions this brand answers: “What are you craving? What brings you pleasure?”

The Damsel

Also known as the Romantic or the Matchmaker. The Damsel focuses on romantic love, especially true love that lasts forever, which is why it’s so prevalent in the wedding and jewelry industries. It also fits brands that help people cherish their relationships and create genuine connections. The question: “How can we improve our relationships?”

The Destiny

The Destiny is all about following your passion and trusting your heart. It’s a strong fit for business or life coaching where the emphasis is on quieting rational considerations and letting your heart lead, encouraging people to find what ignites their passion. The question: “What true destiny are people denying themselves?”

The Lover’s Worldview

For the Lover, nothing is more important than love and relationships. Lovers are loyal (though they can be jealous), they believe they’re one-of-a-kind and the best there is, and they hold that passion should be the driving force behind decision-making.

The Lover’s enemies are withholding love, betrayal and disloyalty, hostility, cruelty, coldness, and distance. Anything that replaces human connection with cold, rational decision-making works against everything this archetype stands for.

The Shadow Side

Every archetype has one. The Lover’s shadow shows up as neediness, obsession, and over-indulgence, along with ignoring the costs involved in pleasing others. At its worst, this archetype treats everything as either love or hate with no middle ground. Great Lover brands keep the passion without losing perspective.

Brand Don’ts for the Lover

• Never treat people impersonally, like a cog in the machine.
• Don’t ignore commitments or disregard people’s feelings.
• Never let the selling experience feel transactional. Make it personal and customized.
• Don’t persuade through rational arguments or lean on facts and information.
• Never break loyalty or trust.