Case Study
eDreams, a leader in the online travel industry, recognized the need to revitalize its brand personality. The existing "Techy Friend" persona, developed in 2019, had started to show limitations in its appeal and alignment with the brand's broader goals and values.
The "Techy Friend," a blend of the Jungian archetypes Sage and Everyman with a hint of Explorer, positioned eDreams as a knowledgeable yet approachable travel companion. However, this personality was heavily skewed towards technology and functionality, lacking emotional engagement and failing to fully resonate with the experiential nature of travel. The challenge was to redefine eDream's brand personality to better reflect its aspirations, values, and the emotional expectations of modern travelers.
As the Creative Director and Designer, I spearheaded the reevaluation and redesign of eDreams' brand personality. My responsibilities included guiding the selection of the final archetypes, crafting the narrative for each potential personality, and conceptualizing how these personalities would come to life across various brand touchpoints. This involved crafting narrative arcs for each personality, aligning them with eDreams' brand values, and envisioning their application in marketing campaigns, digital experiences, and customer interactions. My responsibility also extended to developing detailed writing guidelines and visual cues that would ensure consistency in portraying the selected brand personality.
My strategy was to revisit the twelve Jungian archetypes, identifying those that would more effectively embody eDreams' brand aspirations. The goal was to create a personality that was not only adventurous and trustworthy (Explorer and Everyman) but also stood out in a competitive market.
After a thorough examination of Jungian archetypes, I methodically filtered down to two potential archetype combinations for eDreams' brand personality: The Joyful Voyager (Explorer, Everyman, Jester) and The Innovative Pathfinder (Explorer, Everyman, Creator). This decision-making process involved carefully ruling out other archetypes that didn’t align with eDreams' vision and market positioning.
For instance, archetypes like the Innocent and the Caregiver, while positive, were too nurturing and lacked the dynamic edge we sought. The Hero and the Ruler were dismissed for their overemphasis on achievement and authority, which could overshadow the customer-centric approach of eDreams. The Lover, though emotionally engaging, focused narrowly on romance and intimacy, not aligning with the broader spectrum of travel experiences eDreams offers. Similarly, the Magician and the Sage, while intriguing, leaned heavily on transformation and wisdom, aspects that were more introspective than the adventurous and innovative spirit desired.
In contrast, the chosen combinations - The Joyful Voyager and The Innovative Pathfinder - struck the right balance. They encompassed the adventurous spirit (Explorer), relatability (Everyman), along with the unique traits of joy and humor (Jester) or creativity and innovation (Creator). These combinations provided a more holistic representation of eDreams' brand aspirations - to be seen as an innovative, customer-friendly, and joyous travel partner.
The process was meticulous, involving an in-depth analysis of each archetype’s traits and how they could be woven together to form a cohesive and compelling brand personality. This strategic selection aimed to ensure that the final personality would not only resonate with our diverse customer base but also distinctly position eDreams in the competitive travel market.
Upon my departure from eDreams, the team was still in the process of finalizing the brand personality. However, they had selected The Joyful Voyager for testing, a decision influenced by the archetype’s ability to blend adventure, relatability, and a sense of fun and excitement.
To evaluate the effectiveness of this new brand personality, eDreams rolled out three major campaigns utilizing The Joyful Voyager’s distinctive tone of voice and characteristics that I had developed: Prime Day, Hotel Flash Sale, and Black Friday. Each campaign was meticulously crafted to embody the essence of The Joyful Voyager, with messaging that emphasized fun, adventure, and the joy of travel.
The campaigns were a resounding success, resulting in record-breaking sales for each event. This success was a testament to the power of aligning the brand’s voice with a personality that resonated deeply with the target audience. The Joyful Voyager’s engaging and upbeat persona, reflected in the campaigns, helped create a more dynamic and memorable brand experience, encouraging greater customer engagement and participation in the sales events.
The positive reception and success of these campaigns indicated a strong affinity towards The Joyful Voyager’s persona among eDreams' customers. This outcome not only validated the decision to test this particular archetype but also highlighted the impact of a well-defined and executed brand personality in driving business results and enhancing brand perception in a competitive marketplace.