When I investigated Bredemarket’s archetypes back in 2021, the Kaye Putnam quiz that I took identified my primary archetype (sage) and three sub-archetypes (explorer, royalty, and entertainer).
Of my four top archetypes, the one that I haven’t really, um, explored is the “Royalty” brand archetype. This archetype was a surprise to me, and upon researching it further it fits me…and it doesn’t fit me.
I am Royalty
Using Kaye Putnam’s description of the Royalty brand archetype, I found some elements that spoke to me personally.
Whether you resonate with being a boss, aristocrat, king, queen, politician, or manager, your brand possesses the incredible power to evoke feelings of awe, admiration, and the promise of shared success in those who encounter it.
From https://www.kayeputnam.com/brand-archetype-royalty/
Let’s face it: I am the strong-willed person who self-brands as the temperamental writer, often moved to take charge of a situation, and frankly craving admiration and protesting indifference.
For example, for the last several weeks I’ve been tracking both impression and (more importantly) engagement statistics for my personal LinkedIn account and the Bredemarket website. What does engagement mean? In its most basic terms, it can be expressed as (in Sally Field’s words) “you like me.”
I am not Royalty
So those behaviors align with the Royalty archetype. But others do not.
Your brand exudes a sense of impeccable taste, inspiring others to aspire to your level of refinement.
From https://www.kayeputnam.com/brand-archetype-royalty/
I don’t think anyone would use the words “impeccable taste” and “level of refinement” to describe me. Even when I do wear a tie.
So maybe I’m not elegant Royalty, just Royalty with an attitude.
Lorde, Reign O’er Me
Ever since I conceived the idea for this blog post, I wanted to work the Lorde song “Royals” into it if possible. But the song doesn’t really fit, since it’s really about established musical royalty who resist young upstarts like Lorde.
(Young but not young. Even a decade ago when the song was released, I was amused at the world-weariness expressed by a teenager. But I digress.)
And as Marc Bodnik notes, the song is contradictory:
The great irony of the lyrics is that “we’ll never be royals” but she keeps talking about becoming Queen and talks about “ruling.”…Will Lorde’s new rule be any better than the current regime? Who knows.
From https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-does-the-song-royals_b_4310438
In an Abbott and Costello way, “Who” DID know.
The same lyricist who hoped to die before he got old (spoiler: he didn’t) subsequently wrote the lyric
Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss
From https://genius.com/The-who-wont-get-fooled-again-lyrics
Despite my employment background, I’m not a royal with revolutionary tendencies.
But I can don masks, which does matter.
Bredemarket 
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