A Shortcut to Empathy

One of the fastest ways to connect with your audience is to stop guessing what they care about and start seeing them for who they really are. Enter the archetype.

First popularized by psychologist Carl Jung, archetypes are universal, recurring patterns of behavior that live in the collective unconscious. When used well, they act as shortcuts to meaning.

They’re especially useful when time is short and the story is everything (like in a presentation).

Why Archetypes Work

• They tap the unconscious. When we assign archetypes, we’re using a language the audience already knows, whether they realize it or not.
  

• They reveal desires. Archetypes help us understand what’s driving the audience. Are they hungry for change? Eager to preserve what works?
  

• They create resonance. Stories structured around archetypes aren’t just more memorable, they’re more moving. That’s because, as Jung put it, “the psyche consists essentially of images.”

So how do you find your audience’s archetype?

A Simple 2x2 Framework

In the Campfire Method®, we use two questions to identify the audience’s motivational posture. And because we’re never afraid to steal from Hollywood, we can demonstrate this using some of our favorite movie characters.

Question 1: Who are they?

Are they relatable, like Woody?

• Are they generous with their time, making themselves available to others?

• Are they friendly, like they’ve never met a stranger?

• Do they speak in conversational language, i.e. “Somebody’s poisoned the water hole!”?

Or are they aspirational, like Buzz?

• Do they project importance, like they’re on a mission?

• Are they less accessible and harder to secure time with?

• Do they speak in visions and metaphors, i.e. “To infinity, and beyond!”?

Question 2: What do they want? 

Do they want to change the world, like Katniss Everdeen?

• Do they appear motivated to overthrow or overtake something?

• Do they act as though they’re oppressed or subjected to a higher power?

• Do they make references to a brighter future or greener grass?

Or do they want to preserve it, like James Bond?

• Do they tend to avoid risk, or at least calculate it carefully?

• Will they stop at nothing to prevent damage to an asset (like profit margin)?

• Are they fiercely protective of something or someone?

Answering those two questions gives us four possible archetypes:

• Underdog (relatable + wants to change)

• Survivor (relatable + wants to preserve)

• Disruptor (aspirational + wants to change)

• Protector (aspirational + wants to preserve)
  
  

How to Reach Them

Once you know your audience’s archetype, storytelling unlocks. It becomes more efficient, providing you with direction for empathy. It becomes infinitely more effective, because your audience will feel like you know them.

Now your challenge is to speak to them in their language. Don’t be afraid to borrow from the way these archetypal characters speak in movies, or how brands communicate with their target audiences.

For example:

The Underdog: Relatable + Wants Change

Like Harry Potter or Will Hunting, Underdogs are underestimated and overlooked. They crave the chance to rise up.

How to connect:

• Say their names. Make them feel seen.

• Stir up their sense of possibility.

• Make them the hero. Show them the way, Dumbledore.

• Remind them they already have what it takes inside them.

Brands that speak their language: JetBlue (“You deserve more legroom”), Planet Fitness (“No judgment zone”)

How to pitch to Harry Potter:

“No more living under the stairs. You have the power inside you, and the whole Wizarding world in your corner. It’s time to become the Wizard you were born to be.”

The Survivor: Relatable + Wants to Preserve

Like Simba hiding in the jungle, Survivors avoid risk but act quickly when someone they care about is in danger.

How to connect:

• Don’t sugarcoat the stakes—sound the alarm.

• Build trust. Show receipts (case studies help).

• Tell them who is at risk, not just what.

Brands that speak their language: Volvo, OtterBox

How to pitch to Simba:

“The Pridelands are burning. Your family needs you. We need our king.”

The Disruptor: Aspirational + Wants Change

Think Tony Stark. Disruptors are risk-takers, challengers, rule-breakers. They want to lead the charge into the future.

How to connect:

• Speak to their hunger for innovation.

• Be bold. Be fast. Be binary. A or B. Now or never.

• Paint a vision of tomorrow—and make it theirs to build.

Brands that speak their language: Apple (2000s era), Liquid Death

How to pitch to Tony Stark:

“We’re not strong enough to win this without you. The world’s watching. And you’re the one who can change everything.”

The Protector: Aspirational + Wants Preservation

Like Princess Leia, Protectors are brave, principled, and driven to shield others. They don’t seek the spotlight, but they’ll stand in the fire for the people they love.

How to connect:

• Honor their courage. Respect their responsibility.

• Offer tools to prevent problems before they happen.

• Make their people the story’s beneficiaries.

Brands that speak their language: Nike, FedEx

How to pitch to Princess Leia:

“You alone have the power to protect our people and restore peace. All I need from you is…”

Try Archetyping Your Next Presentation Audience

There’s one final step to creating an audience archetype. Write this sentence down with the blanks filled in:

“My audience is a [WHO ARE THEY], who wants to [WHAT DO THEY WANT], and therefore is a(n) [ARCHETYPE].”

With this in mind, draft a few lines that might stir this individual from within. Start by looking at the references: brands, stories, personalities. What kind of messaging do those archetypes tend to favor? Bold and daring? Grounded and practical? Clear and direct? 

Keep in mind, while the language might not come naturally to you, that’s not the exercise. Write not what you would say, but what they might lean in to hear. This is how we move from assumptions to empathy.

And once you’ve named the archetype, you’ve given your story a shape in which to grow.

🔥 Hi, I’m Eric, and every week, I share insights, observations and tools so you can ditch decks and light a fire in your high-stakes presentations. If you like what you see here, follow me on LinkedIn.