the EXPLORER

Also known as: Seeker, Wanderer, Individualist, Adventurer, Pioneer, Trailblazer 

The Explorer is driven by a desire to feel free and discover personal authenticity by exploring the world. They seek to meet this need by seeking novelty, adventure and cultivating self-reliance. 

Explorer Brands provide customers a sense of personal independence by offering rugged, sturdy and reliable products/services that prepare and support pioneering adventure. Common industries include Outdoor/Adventure Sports & Gear, Travel, Auto, Energy Drinks/Power Supplements & Scientific/Space Exploration.

EXPLORER BRAND CLIENT PSYCHOLOGY:

Desire: To be free, to discover who truly you are by exploring the world, to find a better life or way. 

Motivation/Goal: To live an authentic life. 

Motto: “Don’t fence me in.” 

Biggest Fear: To be trapped, to feel unfulfilled, to end up alone.

Strategy: Seek out novelty through worldly adventure. Develop self-reliance through novel experience. 

Weakness:  Aimless Wandering, Hedonism, Self-Experience Consumerism, “Peter Pan” Syndrome.

Strengths: Autonomy, Ambition, Fearlessness, Authenticity.

SHADOW SIDE:

SHADOW QUALITIES: Self-Centeredness

PRONE TO ADDICTION: Independence/perfection

EXPLORER BRAND INDUSTRIES:

Extreme Sports, Outdoor/Adventure Gear, Travel, Automotive (SUV/Off-Road), Energy Drinks/Power Supplements, Science & Space Exploration

EXPLORER BRAND PROMISE:

• Are rugged and sturdy, often centered in outdoor recreation/adventure pursuits.
• Empower customers to feel free, self-reliant and independent, living life on their own terms, pioneering.
• Purchased via catalog, internet, or consumption on-the-go
• Differentiate themselves from “Everyperson” brands by helping people express their individuality.

PRICE POINT:

Low-Higher Mid

CUSTOMERS FEEL: 

Adventurous, “My only limits are those I create for myself”

DIFFERENTIATING FACTOR: 

Stands out against “everyday”/commodity/non-utilitarian brands. 

EXPLORER BRAND EXAMPLES: 

CORPORATE/POPULAR: JEEP, Patagonia, TUMI, The North Face, Arcteryx, GoPro, RedBull, REI, NASA, National Geographic, Amazon.com

MYTHOLOGICAL: Icarus [Greek], Pegasus [Greek], Lucifer [Christianity], King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Indiana Jones, Daenerys [GOT], Santiago [The Alchemist], Huckleberry Finn, Captain Kirk [Star Trek], Hans Solo [Star Wars]

PERSONAL BRANDS: Amelia Earhart, Bear Grylls, John F. Kennedy, Cheryl Strayed [Wild], Christopher Johnson McCandless [Into the Wild], Howard Hughes