Most life science marketers are still stuck in a safe zone: feature lists, spec sheets, clinical claims. It's not wrong, but it's not enough.
The assumption? That logic will win. That data alone will convert. That being technically correct is the same as being emotionally compelling.
It isn't. And never was.
Today's audiences, researchers, clinicians, buyers, aren't looking for more PDFs. They're craving relevance, resonance, and belief. But many companies try to jump from specs to "personalisation at scale" without first building any connection worth scaling.
Worse? They try to do it all while sounding like someone else's press release.
You're not lacking segmentation. You're lacking soul.
You're not short on compliance. You're short on courage.
What's missing isn't just better messaging. It's a better identity. One that connects, not just complies. Because no one remembers the most accurate voice in the room. They remember the one that emotionally moved them.
This isn't a primer. You already know what a persona is. You've probably got too many. Trim the fluff. Keep the ones with evidence.
Personas are behavioural X-rays of your customer: roles, tensions, triggers, channels.
Archetypes are your brand's emotional spine. Are you a Sage? A Hero? A Rebel with a lab coat?
You need both:
Personas = relevance (what you say and to whom)
Archetypes = coherence (how it feels and why it sticks)
Without personas, you're shouting into the void. Without an archetype, you're just forgettable noise.
Most marketers treat frameworks like religion. Let's not do that.
Archetypes aren't sacred. Personas aren't gospel. They're tools. Scalpel, not shield. When they help, great. When they don't, move on.
Mark Ritson calls archetypes "total bollocks." Donald Miller says the customer is the hero. They're both right.
The point is never the model. It's the connection. Don't get precious. Get persuasive.
In chemistry, you switch models based on what level of precision you need:
Use hybridisation for speed
Use quantum mechanics for depth
Same in marketing:
Use archetypes for fast team alignment
Layer in personas and empathy maps where the nuance matters
Trying to personalise everything without knowing who you are first? That's marketing malpractice.
Job titles in B2B are often smoke and mirrors.
"Scientist" could mean:
The Champion chasing impact
The Skeptic scanning for gaps
The Budget-holder with no time for fluff
The Doer who just needs it to work
Empathy maps reveal the real internal narrative: fear, hope, inertia. Then tailor proof and framing to the decision role, without ever betraying your brand voice.
A Sage can mentor the Champion and reassure the Skeptic. That's how strategic humanity works.
Nike doesn't sell shoes. It sells belief. Every persona, whether a runner, lifter, or weekend warrior, gets different proof, but the same emotional promise: you can do hard things and win.
Slack is a Jester that never breaks character. Personalisation is precise. Voice is unmistakable. The targeting flexes, but the identity holds firm.
Lesson: Personalise the what and where. Protect the who.
If your message could come from any other company in your category, it means nothing.
Personas help you stay relevant. Archetypes help you stay remembered. Use them both, but never hide behind them.
Because in a field full of lookalike brands and lifeless decks:
The clearest promise connects.
The boldest voice cuts through.
And the brand brave enough to sound like itself is the one people actually feel.