In this episode of the ROI Online Podcast, host Steve Brown speaks with Patrick Hanlon, author of Primal Branding.
Patrick works with a number of large brands, and his unique book has grown in influence over time; the book has a perennial nature, and its popularity grew at a slow burn, rather than exploding onto the marketing scene in a flash and quickly growing obsolete. The book grew out of Patrick’s perception that a number of brands were not representing themselves in as authentic and compelling a way as they could.
In his book, he works through the code that underlies effective branding. This code is common to all kinds of messaging trying to appeal to people, from that of a church to that of any business. The seven components of the code are creation story, ceed, rituals, icons, sacred words, non-believers, and leaders. The code is a strategic brand narrative, and understanding it helps consumers to gain a sense of familiarity and belonging. The goal in working with this code is to fill in the spaces in a consumer’s mind in a way that makes more sense than the last guy did, drawing them into a business by drawing them into the business’s narrative.
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Patrick’s work highlights the fact that even brands are communities. In a culture today that prizes authenticity and community, Patrick has seen the primal code broadly and effectively used. He continues to move on to new and exciting projects, such as his current work with IBM, and he even holds Primal live events. Listen to learn how Patrick comments on senses as icons, primal code and its help in acquiring funding, expanding one’s influence as an author, and even the primal code construct applying to veterans returning home.
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Learn more about Patrick’s book, Primal Branding.
Read Steve Brown’s book, The Golden Toilet.