“Primal Branding” Offers An Evolutionary Take on How to Make Your Startup Stand Out
Patrick Hanlon’s latest video: “Primal Branding: Launch Your Startup Better and Faster” opens with us standing on the holy grid of advertising: Times Square. It’s the only place on the planet where buildings are demanded by law to display some form of advertising.
However, the similarities between Hanlon’s work and traditional branding efforts halt to a full stop there.
Just like a Times Square billboard, Hanlon explains, it’s easy for your startup to get lost in the crowd. Even if you’re a “unicorn” (that one-in-a-billion company aptly named after a non-existent creature), busy people aren’t going to stop and pay attention among the plethora of flashy and shiny start-ups they pass by in a hurry.
So how do you actually get noticed? According to Hanlon, it’s not by making a bigger billboard or blowing your precious budget on traditional advertising — the subject of “branding” has evolved from the voice of the company advertiser, to the voice of the crowd.
Patrick Hanlon, branding expert and founder of Thinktopia, works with firms like Levis, PepsiCo, Kraft and others to help build cult-like followers (he calls them “Zealots”) by building a fervent community through nontraditional marketing methods. His system, dubbed “Primal Branding”, has actionable methods that apply to everything from iPhone devotees to which laundry detergent you buy.
Here are the 7 pieces of code Hanlon says can help differentiate any brand from the pack:
Get a “Creation Story”
Apple was started in a garage, Game of Thrones has an epic tale of how Westeros started, and Levi’s were first worn by gold miners. Besides their millions of loyal fans, these brands also all have a compelling story behind their brand. As Hanlon puts it “Where you come from, is as important for people to know as what you believe and what your advantages are.”
Your firm (hopefully) doesn’t have murder plots behind it’s start like GOT, but Hanlon says you can still create something just as compelling.
This is a refreshing breath of fresh air for companies that are trying to do well by doing good, or started with a burning desire to change something or create the next mousetrap. Sure it might not beat you over the head with product benefits, but he shows how the creation story can be even more poignant.
And it’s great because anyone can do this with some baby steps. Whether it’s making an effort to go green or sharing your efforts to make a dent in the world, you can and should start making some story traction today
You need a Creed
Hanlon says “let us know what you believe in and why you exist.” It’s a no-brainer question, but, as the video points out, it is a surprisingly overlooked one. For instance, while most bridal brands are just another page on Pinterest, Kellee Kahlil, founder of Lover.ly, has a vision for her firm to become “the most loved brand in bridal”.
Hanlon is definitely on to a trend. According to Forbes, “More than eight in 10 Millennials (81%) expect companies to make a public commitment to good corporate citizenship.” Sure, your company doesn’t have to go clean up oil spills like Dove did (although that would be a good move), but it’s a smart idea to stand for something.
Use Icons to identify yourself
When you think icons, things like the Nike swoosh or McDonald’s golden arches probably come to mind (I know they did for me initially). But that one-in-a-million logo isn’t the only thing that can help your firm stand out: Hanlon says Icons can include “what you sound like, taste like, feel like, and look like.”
Look at drones, for instance. A saturated market is an understatement, but Hanlon’s video shows how icons can make a firm stand out even in this field. Even though they make high-quality products, Edgars & Agris, Co-Founders of Airdog, knew they needed more to avoid drowning in the sea of drone startups. Hanlon’s film covers their simple solution: “distinctive colors.”
When all drones were being made in black, they catered to the sports market (makes sense), by creating drones colored after sports companies, like an L.A. Lakers themed drone.
You can also give your firm a growth spurt with this, Hanlon claims. Get a unique letterhead, design unique packaging like Apple and Method, develop a memorable scent (think Cinnabon); the possibilities are endless.
Develop Rituals
As Hanlon puts it, this make-or-break factor is “the repeated interaction that people have with your enterprise.” If any of you have had the pleasure of experiencing Comcast or the DMV, it’s pretty clear how the wrong rituals can stain your brand. If you don’t want your brand to become synonymous with eyerolls, frustration and bad jokes, you should pay attention to this piece of Hanlon’s code.
His examples cover the stark differences rituals can make for almost any aspect of our lives. For instance, waiting in line at Starbucks versus Dunkin’ Donuts, or working at finance firm in Manhattan versus a tech start-up in Silicon Valley. How customers feel when repeatedly dealing with your brand is half the battle. A prime example of this (that we’ve all either loved or intensely hated) is client touch points — if your customers are getting repeated generic email blasts instead of well-timed heartfelt connections, it’s the difference between waiting for your latte at a favored coffee shop and getting your driver’s license renewed.
Design your own Language
Another tip to file in the “so simple it’s brilliant” cabinet: develop new words for your brand. Hanlon points to Game of Thrones as an example: say “Hodor” to some random passerby, and you’ll instantly make a new friend.
This is more than developing a catchy product name (which I think we’re all getting sick of) — it’s creating an authentic language and that your audience can relate to. “Iced grande skinny decaf latte”, for example. “K-cups”. This can be as simple as keeping your ear to the ground and paying attention to what your customers are calling things, or creating a unique dialogue that relates to your Zealots.
Naysayers can be a good thing
As the adage goes, “if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” Or as Hanlon brilliantly puts it in branding terms, “understanding what you don’t want to be helps us decide what we do want to be.”
For instance, Taco Bell want us to “think outside the bun.” They aren’t alienating fast-food lovers (who aren’t exactly food experts), but they are showing how they’re different from the hundreds of other fast food joints. You don’t have to make a Trump vs. Clinton esque customer divide, but Hanlon makes a great point that you shouldn’t be afraid to draw a line in the sand.
On the other hand, turning on your Zealots (dedicated customer base) can make your brand take a nosedive into a mountain. He points to Reddit as a powerful example– they fired #1Fan community manager Victoria Taylor, and ended up alienating the very community and believers who built (and continue to build) the site from the ground up. 200,000 signatures from a Change.org petition asking for the resignation of their CEO afterwards is a pretty big indicator that you should pay attention to your believers.
Leaders
The most inspiring piece of Hanlon’s work is when he points out that as an entrepreneur, you’re the dreamer who set off against all odds. Who said “why not?” You dared to go against all odds and the 9–5. So do the same for your brand. Become the figurehead who aligns these points instead of just paying attention to spreadsheets; the results will amaze you.
Hanlon points out one entrepreneur made the effort and started using these same criteria to create culture inside his firm. He went from a $3 million company to a $12 million company. He kept his stock and benefited when the company sold six months later for $165 million.
