Its not-brand-its-community

IT’S NOT “BRAND”, IT’S COMMUNITY.

Primal Branding® is a registed trademark.

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Branding has evolved. And, so has our understanding of what it means to be a brand. For brand stakeholders today, the focus must be on “community.”

Primal Branding® is a registed trademark. IT’S NOT BRAND, IT’S COMMUNITY. ©2015-2017

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Why? These days, product differentiation (quality and quantity) have been assured thanks to the magic of global logistics. So, the idea of “brand” has flipped from a product-supported-by-a-corporate-power (here comes the flip) to a quality of belief and meaning that attracts individuals who share those same values and ideals.


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It is now essential for everyone trying to attract mass appeal to move their enterprise from being meaningless to becoming an essential, relevant and meaningful part of our world. Many unicorns have died ignoring this simple truth.

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As many now know, communities organize themselves around a common belief system. A belief that humans are created equal. A belief in life after death. A belief in good schools. A belief in aspirations. Think different. Just do it. Imagine.

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This is the core of fandom and advocacy: The community of fans, advocates, zealots and public who believe in and belong to your cult of passions. In fact, some may become so committed to your success that they create it themselves.

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Hashtags, Pins, likes and attendance are the rites of belonging. When those rites are embedded with other engagements—including purchase—your fans become more connected to your strategic narrative—all of which makes your community more relevant, resonant, noteworthy and powerful.

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The role of “brand management” is not to belabor innovation and design thinking, but to become more adept at delighting your brand community. Sure, sometimes it might be an innovative new product, but more often it will be just figuring out how you best can welcome them into your brand community. Remind them how important they are to you. And keep them happy, happier, happiest.

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Too many companies make the mistake of turning their consuming public into data points indicating growth, share, and margins gained. When, in fact, every single sale is precious. Each slide of the debit card is a signal of belonging to your community.

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If sales are down, it’s a sign that people don’t identify with you. People might be confused about who you are, or you simply might be meaningless to them. Bottom line, they don’t feel they belong. Why not? Find out. Quickly.

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Identify what’s sticky about your brand community—what makes them stay? Above all, don’t let them become unglued. (When he became CEO of J.C.Penney, one of Ron Johnson’s first announcements was that he was abolishing sales. Unfortunately, J.C.Penney’s Thursday sale was J.C.Penney’s biggest shopping day and a main reason why people were shopping at J.C.Penney. When those sale shoppers were cast out, there was no “brand” literally or figuratively.)

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Next, figure out what’s keeping people away. In classic marketing terms, what are the barriers to entry? If you can figure out how to remove those barriers, (for example, no one’s writing any reviews) you’ll be better off.

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The role of “brand management” today is to offer information, experiences, and interactions. But it’s really about people. Stay tuned in. Whether it’s 200 people or 200 million, they are your brand community.

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Your product is not your brand. Your logo is not your brand. Your website is not your brand. Your store is not your brand. These only exist to serve each person in your community.

Your community is your brand.

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If you liked this, you might like the books “Primal Branding” (which has been required reading at YouTube) and “The Social Code”.

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https://www.amazon.com/Social-Code-Patrick-Hanlon/dp/1633155196/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=D4KW8M5X9RNNFE9KFC4V

https://www.amazon.com/Primalbranding-Create-Zealots-Company-Future/dp/1451655312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479222550&sr=8-1&keywords=primal+branding

The writer is currently featured as ‘brand expert’ in the 10-part documentary series “The Kennedy Files. Acknowledged as one of the top brand transformation practitioners in the world, Patrick Hanlon’s book Primal Branding: Create Zealots for Your Brand, Your Company And Your Future is mandatory reading at YouTube Next Labs, the largest social engagement platform on the planet. In addition to working with Fortune 100 clients, he has been a guest speaker at IDEO, New York University, Urban Land Institute, HP Brand Innovation Series, TEDx and more. His latest book The Social Code is a build on Primal Branding and takes us deep into the digital age where communities are created online. Hanlon is also a writer for Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., and has appeared CNBC, FOX, as well as popular podcasts and radio.

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Our construct has been ratified and is actively endorsed by the largest social engagement community on the planet as their recommended method for creating Brand narrative and growing your community online.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEj2iqsQLqw

PRIMAL BRANDING®

PRIMAL BRANDING®

@hanlonpatrick

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Its not-brand-its-community