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While it’s easy to explain how Coca-Cola has become a brand after 100 years of marketing, it’s inexplicable how brands like Starbucks or Google have become brands in a fraction of that time, even without advertising. Why? And, why do we care about some products and services, but not about others? Patrick Hanlon, international branding expert and founder of strategic brand innovation firm Thinktopia®, explains how brands are belief systems that attract others who share your beliefs. Those who believe, belong and feel they are members of a grand (and often global) community. Primal Branding was published 2006 and anticipated social communities. It is listed as one of Top 10 books on branding. The construct is not only descriptive, it is prescriptive and outlines how you can create a community—whether they are consumers, co-workers, citizens, advocates, or just your best customers—that prefers you above all others. This unique and revelatory method (it's been heralded as "not the same old branding B.S.") has been used by Fortune 100 companies all over the world, to create communities of consumer zealots as well as a method for designing mission-driven organizational culture. Enjoy.
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MINNEAPOLIS I NEW YORK I BEIJING I EVERYWHERE
HOW TO CREATE BRAND COMMUNITIES:
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
THE DESIRE TO BELONG IS AT THE CORE OF EVERY HUMAN BEING.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
BUT BEFORE YOU CAN BELONG, YOU MUST BELIEVE IN SOMETHING WORTH BELONGING TO.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
A BELIEF SYSTEM ATTRACTS OTHERS WHO SHARE YOUR BELIEFS. THIS CREATES COMMUNITY.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
THEY ‘LIKE’ YOU AND PREFER YOU ABOVE ALL OTHERS.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
THIS SENSE OF ‘BELONGING’ IS CREATED BY A RICHLY RESONANT SURROUND OF 7 ELEMENTS.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
THE PRIMAL CODE.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
Listed in Top 10, Primal Branding is heralded as “not the same old branding B.S.”.
ALL BELIEF SYSTEMS HAVE SEVEN ELEMENTS FUNDAMENTAL TO CREATING BELIEF. IT IS THE “SYSTEM” THAT CREATES BELIEF.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
All belief systems have a story attached. Two guys in a garage building personal computers. Two kids in a college dorm. A pharmacist who created a secret soft drink formula. New York was founded by the Dutch. The creation story is the foundation of the brand narrative, and answers the question, “Where are you from?”.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
All belief systems begin with core principles. A mission statement that declares that all men are equal. A belief in life after death. A belief that the state is supreme. A belief in the Red Sox. A belief that you can be “the greatest t-shirt shop in the whole wide world”.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
All belief systems create totems that are quick concentrations of meaning and encapsulate who you are. The swoosh. The Stars & Stripes. The cross. The hammer and sickle. Icons are the hand holds of any belief system, and can involve any of the five senses: sight, touch, sound, scent and taste.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
Rituals are the repeated interactions between those who believe and your product, or service. Ritual replaces chaos with order. The vitality of a brand community comes from the positive ritual engagements between your brand and your consumer or advocate.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
“lol”
All belief systems create special vocabularies that define those who believe. And those who do not. These lexicons have precious meaning. If you don’t “know the words”, you’re not part of the group.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
In order to have the yin of believers, there must be the yang of nonbelievers. By knowing who the nonbelievers are, we help to define ourselves. Belief systems commonly define the counter group, then proceed to vilify them (Democrats/Republics, Mac/PC, doves/hawks, PlayStation/Xbox360, Baidu/Google, processed/organic).
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
All belief systems have a person who believed there was a better way to do things, then transformed the world according to their own point of view.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
THIS CONSTRUCT IS WHY WE BELIEVE IN PRODUCTS, IN PEOPLE, IN ORGANIZATIONS, AND IN OURSELVES.
©THINKTOPIA 2012
ONCE YOU CREATE THE BELIEF SYSTEM, YOU ATTRACT OTHERS WHO SHARE YOUR BELIEFS.
©THINKTOPIA 2012
©THINKTOPIA 2012
“BRANDS” ARE CONSENSUAL COMMUNITIES THAT PEOPLE DECIDE TO “OPT IN” OR “OPT OUT” OF.
IT’S WHAT BUILDS COMMUNITY.
©THINKTOPIA 2012
THERE ARE (AT LEAST)4 TYPES OF COMMUNITY.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
Community.There are communities that surround products and services, called “consumers”.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
Community.
©THINKTOPIA 2012
There are communities inside organizations, called “co-workers”.
Community.Community.
©THINKTOPIA 2012
There are communities that follow personality brands, called “fans” (short for “fanatics”).
Community.
©THINKTOPIA 2012
There are communities that follow political and social movements, called “voters” or activists”.
Community.
©THINKTOPIA 2012
There are actual civic communities, called “citizens”.
©THINKTOPIA 2012
HOW DOES THIS CREATE POWERFUL BRANDS?
® Registered trademark of Apple Corp
Apple
Creation story: Former HP employees Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak start building personal computers in a garage
Creed: Think different. No idiots allowed.
Icons: Apple logo, iPod, iPhone, iTunes, Steve Jobs, Apple store, Genius Bar, Steve Jobs.
Rituals: Apple “S”, iChat, downloading, searching via Safari, buying music on iTunes, loading pictures in iPhoto, etc. No ‘focus groups’. Intense iterative product design. Confabs with Steve.
Sacred words: “Apple”, “iPod”, “iPhone”, “iMac”, “iCal”, “iTunes”, “iPhoto”. “No dummies.”
Nonbelievers: PCs
Leader: Steve Jobs
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
Lady Gaga
Creation story: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta began performing in the rock music scene of New York City's Lower East Side. Her debut album, The Fame, was released on August 19, 2008. Its first two singles, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face" became international number-one hits. The album earned six Grammy Award nominations.. By the end of 2009, Lady Gaga released her second studio album The Fame Monster, with the global chart-topping lead single "Bad Romance", and embarked on her second headlining tour of the year, The Monster Ball Tour.
Creed: individuality (I Was Born This Way)
Icons: her looks, her clothing, her music
Rituals: her concerts, photo shoots, appearances
Sacred words: “Lady Gaga”, “little monsters”, song lyrics
Nonbelievers: people who prefer Doris Day/Madonna, et al.
Leader: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
United States of America
Creation story: Discovered by Christopher Columbus. Settled by Pilgrims. Declared independence in 1776
Creed: Freedom for all. Independence. (Capitalism)
Icons: American flag, White House, Statue of Liberty, Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the President
Rituals: voting, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, MLK Day, parades
Sacred words: “We the people”, “freedom”, “liberty”, “equality”
Nonbelievers: Fascists, communists, Al Quaida
Leader(s): Barack Obama, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, et al.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
Civil Rights Movement
Creation story: Rosa Parks sat at the front of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama
Creed: all men are created equal
Icons: picket signs, songs, photos of snarling police dogs, Rosa Parks
Rituals: speeches, marches, nonviolent demonstrations, registering to vote
Sacred words: “I have a Dream”, “We shall overcome”
Nonbelievers: racists, people who thought that change was not possible
Leader(s): Rev. Martin Luther King & others
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
©THINKTOPIA 2012
WE COULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT THE FOUNDATION OF OUR SOCIETY IS BASED UPON THE NOTION THAT TWO PEOPLE“BELIEVE IN” EACH OTHER SO STRONGLYTHAT THEY ARE WILLING TO SPEND THE REST OF THEIR LIVES TOGETHER. HOW DOES THAT WORK?
Romantic love
Creation story: “How did you guys meet?”
Creed: I love you.
Icons: rings, flowers, chocolates, cards
Rituals: dating, going steady, engagement, marriage, Valentine’s Day
Sacred words: “I love you”, “honey”, etc.
Nonbelievers: single people, old boyfriends, old girlfriends, ex-spouses
Leaders: both of you
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
BELONGING
BRAND=
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2012
BELIEF=
MASLOW’S HIERARCHY
BELONGING ISAT THE CENTER OF
OF HUMAN NEEDS.©THINKTOPIA 2012
WE ALL WANT TO
BE A PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN OURSELVES.
©THINKTOPIA 2012
PREFERENCEBELONGING=
©THINKTOPIA 2012
7.It is the combination of all seven pieces of primal code working together that creates the belief that forms the community of people who not only believe but belong. This is what leading communities have accomplished through great gut instinct, having smart leaders, and through luck, timing and determination.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
NOT JUST DESCRIPTIVE, BUT PRESCRIPTIVE.
©THINKTOPIA 2012
TO CREATE COMMUNITY, YOU MUST CREATE A NARRATIVE FOR PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN AND WANT TO BECOME A PART OF.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
THE PRIMAL CODE CREATES A STRATEGIC BRAND NARRATIVE THAT BUILDS BELIEF.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
PRODUCTS & SERVICESTRANSIT FROM BEING MEANINGLESS TO BECOMINGING MEANINGFUL.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
FROM “WHO CARES?”TO “I CARE!”
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
THE RESULT IS A STICKY BRAND POWERED BY A COMMUNITY OF STAUNCHADVOCATES WHO TINGLEWITH EVERY BRAND BREATH THEY TAKE.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
IT BECOMES MORE “NIKE”THAN “SHOE”.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
©THINKTOPIA 2012THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
THINKTOPIA® IS AN AWARD-WINNING STRATEGIC INNOVATION FIRM DEDICATED TO CREATING COMMUNITIES AROUND BRANDS.
THINKTOPIA® HAS CONDUCTED BUSINESS ON EVERY CONTINENT ON THE PLANET, EXCEPT ANTARCTICA. (WHICH GIVES US OUR STRETCH GOAL.)
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2011
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2011
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MINNEAPOLIS I NEW YORK I BEIJING I EVERYWHERE