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.

1. MINNEAPOLIS I NEW YORK I BEIJING I EVERYWHERE

2. HOW TO CREATE
BRAND COMMUNITIES:
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

3. THE DESIRE
TO BELONG IS AT
THE CORE OF EVERY
HUMAN BEING.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

4. BUT BEFORE YOU
CAN BELONG, YOU
MUST BELIEVE IN
SOMETHING WORTH
BELONGING TO.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

5. A BELIEF SYSTEM
ATTRACTS OTHERS
WHO SHARE YOUR
BELIEFS. THIS
CREATES COMMUNITY.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

6. THEY ‘LIKE’ YOU AND
PREFER YOU ABOVE
ALL OTHERS.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

7. THIS SENSE OF
‘BELONGING’ IS
CREATED BY A
RICHLY RESONANT
SURROUND OF
7 ELEMENTS.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

8. THE PRIMAL CODE.
Listed in Top 10, Primal Branding is heralded as “not the same old branding B.S.”.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

9. ALL BELIEF SYSTEMS
HAVE SEVEN ELEMENTS
FUNDAMENTAL TO
CREATING BELIEF. IT IS
THE “SYSTEM” THAT
CREATES BELIEF.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

10. THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. “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

16. 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

17. 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

18. THIS CONSTRUCT IS
WHY WE BELIEVE IN
PRODUCTS, IN PEOPLE,
IN ORGANIZATIONS, AND
IN OURSELVES.
©THINKTOPIA 2012

19. ONCE YOU CREATE THE
BELIEF SYSTEM, YOU
ATTRACT OTHERS WHO
SHARE YOUR BELIEFS.
©THINKTOPIA 2012

20. “BRANDS” ARE CONSENSUAL COMMUNITIES THAT
PEOPLE DECIDE TO “OPT IN” OR “OPT OUT” OF.
©THINKTOPIA 2012

21. IT’S WHAT BUILDS COMMUNITY.
©THINKTOPIA 2012

22. THERE ARE (AT LEAST)
4 TYPES OF COMMUNITY.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

23. Community.
There are communities that surround products and services, called “consumers”.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

24. Community.
There are communities inside organizations, called “co-workers”.
©THINKTOPIA 2012

25. Community.
There are communities that follow personality brands, called “fans” (short for “fanatics”).
©THINKTOPIA 2012

26. Community.
There are communities that follow political and social movements, called “voters” or activists”.
©THINKTOPIA 2012

27. Community.
There are actual civic communities, called “citizens”.
©THINKTOPIA 2012

28. HOW DOES THIS CREATE POWERFUL BRANDS?
©THINKTOPIA 2012

29. 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
® Registered trademark of Apple Corp
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. WE COULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT THE
FOUNDATION OF OUR SOCIETY IS BASED
UPON THE NOTION THAT TWO PEOPLE
“BELIEVE IN” EACH OTHER SO STRONGLY
THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO SPEND THE REST
OF THEIR LIVES TOGETHER.
HOW DOES THAT WORK?
©THINKTOPIA 2012

34. 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

35. BRAND=
BELIEF=
BELONGING
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2012

36. BELONGING IS
AT THE CENTER OF
MASLOW’S HIERARCHY
OF HUMAN NEEDS.
©THINKTOPIA 2012

37. WE ALL WANT TO
BE A PART OF
SOMETHING BIGGER
THAN OURSELVES.
©THINKTOPIA 2012

38. BELONGING
=PREFERENCE
©THINKTOPIA 2012

39. 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

40. NOT JUST DESCRIPTIVE,
BUT PRESCRIPTIVE.
©THINKTOPIA 2012

41. TO CREATE COMMUNITY,
YOU MUST CREATE A
NARRATIVE FOR PEOPLE
TO BELIEVE IN AND
WANT TO BECOME A
PART OF. THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

42. THE PRIMAL CODE
CREATES A STRATEGIC
BRAND NARRATIVE
THAT BUILDS BELIEF.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

43. PRODUCTS & SERVICES
TRANSIT FROM BEING
MEANINGLESS
TO BECOMINGING
MEANINGFUL.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

44. FROM “WHO CARES?”
TO “I CARE!”
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

45. THE RESULT IS A STICKY
BRAND POWERED BY A
COMMUNITY OF STAUNCH
ADVOCATES WHO TINGLE
WITH EVERY BRAND
BREATH THEY TAKE. THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

46. IT BECOMES MORE “NIKE”
THAN “SHOE”.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

47. strikeanerve@thinktopia.com
©THINKTOPIA 2012
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013

48. THINKTOPIA® IS AN
AWARD-WINNING
STRATEGIC INNOVATION
FIRM DEDICATED TO
CREATING COMMUNITIES
THINKTOPIA® HAS CONDUCTED BUSINESS ON EVERY
CONTINENT ON THE PLANET, EXCEPT ANTARCTICA
(WHICH GIVES US OUR STRETCH GOAL.
AROUND BRANDS.
THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2001-2013
THIN

49. THINKTOPIA, INC. © 2011

50. MINNEAPOLIS I NEW YORK I BEIJING I EVERYWHERE