June 4, 2006

Primal Branding

Many books and articles identify the attributes they consider essential to successful companies. I always find them interesting, and - selfishly - inevitably analyze how many of those attributes pertain to our company and the companies with whom we work.

Primal Branding, by Patrick Hanlon, claims that when products or services have seven "pieces of code" they become a meaningful part of our culture. The seven pieces of code are the creation story, the creed, the icons, the rituals, the pagans (or nonbelievers), the sacred words, and the leader.

According to Hanlon, a creation story is not a strategy. It provides context, and meaning. Think of Hewlette and Packard working in their garage, or Henry Ford producing the very first assembly line automobiles.

The creed is what defines a company. Think of Starbuck's seeking to be "the third place" (the other two being home and office), or Barnes & Noble saying "We do important work." Sometimes the creed can also be a company's slogan: i.e., Just Do It...or Think Different.

The icons may be a company's logo...or even a sound, taste, or smell. Or touch: consider the shape of the handle on all OXO tools.

The rituals are the ways in which a company makes more distinct and memorable the repeated points of contact between themselves and their guest, customers, client, or target market. For example, Wal-Mart enriches the experience of entering their stores simply by the presence of greeters. The idea is to develop rituals that make the mundane experience become exciting and reinforce the brand.

Part of saying who you are and what you stand for is also declaring who you are not and what you don't stand for. That's what "the pagans (or nonbelievers)" is all about.

For example, people who drink Starbucks aren't going to be satisfied with Folger's instant.

I think this is an important point, because so often companies try to be all things to all people...reluctant to give up any portion of the market...and thereby becoming nothing special..and standing for nothing special. And not doing well!

The sacred words are the words that people need to learn to become insiders in a company's culture. Having learned those words, people feel a real sense of belonging. They develop a bond with the brand. And that's enormously valuable. For example, people who "belong" at Starbucks understand the difference between a "tall" and a "grande." Or think about all the special word references on Seinfeld. Or the "words" kids use in instant messaging.

Finally, Hanlon writes that all successful belief systems have a person who is the catalyst, the risk taker, the visionary, the iconoclast who set out against all odds to re-create the world according to their own sense of self, community, and opportunity.

The leader can be the founder (like Branson, or Disney, or Edison)...or a strong individual who takes their place (like Welch, or Eisner).

It's always helpful to step back and think about what makes a company successful. As I consider the companies we're fortunate enough to work with, most have many - if not all - of Hanlon's attributes. And, in cases where all seven attributes are not clearly evident, it's often a case of the attribute being there but it not being adequately developed and communicated. That's an opportunity.