Halo In Conversation with – Patrick Hanlon (part two)
A methodology for people, places, and things.
The problem with most brands is that they become irrelevant, because they let these seven pieces of Primal code become old and fallow and stale. The challenge is how do you refresh these [Primal codes] and keep them vital. – Patrick Hanlon
The Primal Branding system is used by huge global businesses to ambitious startups, but we spoke to Patrick about whether it can work equally well for individuals who are looking to clarify their ‘personal brand’. Essentially, what the system is designed to do is to unpick and then define the reasons why people would care about the brand – whether that be a person, place, or a thing (product or service).
In music we call it a one-hit wonder, in fashion it’s a fad – brands want to be longer lived than that. – Patrick Hanlon
Shaping a brand – for free.
Using the Primal branding codes is free – you don’t need money to define each of these Primal codes. When you do need to invest is when you want to tell people about the brand. The more you invest, the further you can reach, the more people who know (and might share further) your brand.
Primal branding is required reading at YouTube, because YouTube went out and found that the most successful YouTube producers had all seven of these pieces [Primal code] – Patrick Hanlon
Who’s in control of your brand?
With the audience having such a central role in the brand, is there a danger that businesses feel they don’t have control of their brand? We talked to Patrick about who really has control of the narrative of the brand, and if it is the audience is this any different or has it always really been this way. By moving away from a one-way, ‘megaphone’ approach the conversations between your audience can become more intrinsic to the shaping and evolution of the brand. Marketers need to encourage the types of conversations they would like people to be having about their brand.
We had this misconception that we were in control [of the brand narrative] because we had all this money to advertise – Patrick Hanlon
Keeping relevant and maintaining vitality
Finally, we asked what’s next for Patrick Hanlon and Primal branding. The book is being rereleased as a new edition and Patrick also has some Primal Live events going on worldwide. Patrick also explains that there is work in progress using AI to help people keep their brands fresh and relevant automatically. For brands that are constantly in evolution, the ability to keep their seven core Primal codes relevant and current is essential to the ongoing development and success of the brand, and business, and to maintain the vitality of the community.
Many thanks to Patrick for his time and expertise. Check out Primal Branding at PrimalBranding.co and find the book Primal Branding by Patrick Hanlon on kindle audio or softback on Amazon dot com.
