What do you think?
Rate this book
Primal Branding: Create Zealots for Your Brand, Your Company, And Your Future
What is it that made Starbucks an overnight sensation and separated it from other coffee house companies? Why do many products with great product innovation, perfect locations, terrific customer experiences, even breakthrough advertising fail to get the same visceral traction in the marketplace as brands like Apple and Nike? Patrick Hanlon, senior advertising executive and founder of Thinktopia, decided to find the answers. His search revealed seven definable assets that together construct the belief system that lies behind every successful brand, whether it's a product, service, city, personality, social cause, or movement. In Primal Branding, Hanlon explores those seven components, known as the primal code, and shows how to use and combine them to create a community of believers in which the consumer develops a powerful emotional attachment to the brand. These techniques, work for everyone involved in creating and selling an image-from marketing managers to social advocates to business leaders seeking to increase customer preference for new or existing products. Primal Branding presents a world of new possibility for marketers of every stripe-and the opportunity to move from being just another product on the shelf to becoming a desired and necessary part of the culture.
Audio CD
First published January 1, 2006
214 people are currently reading
1908 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
July 8, 2022
The main point of the book is good: a brand is more likely to be successful when it creates a whole culture that people want to commit to. Hanlon outlines seven aspects of this kind of culture creation, which he calls "the primal code": creation story, creed, icons, rituals, pagans/nonbelievers, sacred words, leader. Clarifying each of those areas for an organization or brand is a really helpful exercise, and the first part of the book gives an overview of each aspect.
But then, on page 99, Hanlon launches into example after example of successful brands, and it quickly becomes "What in the world...??," leading to "Oh please make it stop!" It's mildly interesting to think about successful brands in light of Hanlon's seven-part "primal code," but it's not that thrilling to read over a hundred pages of it. My main problem with all of this is that it's less helpful for me to apply the primal code in hindsight to companies that proven to be successful than it would be to learn about examples of companies that intentionally applied the primal code concept to become successful.
The other problem with the book is that the examples are now so outdated, it's often unintentionally amusing. I'd like to see a revised edition of this book, updated and significantly streamlined. As is often the case, the TED Talk by Hanlon is basically as good as the whole book, so I recommend watching that and deciding if you need much more information.
But then, on page 99, Hanlon launches into example after example of successful brands, and it quickly becomes "What in the world...??," leading to "Oh please make it stop!" It's mildly interesting to think about successful brands in light of Hanlon's seven-part "primal code," but it's not that thrilling to read over a hundred pages of it. My main problem with all of this is that it's less helpful for me to apply the primal code in hindsight to companies that proven to be successful than it would be to learn about examples of companies that intentionally applied the primal code concept to become successful.
The other problem with the book is that the examples are now so outdated, it's often unintentionally amusing. I'd like to see a revised edition of this book, updated and significantly streamlined. As is often the case, the TED Talk by Hanlon is basically as good as the whole book, so I recommend watching that and deciding if you need much more information.
March 25, 2019
Hanlon had me hooked for the first third of the book. The way he maps elements of charismatic brands to concepts that appeal to the way our caveman brains are wired and could also be applied to religions and ideological mass movements makes intuitive sense. Then came the examples... With few exceptions, the stories Hanlon presents are barely even related to the concepts covered in the book. The countless interviews and quotes felt like padding to meet a word count quota. You can safely skip about half the pages in this book without missing out on anything of value.
April 12, 2016
Wondering how to build your brand for your business? If you are searching for a history of successful companies, large and small, then Primal Branding delivers an insider’s perspective. Author Patrick Hanlon, an avid journalist, spent years penetrating the barriers surrounding marketing secrets of thriving businesses.
I am a pre-published author seeking to establish myself in the thriller genre as a professional with both a vision and a quality product. Primal Branding provided a series of steps to guide me through this process.
Here is the link to my video review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBRhyT...
Here are the seven components to the Primal Code, plus one sentence I learned about each.
1. Creation Story - each brand must tell the story of their beginnings. It must answer the question, “Where do you come from?” (Example: the “about” section of a company)
2. The Creed - this is the spine which supports the whole brand. This should project the vision of what you want the company to become. (Example: the tagline for a company)
3. The Icons - these are the images or sensory products that are instantly identified with your brand. They should be recognizable and distinct enough to leave an impression on the consumer. (Examples: logos, themes, and products)
4. The Rituals - the interactions that your consumer has with your company and products. The goal is to maximize the number of positive occurrences your customer has with your company. (Example: online shopping or browsing)
5. The Pagans - these are the opponents to what defines your company. It’s as important to identify your “unbelievers” as it is to define who you are. (Example: Pepsi Cola versus Aquafina.)
6. The Sacred Words - the specialized jargon that only the insiders know. Every belief system has its own informal dictionary to distinguish itself from outsiders. (Example: Techie Talk)
7. The Leader - who or what the mascot is for the brand. This does not necessarily need to be a physical person, but it could also be an ideology or trademark face. (Example: Betty Crocker)
I did find this book to be a bit more of a history lesson than an instructional manual to brand yourself. Still, I would highly recommend it to other authors and entrepreneurs eager to set themselves apart in the crowded marketplace.
In this brief book, you can learn the seven key factors to a unique identity. Whether you are an entrepreneur or a high-profile executive, arrange all seven to form a solid base to launch and grow your brand.
I am a pre-published author seeking to establish myself in the thriller genre as a professional with both a vision and a quality product. Primal Branding provided a series of steps to guide me through this process.
Here is the link to my video review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBRhyT...
Here are the seven components to the Primal Code, plus one sentence I learned about each.
1. Creation Story - each brand must tell the story of their beginnings. It must answer the question, “Where do you come from?” (Example: the “about” section of a company)
2. The Creed - this is the spine which supports the whole brand. This should project the vision of what you want the company to become. (Example: the tagline for a company)
3. The Icons - these are the images or sensory products that are instantly identified with your brand. They should be recognizable and distinct enough to leave an impression on the consumer. (Examples: logos, themes, and products)
4. The Rituals - the interactions that your consumer has with your company and products. The goal is to maximize the number of positive occurrences your customer has with your company. (Example: online shopping or browsing)
5. The Pagans - these are the opponents to what defines your company. It’s as important to identify your “unbelievers” as it is to define who you are. (Example: Pepsi Cola versus Aquafina.)
6. The Sacred Words - the specialized jargon that only the insiders know. Every belief system has its own informal dictionary to distinguish itself from outsiders. (Example: Techie Talk)
7. The Leader - who or what the mascot is for the brand. This does not necessarily need to be a physical person, but it could also be an ideology or trademark face. (Example: Betty Crocker)
I did find this book to be a bit more of a history lesson than an instructional manual to brand yourself. Still, I would highly recommend it to other authors and entrepreneurs eager to set themselves apart in the crowded marketplace.
In this brief book, you can learn the seven key factors to a unique identity. Whether you are an entrepreneur or a high-profile executive, arrange all seven to form a solid base to launch and grow your brand.
February 17, 2021
tl;dr Not worth the read. Find articles or videos on this book, or reviews summarizing it. So much is filler with no information on how to implement any of these concepts into practice.
Not tl;dr:
After 84 years, I FINALLY started to read this book. Everyone and their mom always recommends it. And not even 20 pages in, did I already start writing notes and learning new strategies to take with my business. The concept of the 'Primal Code' is fantastic! Gave me a lot to think about. My quick summary of it:
I did have a nit-pick with it though, which was this:
I get what he's going for with this section, but I'm not a fan of referring to these people/this concept as "the pagans". Perhaps I'm biased with my history of exploration into paganism (specifically Wicca) or that I know pagans, but it feels like a bigoted and ignorant term to use. It'd be like if I referred to my non-supporters/non-believers as Christians. It's nonsensical, just call them "non-believers" in your brand. Just irked me. :/
Apart from that, the 'Primal Code' section was definitely the strongest point of the book, which is unfortunate, because it's also the shortest part of the book.
The overwhelming bulk of the book is examples of the code put into practice, which sounds better than it was executed. I found you'd need some background knowledge on either the brand or the names behind the brands to have a better understanding of the context. Would love it if the author had included any pictures. There are talking points including many different visuals, and I ended up needing to Google a few things to understand what he was talking about. Some examples were better than others, but it mostly read as filler.
I gotta admit, this book is insanely boring. (It's why it took me two months to get through it!) It really drags and could've benefited greatly from some more editing. I don't think we needed so many examples, instead, either deeper dives into those examples (everything was surface level, so each example ended up reading the same), or explorations of how to implement these strategies. I honestly started to skim in the second half of the book. It just kept repeating itself!
None of the book demonstrates any real actions you can take to put these lessons/code into place. The examples can give you some vague ideas of how others implement it, but there really isn't much to go on. Most of it is along the lines of, "Person X wanted to make Company/Brand Y, so they did! And they were successful!" Very little, if anything, is shared of what, how, or why they did anything. A lot of it just read like ads for these brands, to be honest.
It's also quite dated. There's even little mention of the internet, despite this edition being published in 2011. (First published in 2006, according to GR.) Social media has changed a LOT of the game, so it's unfortunate to not see it discussed here. It's also effectively entirely US-centric. Perhaps there'll be another revised version one day?
I'm definitely disappointed. There's been so many people recommending this, I expected more. I can't say I'd recommend it. I think if you find articles written about this book, or the 'Primal Code', that'll give you all you need. I don't think you'd get much value out of reading it. At most, check it out from a library and just read chapter one, and maybe chapter six (which effectively just repeats chapter one, so it's basically more filler lol). Other than that, it's a skip.
Not tl;dr:
After 84 years, I FINALLY started to read this book. Everyone and their mom always recommends it. And not even 20 pages in, did I already start writing notes and learning new strategies to take with my business. The concept of the 'Primal Code' is fantastic! Gave me a lot to think about. My quick summary of it:
The book focuses on "The Primal Code", which is seven concepts that help build up and shape your brand.
The Creation Story - basically the history of you/your business. People like being able to humanize and relate to things, so understanding your story can help them connect to you.
The Creed - the core principles that you stand by/for. Basically like a mission statement, helps convey more about what you believe.
The Icons - things like logos, colors, or other things that people can use to associate with your brand. Doesn't have to just be visuals, can use any of the senses. Can also be you, since you are the "leader" of your brand. You represent it.
The Rituals - repeated behaviors or actions in association with your brand. The examples the book gives doesn't all hinge on a schedule, just as long as it repeats. (Like walking into a store and getting the same style of customer service every time.)
The Nonbelievers - people who are against your brand. Basically the opposite of your target audience. You will never appeal to them, and you don't need to. You want that opposition so you can have more of a sense of what you stand for, and what followers/supporters of your brand also stand for. It helps you focus your energy on your actual supporters, giving them the best possible.
The Sacred Words - words or phrases associated with your brand. Basically a language you built that brings your supporters together, it's something they all understand. (Example from book: Big Mac vs Whopper)
The Leader - in the case for entrepreneurs/business owners, it's us. Though the book states it doesn't have to be the founder of the company. Basically it is what the name implies. Someone to be the "risk taker, visionary, etc." of the brand.
I did have a nit-pick with it though, which was this:
In order to have the yin of believers, you must also have the yang of nonbelievers. The pagans. The heathens and idolaters.
I get what he's going for with this section, but I'm not a fan of referring to these people/this concept as "the pagans". Perhaps I'm biased with my history of exploration into paganism (specifically Wicca) or that I know pagans, but it feels like a bigoted and ignorant term to use. It'd be like if I referred to my non-supporters/non-believers as Christians. It's nonsensical, just call them "non-believers" in your brand. Just irked me. :/
Apart from that, the 'Primal Code' section was definitely the strongest point of the book, which is unfortunate, because it's also the shortest part of the book.
The overwhelming bulk of the book is examples of the code put into practice, which sounds better than it was executed. I found you'd need some background knowledge on either the brand or the names behind the brands to have a better understanding of the context. Would love it if the author had included any pictures. There are talking points including many different visuals, and I ended up needing to Google a few things to understand what he was talking about. Some examples were better than others, but it mostly read as filler.
I gotta admit, this book is insanely boring. (It's why it took me two months to get through it!) It really drags and could've benefited greatly from some more editing. I don't think we needed so many examples, instead, either deeper dives into those examples (everything was surface level, so each example ended up reading the same), or explorations of how to implement these strategies. I honestly started to skim in the second half of the book. It just kept repeating itself!
None of the book demonstrates any real actions you can take to put these lessons/code into place. The examples can give you some vague ideas of how others implement it, but there really isn't much to go on. Most of it is along the lines of, "Person X wanted to make Company/Brand Y, so they did! And they were successful!" Very little, if anything, is shared of what, how, or why they did anything. A lot of it just read like ads for these brands, to be honest.
It's also quite dated. There's even little mention of the internet, despite this edition being published in 2011. (First published in 2006, according to GR.) Social media has changed a LOT of the game, so it's unfortunate to not see it discussed here. It's also effectively entirely US-centric. Perhaps there'll be another revised version one day?
I'm definitely disappointed. There's been so many people recommending this, I expected more. I can't say I'd recommend it. I think if you find articles written about this book, or the 'Primal Code', that'll give you all you need. I don't think you'd get much value out of reading it. At most, check it out from a library and just read chapter one, and maybe chapter six (which effectively just repeats chapter one, so it's basically more filler lol). Other than that, it's a skip.
September 26, 2017
I need to read it again because I have a nagging feeling that there are important concepts in here, but the book is an overload of stories that I really wanted to see distilled down into a more direct mapping to the outlined principles. I think it is an inspiring book and there are certainly very obvious points that I'm not yet applying to business but I have a nagging doubt that it isn't quite as clear cut as the 7 points make it out to be. Still - I'll re-read it for more action points and at this point I'll assume that I haven't read it as carefully as all the five star reviewers did.
June 10, 2019
Full of examples, he definitely enforced the idea of branding your business and why it’s so important. It’s obvious this was written prior to social media and online e-commerce. I’d be interested in his thoughts now that the marketplace has changed. I just thought it was too heavy on examples and too light on action steps to put this in place in your business. I also didn’t like how he assumed everyone knew origin stories of celebrities because I really don’t find that to be the case. Definitely insightful thinking to make sure your business stands out and doesn’t fail.
March 28, 2019
I only felt like the first half was helpful and the anecdotes drag on for far too long to drive home each point. I gave this 3 stars because the first half was great but the longer I read it the less patience I had in waiting for something useful. Of course useful is subjective so your mileage may vary
March 26, 2025
2.5 ⭐️
•
Just read the first quarter of the book and stop.
•
The beginning is packed with all the information you need to learn about his primal branding philosophy, which is actually very interesting and worth learning about.
•
The remainder of the book is literally hundreds of pages of meandering examples and a lot of them are actually repeated multiple times.
•
I really did not find those to be supportive or add to my understanding. If anything I feel like it distracted from the book.
•
He should’ve just made it a little short and sweet learning novella and called it a day.
•
Just read the first quarter of the book and stop.
•
The beginning is packed with all the information you need to learn about his primal branding philosophy, which is actually very interesting and worth learning about.
•
The remainder of the book is literally hundreds of pages of meandering examples and a lot of them are actually repeated multiple times.
•
I really did not find those to be supportive or add to my understanding. If anything I feel like it distracted from the book.
•
He should’ve just made it a little short and sweet learning novella and called it a day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2021
I really liked the marketing concepts in Primal Branding. My current company lives off of these principles and was the reason I picked this book up. Even though the examples were outdated from 2006, everything still applies. Now I’m able to see the difference in businesses’ marketing materials that incorporate founders’ stories, what they believe in, etc- and see how customers buy in to that or pick a different product.
December 5, 2024
Started to listen as an included audiobook in my subscription, and got about halfway through. It was fine. Not one I'm eager to finish, but good, basic stuff for marketing. As I recall, some of it was feeling dated, but still could be applied. I heard about this from Ali Abdaal.
November 9, 2021
Overarching concepts are good, case studies... are weak and focus on one point.
March 3, 2022
"Primalbranding" is one of the most fascinating books on marketing I've ever read... for about the first 80 pages.
The next 170 pages are a meandering and mind-numbing collection of corporate examples and word-count-puffing interviews that add little depth to the brilliant first section. On top of that, concepts are repeated again and again, often using almost the exact same wording.
Once I realized the rest of the book wasn't an elaboration on the points of the first part, I started skimming, making a game out of spotting how many times he could heap gushing praise on IBM, Coke, Apple, and Starbucks. (Spoiler alert: It was one million times each.)
Also, for a book that focuses so much on the iconography of a great brand, I'm not sure why the hardcover edition's cover shows a hood-wearing serial killer.
The next 170 pages are a meandering and mind-numbing collection of corporate examples and word-count-puffing interviews that add little depth to the brilliant first section. On top of that, concepts are repeated again and again, often using almost the exact same wording.
Once I realized the rest of the book wasn't an elaboration on the points of the first part, I started skimming, making a game out of spotting how many times he could heap gushing praise on IBM, Coke, Apple, and Starbucks. (Spoiler alert: It was one million times each.)
Also, for a book that focuses so much on the iconography of a great brand, I'm not sure why the hardcover edition's cover shows a hood-wearing serial killer.
November 28, 2022
Although my copy of Primalbranding has an alternate subtitle, "Create belief systems that attract communities", it is nevertheless the same book. My experience engaging with Patrick Hanlon's seminal text was quite enlightening. The Primal Code as it's put, will shift your perspective on just about every worthwhile feature of society. Be it a company, brand, personality, cultural movement, product, service etc. This is because of the subtle commonalities they all share, which is elucidated throughout Primalbranding.
There is immense potential power to the information in this publication. Dare I say it, for those of you in business, it could make you millions of dollars, or save you a million dollars. You know what they say, "money saved is money made". There is a sense of security purveyed throughout the book. As if if only you incorporate these aspects into your endeavours you are guaranteed to be successful. So while it is presented in expository fashion, I could not help but feel hope towards my own future endeavours. Collateral inspiration if you will.
There are two critiques I would like to point out: the principal mode of delivery and its subsequent formatting. Primalbranding is littered with real-world examples. While this of course works in showcasing the applicability and irrefutable nature of The Primal Code taught, the examples are quite America-centric. Being an Australian, there was a slight awkwardness in reading about brands, products and companies presented as undeniably the biggest and best that I had never heard of.
Perhaps more internationally renowned examples would have served better. Although, with that being said Hanlon of course could not have known of the extent of the book's success prior to publication. It makes perfect sense as to why the examples used were used.
As for the formatting, there were no subtitles for each of these examples. Important questions to ask were not displayed in dot points with an easy-to-reference view in mind. Once again, with this being said, there is an appendix at the back although even with using it you would still technically have to scan (albeit on the correct page) for what you're actually searching for. Its functionality is also severely incapacitated given I read on a Kindle.
Overall, Primalbranding is well worth a read. I will be making sure to go back, take some notes and incorporate the Primal Code into my future endeavours. And I look forward to it too!
Primalbranding: Create belief systems that attract communities: ****
There is immense potential power to the information in this publication. Dare I say it, for those of you in business, it could make you millions of dollars, or save you a million dollars. You know what they say, "money saved is money made". There is a sense of security purveyed throughout the book. As if if only you incorporate these aspects into your endeavours you are guaranteed to be successful. So while it is presented in expository fashion, I could not help but feel hope towards my own future endeavours. Collateral inspiration if you will.
There are two critiques I would like to point out: the principal mode of delivery and its subsequent formatting. Primalbranding is littered with real-world examples. While this of course works in showcasing the applicability and irrefutable nature of The Primal Code taught, the examples are quite America-centric. Being an Australian, there was a slight awkwardness in reading about brands, products and companies presented as undeniably the biggest and best that I had never heard of.
Perhaps more internationally renowned examples would have served better. Although, with that being said Hanlon of course could not have known of the extent of the book's success prior to publication. It makes perfect sense as to why the examples used were used.
As for the formatting, there were no subtitles for each of these examples. Important questions to ask were not displayed in dot points with an easy-to-reference view in mind. Once again, with this being said, there is an appendix at the back although even with using it you would still technically have to scan (albeit on the correct page) for what you're actually searching for. Its functionality is also severely incapacitated given I read on a Kindle.
Overall, Primalbranding is well worth a read. I will be making sure to go back, take some notes and incorporate the Primal Code into my future endeavours. And I look forward to it too!
Primalbranding: Create belief systems that attract communities: ****
January 17, 2024
"Primal Branding" by Patrick Hanlon presents a compelling approach to understanding and harnessing the power of branding. The book introduces Hanlon's Primal Branding model, which identifies seven key elements that, when effectively combined, can create a powerful, almost primal connection between a brand and its audience. These elements include the creation story, creed, icons, rituals, sacred words, nonbelievers, and a leader.
In terms of a review, the book is rich in examples, drawing from a wide range of successful brands to illustrate how these primal elements work in real-world scenarios. This extensive use of case studies makes the concepts tangible and relatable, offering a fascinating look into the branding strategies of some of the world's most iconic companies.
However, a notable drawback is the book's lack of specific, step-by-step guidance on creating or identifying these seven elements in one's own brand. While the examples are enlightening, they often overshadow a more hands-on, practical approach that readers looking to apply these principles might seek. This absence of actionable steps can leave readers inspired but somewhat directionless in terms of implementing the Primal Branding model in their own branding efforts.
Overall, "Primal Branding" is an insightful read, particularly for those interested in the psychological and emotional aspects of branding. It successfully lays out a framework for understanding what makes a brand resonate with its audience, even if it falls short in providing a detailed roadmap for brand creation and development.
In terms of a review, the book is rich in examples, drawing from a wide range of successful brands to illustrate how these primal elements work in real-world scenarios. This extensive use of case studies makes the concepts tangible and relatable, offering a fascinating look into the branding strategies of some of the world's most iconic companies.
However, a notable drawback is the book's lack of specific, step-by-step guidance on creating or identifying these seven elements in one's own brand. While the examples are enlightening, they often overshadow a more hands-on, practical approach that readers looking to apply these principles might seek. This absence of actionable steps can leave readers inspired but somewhat directionless in terms of implementing the Primal Branding model in their own branding efforts.
Overall, "Primal Branding" is an insightful read, particularly for those interested in the psychological and emotional aspects of branding. It successfully lays out a framework for understanding what makes a brand resonate with its audience, even if it falls short in providing a detailed roadmap for brand creation and development.
June 3, 2024
Overall, this book can be a valuable resource for marketers, brand managers, and business leaders looking to build a strong and loyal customer base.
The book's key strength lies in its clear framework of seven components that define successful brands, making it practical and actionable for readers.
1. Creation Story: The origin story of the brand, which provides context and meaning.
2. Creed: The brand’s core principles and values.
3. Icons: Visual symbols and imagery associated with the brand.
4. Rituals: Repeated interactions or experiences that engage customers.
5. Pagans, or Nonbelievers: Identifying those who do not align with the brand, which helps strengthen the community of believers.
6. Sacred Words: Unique language or terminology used by the brand and its followers.
7. Leader: The figurehead or spokesperson who embodies the brand's values and mission.
By breaking down the elements of brand storytelling and community building, Hanlon provides insights that are both strategic and psychological, helping businesses understand how to connect with customers on a deeper level.
The reason for the three star is that parts of book are a bit outdated (released 2005) and some of the concepts is over mentioned.
The book's key strength lies in its clear framework of seven components that define successful brands, making it practical and actionable for readers.
1. Creation Story: The origin story of the brand, which provides context and meaning.
2. Creed: The brand’s core principles and values.
3. Icons: Visual symbols and imagery associated with the brand.
4. Rituals: Repeated interactions or experiences that engage customers.
5. Pagans, or Nonbelievers: Identifying those who do not align with the brand, which helps strengthen the community of believers.
6. Sacred Words: Unique language or terminology used by the brand and its followers.
7. Leader: The figurehead or spokesperson who embodies the brand's values and mission.
By breaking down the elements of brand storytelling and community building, Hanlon provides insights that are both strategic and psychological, helping businesses understand how to connect with customers on a deeper level.
The reason for the three star is that parts of book are a bit outdated (released 2005) and some of the concepts is over mentioned.
April 14, 2025
a good start to branding if you are new and need an easy system
Creation Story: A compelling narrative that explains the brand's origins, values, and mission.
Credo: A clear statement that defines the brand's purpose, values, and personality.
Icons: Visual symbols, imagery, or metaphors that represent the brand and its values.
Rituals: Recurring practices or ceremonies that reinforce the brand's identity and create a sense of community.
Sacred Words: Specific language, phrases, or terminology that evoke emotions and create a sense of belonging.
Pajamas (or Intimate Apparel): The brand's visual identity, including its packaging, uniforms, or other elements that create a sense of comfort and familiarity.
Badges (or Symbols of Membership): Visual representations that signify membership, status, or affiliation with the brand.
The Primal Branding system suggests that successful brands create a deep emotional connection with their customers by incorporating these 7 elements into their branding strategy. By doing so, brands can create a loyal following, foster brand advocacy, and ultimately drive business success.
Creation Story: A compelling narrative that explains the brand's origins, values, and mission.
Credo: A clear statement that defines the brand's purpose, values, and personality.
Icons: Visual symbols, imagery, or metaphors that represent the brand and its values.
Rituals: Recurring practices or ceremonies that reinforce the brand's identity and create a sense of community.
Sacred Words: Specific language, phrases, or terminology that evoke emotions and create a sense of belonging.
Pajamas (or Intimate Apparel): The brand's visual identity, including its packaging, uniforms, or other elements that create a sense of comfort and familiarity.
Badges (or Symbols of Membership): Visual representations that signify membership, status, or affiliation with the brand.
The Primal Branding system suggests that successful brands create a deep emotional connection with their customers by incorporating these 7 elements into their branding strategy. By doing so, brands can create a loyal following, foster brand advocacy, and ultimately drive business success.
January 17, 2018
My only reason for not giving this five stars was because it already felt so dated. In ten years, most of these references won't be understood. My other main issue was how many examples were given. It made up the majority of the book and really wasn't needed. One great example tops twenty extra one's about companies that have already gone under.
Other than that, this book was solid! I've heard most of it before but the way it's worded really opens your mind up to different ideas and opportunities. Highly recommend this for any starter in marketing or even some pros.
Next, I'd recommend you check out Gary Vee.
Other than that, this book was solid! I've heard most of it before but the way it's worded really opens your mind up to different ideas and opportunities. Highly recommend this for any starter in marketing or even some pros.
Next, I'd recommend you check out Gary Vee.
November 26, 2023
Audiobook review.
Great concept, which could efficiently be distilled in a single blog article.
The last 70% of the book is just padding. And very uncomfortable padding at that, with stories being cherry picked and forcefully adapted to fit with the author's narrative. To the point that it makes me question the rest of what was written. How about Apple iPod users asking customer service to delete the U2 album from their device? One among numerous examples of amateurish research or misrepresenations, which really doesn't speak well about poweful branding.
Again, great concept, terrible book.
Great concept, which could efficiently be distilled in a single blog article.
The last 70% of the book is just padding. And very uncomfortable padding at that, with stories being cherry picked and forcefully adapted to fit with the author's narrative. To the point that it makes me question the rest of what was written. How about Apple iPod users asking customer service to delete the U2 album from their device? One among numerous examples of amateurish research or misrepresenations, which really doesn't speak well about poweful branding.
Again, great concept, terrible book.
Read
January 2, 2022The book had been recommended to my husband 3 times, so he said it must be good. Therefore, it became my homework assignment to read. :)
The book is good. The idea is that branding is about creating a belief system which you do through 7 characteristics inserted into the "primal code." Most of the book is full of examples. It's a book leaders of big and small businesses alike could read to improve their brand. While the book is a few years old, in today's world where customers value meaning and branding is more influential than ever it's worth a read.
The book is good. The idea is that branding is about creating a belief system which you do through 7 characteristics inserted into the "primal code." Most of the book is full of examples. It's a book leaders of big and small businesses alike could read to improve their brand. While the book is a few years old, in today's world where customers value meaning and branding is more influential than ever it's worth a read.
January 17, 2022
As suggested by my most trusted YouTube guru. I have to admit that you don't really learn more about the Primal Code if you already know the seven steps you're supposed to take. We have some creation stories, like UPS or Las Vegas, which certainly were interesting in a historical sense but it also felt like the author pushed his seven steps rather forcefully onto his examples. So I wouldn't say this works for just about every brand, but it surely is a good place to start. But like I said - if you already know and understand the steps there's not much point in going through this book again.
January 21, 2022
If you are an entrepreneur, or if you're invested in growing an organisation that you're a part of, or even if you are a brand on your own, this is a MUST read.
I loved this book for 2-3 reasons.
(1) The simplicity of it. I love how such a complex and abstract concept such as branding has been broken down into seven simple primal codes.
(2) I love that there are tonnes of live and relatable examples the author shares to explain in context. It brings so much clarity.
For any organisation that wants to grow, this must be compulsory reading.
I loved this book for 2-3 reasons.
(1) The simplicity of it. I love how such a complex and abstract concept such as branding has been broken down into seven simple primal codes.
(2) I love that there are tonnes of live and relatable examples the author shares to explain in context. It brings so much clarity.
For any organisation that wants to grow, this must be compulsory reading.
July 30, 2024
This is a relatively old book from 2006, so it is interesting to see how many of the brands that the author highlights still remain powerful. I suppose that supports his thesis that brands are a belief system. As such, successful ones need to have a creation story, a creed, rituals, icons, sacred words, non-believers and a leader who's overcome stiff opposition. While it is a little bit weird to think of other entities through a framework that we normally attribute to religions, it actually makes a great deal of sense.
March 27, 2025
This was a struggle to finish. The first third is great, makes excellent points and honestly could have been the entire book. I found the concept and points insightful and valuable in terms of brand strategy.
Then page 100 on is just example after example after example of successful “primal brands” reiterating how they’ve each mastered the points of the primal code. It’s so redundant I found myself first skipping sentences, then paragraphs, then entire pages. I genuinely wasn’t going to finish the book. I got what I needed out of it but decided to finish it for the sake of finishing it.
Then page 100 on is just example after example after example of successful “primal brands” reiterating how they’ve each mastered the points of the primal code. It’s so redundant I found myself first skipping sentences, then paragraphs, then entire pages. I genuinely wasn’t going to finish the book. I got what I needed out of it but decided to finish it for the sake of finishing it.
April 25, 2019
The book is dated--all the examples are old enough to be amusing. But that's not why I give it three stars. I give it three stars because while the core idea (you need 7 things to create a "primal brand") has some real possibility, the book doesn't go past the description of what they are. There's no help on how to build any of those seven. It's mostly just example after example of companies who have all seven in place.
March 4, 2021
The author gives a new perspective for successful branding that unlike what most people think goes way beyond a good logo and a well written mission statement. The book is filled with interesting examples which include some of the most popular names like Apple and Nike but also other great and unconventional brands that probably won't be the first ones to come to your mind.
It's a completely new way of thinking about brands and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the topic.
It's a completely new way of thinking about brands and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the topic.
December 31, 2024
While I did struggle at the beginning to grasp what the author was trying to get across to the reader, what I did find helpful was putting the book down for a little while and then picking it back up again. Everything seemed to flow in such an orderly fashion that I was able to understand. Overall, the book uses great examples of companies and organizations that are relevant in today's society and follow "Primal Branding".
December 26, 2017
Great insights to amp up your marketing
This was a compulsive read. Well written. A lot of examples to illustrate the pronciples of the code. Very insghtful and useful info for any business owner or leader to help them analyze what's working in their marketing strategy and to identify the gaps to improve the game plan. Thanks Patrick for sharing these insights through this book.
This was a compulsive read. Well written. A lot of examples to illustrate the pronciples of the code. Very insghtful and useful info for any business owner or leader to help them analyze what's working in their marketing strategy and to identify the gaps to improve the game plan. Thanks Patrick for sharing these insights through this book.
February 5, 2018
#145
Reviewing after a very long time. Feel good to be back on reading.
This book really tries very hard to convince me that it has something to say. I honestly didn't like it very much. Just to understand how some understand the brand. It's better if you skip this and read Malcolm Gladwell's books.
Reviewing after a very long time. Feel good to be back on reading.
This book really tries very hard to convince me that it has something to say. I honestly didn't like it very much. Just to understand how some understand the brand. It's better if you skip this and read Malcolm Gladwell's books.
May 27, 2019
What an epic book!
As someone who is on the path to creating a personal brand to shape my career, I found this book helpful. With a clear checklist of seven critical elements to success, this book will help anyone who is involved in creating brand and culture. Also, the section on M&A is fantastic and overlooked by many companies.
As someone who is on the path to creating a personal brand to shape my career, I found this book helpful. With a clear checklist of seven critical elements to success, this book will help anyone who is involved in creating brand and culture. Also, the section on M&A is fantastic and overlooked by many companies.
January 25, 2022
I love the concept of primal branding, even though the book was written a few years ago, the concept is very fresh. I am only giving it a 3 because towards the middle, when the author starts to describe examples, it became a bit too much. Personally, I think two examples in each section would be enough. Nonetheless I still recommend for anyone that is passionate about brand building.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews