Startups Rule #1: Nobody Cares

Rule #1 For StartUps:
Nobody Cares
©2001-2017 Primal Branding®, Primal Code® and Thinktopia® are registered trademarks

Here’s the sad hammer
of truth:

Nobody cares if you
succeed.

In fact, most people
expect you to fail.

90% of new products fail,
not because they aren’t
better or more innovative
or disruptive, but because
they have not attached
themselves to people in
ways that make them care.

So you have to make
people care.

You may be enthusiastic,
have great attitude and a
great business plan, but
what you really need to
move from cult to culture
is great narrative.

You need to create your
own tribe. Then move it
from cult to culture.

How? Here’s how.

Create your story.

1. Every great narrative starts
with, “Once upon a time…”,
“One hundred years ago…”, so
start your own creation myth.
In the beginning, it’s all you
have.

2. Next explain, “Why are you
here?” Explain yourself. We
don’t have time to listen,
so make it quick: Think. Think
different. Imagine. Invent. Be
the best you can be. The
ultimate driving machine.

3. Now make sure that we can
identify you. Sure this can be
your logo and a website. It can
also be your unique product
design, e.g. Beats, iPhone, Jibo,
Hex. A unique sound, smell,
flavor, texture, or packaging.
Differentiate yourself.

Sight, sound, taste, smell, touch
are all iconic sensations wired
to create instant positive (or
negative) impressions. These
instantaneous memes are hard-
wired to tell us spontaneously
whether we should come closer
or run away.

The taste of Chobani, the
playing fields of Call Of Duty,
the sensory-surround of virtual
reality—the fragrant smells of
Caldrea cleaning products
actually make people want to
clean.

The right icons can make people
desire you.

4. Create positive, distinctive
rituals. You are building a
community, so know what
things you want your
community to celebrate.

If you want a positive ritual, get
a hug. If you want a negative
ritual, call your bank.

Another word for ritual is
process. Make the way you do
things even slightly different
and it can sometimes create
huge effects.

Make people (including your
competitors) wish, dream and
hunger to do things the way you
do.

5. Language creates culture.
Surround your new idea with a
unique vocabulary that
instantly identifies you.
Example? “Iced grande decaf
skinny latte.” More examples:
“iPhone”. “Burners.” “LOL.”

When people start using your
language, it means they want to
become a part of your tribe.

And still, nobody cares.

6. Especially those people
standing right over there. The
cruel fact is that some people
will never be a part of your Venn
diagram. Not everyone wants to
buy you or buy into you.

Acknowledge them, but don’t
believe them.

Stand on your own side of the line and
wave people over to come stand with
you. “Be one of us. We’re not like
them.” When people feel safe enough
(or brave enough) to step over to your
side of the line, welcome them.
“Thanks for coming. You’re cool.
We’re cool. We have fun together,
don’t we?” Now celebrate.

7. Take me to your leader.
Everyone wants to know who’s
leading the way. Who’s your
Alpha? Who has the notion and
unprecedented sense of purpose
to steer us into the next world?

These 7 pieces create your
strategic brand narrative. They
tell your story and hit the
emotional touchpoints that
create community. Each piece
should be tweaked and made
better over time, but all seven
need to be there.

Create your own narrative
stream and stand tall. You will
trigger the emotional parts that
make your ecosystem feel better
than any other. Eventually,
more and more people will care.
Really care.

Some pieces will surprise and
delight people more than others
and that’s okay. You can adapt
and adjust pieces (even measure
them) so that it becomes a
collaborative interaction
among community members.

Most of all, it can help make
people so excited about your
community, they will help
create it themselves.

Along the way, you will disrupt
apathy and move people from
“Who cares?’ to “I CARE!”

Perfect. You win.

For a deeper understanding,
check out PrimalBranding and
The Social Code.
Available on amazon.com And https://www.facebook.com/PrimalBranding

Patrick Hanlon.
“I work with billion dollar
brands to help startups become
billion dollar brands.”
Recognized as the world’s leading brand evolutionary, Hanlon is ceo and founder of THINKTOPIA®, a
global brand and strategic innovation practice for Fortune 100 clients including American Express, Levis,
Kraft Foods, Johnson & Johnson, Yum! Foods, Wrigley, PayPal, Gap, the United Nations and others. His
book Primal Branding: Create Zealots For Your Brand, Your Company And Your Future was published by Simon &
Schuster/Free Press, is listed as one of the Top 10 books in marketing and branding. Primal Branding® is
the seminal book that triggered the evolving role of brands as belief systems and is mandatory reading at
YouTube, the largest social engagement platform on the planet. It is their recommended construct for
designing and attracting online social communities. Hanlon has been a keynote or guest speaker at
TEDx, IDEO, Unreasonable Group, New York University, American Marketing Association, American
Advertising Federation, Syracuse University, Urban Land Institute, and in emerging geographies
including China, India, Russia and South America.

Startups Rule #1: Nobody Cares

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (16)

Similar to Startups Rule #1: Nobody Cares

Similar to Startups Rule #1: Nobody Cares (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (13)

Startups Rule #1: Nobody Cares