When I owned Video Creators one of our go-to strategies for growing YouTube channels was based on Patrick Hanlon's book, "Primal Branding: Create Belief Systems that Attract Communities." (affiliate link) This framework consistently and predictably grew loyal audiences around content and brands.
The idea is that every brand is actually a belief system. The strongest communities, both online and offline, revolve around shared beliefs, not common interests. Common interests will give you something to talk about, but deeper levels of connection and belonging take place among people who share the same beliefs. When those people regularly connect around those shared beliefs, it turns into a brand.
If your family is a collection of people who share beliefs, then your family can be considered a brand in this context, too.
How can creators, businesses, and even families leverage this to strengthen their connection with customers, viewers, or other family members? Patrick Hanlon proposes that there are seven elements of the primal code for any brand. If a brand answers these seven questions for someone in its target audience, that person is far more likely to love the brand.
A brand must answer these questions:
- The Creation Story: What is our backstory?
- The Creed: What do we believe?
- The Icons: What are the visuals that represent our brand?
- The Rituals: What are the repeated interactions people grow to love and expect with our brand?
- The Sacred Words: What brand-specific words and lingo do we use that makes people feel like they're insiders in this community?
- The Non-Believer: Who are we not? Who or what do we stand against?
- The Leader: Who is telling the creation story? Who embodies the creed? Who's presenting the icons? Who's performing the rituals? Who's teaching the sacred words? And who's leading the charge against the non-believers?
Any business or YouTube channel that skillfully integrates these things into its content and branding will get viewers who share their beliefs to quickly fall in love with them and become loyal fans.
The same is true for families.
Unless you're part of the Rockafellers, the Kennedys, the Clintons, or another high-profile family, you probably don't think of your family as a brand. I didn't either until about ten years ago, but families can absolutely function this way. And when they do, the family unit becomes stronger.
Let me give you an example.
See if you can identify all seven elements of the primal code in this boy's story.
Meet Jordan
Hi! My name’s Jordan. I’m twelve and I live with my parents and two sisters in a small town outside Denver. Dad says the mountains here always remind him of how far we’ve come—he had to shut down his bike shop when the economy dipped, and we moved into Grandma’s basement for almost a year. It was cramped, but we made it work. Mom started doing graphic design from a makeshift office in the corner, and Dad picked up odd jobs repairing bikes in the driveway. My sisters and I helped however we could—bringing him tools, holding bikes steady, cleaning up – you know, stuff like that.
We eventually saved enough to rent our own place again. Now Dad’s small repair shop is slowly becoming the go-to spot for local cyclists. On weekends, we all head to the mountains for a quick ride, and Dad can’t help but grin when he sees his logo on someone’s bike seat. Mom calls us the “Motley Crew,” which I think is her way of saying we look pretty rough around the edges, but we always stick together no matter what.
Every Sunday night, we have “family dinner,” which is code for everyone cleaning up and then pitching in to help make Mom’s famous burrito feast. I honestly look forward to these dinners every week—even if we’re mostly just bickering about who gets the last brownie.
There’s talk about expanding Dad’s business to online orders, but for now, I’m just glad we get to chase each other on mountain bikes and come home to a place that finally feels like ours again.
Ideas for Creating a Family Primal Brand
Integrating the primal code requires some skill when creating content for YouTube due to the limited attention new viewers will give you. However, we don't have those time restraints when creating a family brand. This is much easier! Here are some ideas of what it could look like.
📜 Creation Story: Tell your kids family stories. It helps them feel rooted in the family when they hear stories about your childhood, your parents, and the early days of your marriage. (Bonus points if you make this a ritual whenever you're driving together or Friday evenings around dinner.)
🤝 Creed: Create a few for your family and repeat them whenever the context is appropriate, whether it be, "We always stick together," or, as our family says, "Good work brings good reward."
🖼️ Icons: Hang something unique in your house with a family story behind it. When you first walk in our front door, you'll see a glass shelf holding a few trinkets from our past.
🔁 Rituals: Your family already has these. The point here is to make them meaningful and consistent, like weekend bike rides together, a special treat everyone shares during family movie night, or a morning high-five before everyone heads out the door.
🗝️ Sacred Words: If you have nicknames for your kids, you probably have some of these, but create words the whole family can use together, like Team Schmoyer or The Burrito Feast. Tie it into your family's story, make it fun, and repeat it often.
🚫 Non-Believers: This doesn't mean your family needs to take an aggressive stance against another family or anything. Instead, in the story above, you stand against the notion that you should give up when life gets hard. You are not those people. In our family, we stand against laziness and, "Sacrifice for future reward." (Also a creed.)
👫 The Leader: This is you and your spouse, the parents. You're telling the stories, embodying the creeds, introducing the icons, performing the rituals, teaching the sacred words, and leading your family in standing against something.
A Few Tips
Involve Everyone: The more each family member contributes—from grandparents down to young kids—the more each person will feel connected to the shared identity. If you notice a kid using a sacred word consistently and like it, start using it yourself, too.
Keep It Genuine: All of this can quickly become corny. Make sure it reflects your family's culture and personalities. Don't force it. Give it time and look for the elements to emerge naturally. When they do, latch on and start using it consistently.
Focus on Storytelling: Talk often about the ups and downs that led your family to where you are today. Retelling it, especially to younger kids, reinforces a sense of belonging. It helps them "own" the family identity.
Let It Be Flexible: This isn't a "set it and forget it" kind of thing. A primal brand should naturally grow and evolve over time with new stories, new words, additional creeds, a growing stack of icons, and fun new rituals. Keep it fresh.
Encourage a “Lead by Example” Mindset: While parents often “tell the story,” everyone can lead. Older kids can especially step up to help set the tone for rituals and be ambassadors of your family’s values. You, as the parent, should always embody the creed. If your creed is “We always finish together,” show how you help with chores, attend each other’s events, or offer support during tough times.
Celebrate and Reflect: When your family successfully lives out its creed—like helping a neighbor or overcoming a big challenge—talk about it! Celebrating reinforces, “This is who we are.”
