The Golden Circle: Why Brands Flourish?
Written By: Vivek Hattangadi
When you greet your girlfriend, boss, or anyone, say HI! Not HELLO or AI!
Why? Read these couple of paragraphs to understand my logic.
Did you know the modern brain which you and I have, has evolved over many years? And when I say many, it’s not a mere 50, 500, or 5000 years, but over a million years. (Artificial Intelligence or AI has evolved just over a couple of decades, maybe a little more). Now, you can just imagine the complexity of the human brain. And isn’t it that Human Intelligence (HI) has created AI? Do you need more elaboration on the superiority of HI over AI?
HI is more significant because God created our triune brain, (from where our HI comes). And God has helped in its evolution over a million years. And AI, which has evolved in the last 30 years or so, and as the definition of the word ‘artificial’ suggests, is fake, has been created by humans. (How does Oxford Learners Dictionary define artificial? Made or produced to copy something natural; not real. And Webster? Humanly contrived, sham, imitation of a natural model).
You may argue (and can AI argue like you and me?) that a super-duper computer, Deep Blue, has beaten Gary Kasparov, a human. True! It has! You are right, absolutely right! But who fed data into Deep Blue, from the thousands and thousands of moves made by the Chess Grand Masters over many, many years? (The term “Grand Master” was coined in 1914 by the Russian Czar Nicholas II)
So, when you greet someone and say ‘HI!’, you acknowledge his/her HI, i.e., Human Intelligence. And this is so emotional, as emphasized by Simon Sinek in his Golden Circle!
Sorry for digressing, but let’s come back to our modern brain which is also called the triune brain. Why triune? Because it has three regions. The triune brain theory is an evolutionary theory of brain development that emphasizes three key brain regions.
Which are these three regions?
– Reptilian (or Primal Brain or Basal Ganglia)
– Limbic System (or Paleomammalian or Emotional Brain)
– Neocortex (or Neomammalian or Rational Brain)
This was proposed by the neuroscientist Paul MacLean in his research work at Yale Medical School and the National Institute of Mental Health. Paul MacLean’s triune brain model essentially states that the brains of extant mammals, including humans, evolved by the sequential gain of some limbic and all neocortical components, added onto an ancestral ‘reptilian’ core, the basal ganglia. This model has been enthusiastically adopted by some neuroscientists, particularly those with interests in psychiatry.
Now let’s see these in a little more detail.
The Reptilian Brain
Do you ever surprise yourself, finding that you have done something without thinking about it? That’s because of the reptilian brain. The reptilian brain is composed of the basal ganglia (striatum) and brainstem. It is involved with primitive drives related to thirst, hunger, sexuality, and territoriality, as well as habits and procedural memory (like keeping your Smartphone in the same place every day without thinking about it).
You apply the emergency brakes of your vehicle when suddenly a cow comes in your path while driving. You breathe, you feel hungry, your heart beats, and your oxytocin levels rise when you see a beautiful young girl – it’s all because of your reptilian brain.
The Limbic System
Do you know what the ‘Queensland Brain Institute’ (University of Queensland) says about the limbic system?
The limbic system is the part of the brain involved in our behavioral and emotional responses. The structures of the limbic system are buried deep within the brain, underneath the cerebral cortex, and above the brainstem.
And what about the hippocampus of the limbic system? Connections made in the hippocampus also help us associate memories with various senses (the aroma of jalebis fresh in the frying pan may remind you of your mother who prepared your favorite jalebis on your birthday).
And the amygdala? It’s the almond shape part of the limbic system. It plays a central role in your emotional responses to feelings like pleasure, fear, anxiety, and anger.
Want to know more about this? The amygdala attaches emotional content to your memories and so plays a vital role in determining how robustly those memories are stored. Memories that have strong emotional meanings tend to stick.
And that’s how you still remember the name of your first crush in school. At least I haven’t forgotten Naina Pradhan, thanks to that little almond-shaped amygdala in my brain.
The Neo-Cortex
Do you know who made you read this blog? Guess? You are right, it is your neocortex.
The neocortex is that part of the human brain’s cerebral cortex from where higher cognitive functioning originates. It is a complex brain structure that commands higher functions, such as sensory perception, emotion, and cognition. The human brain differs from the brains of other animals and even mammals based on its relatively larger size and predominance of the neocortex.
You may ask why the prefix neo, isn’t it. That’s a legitimate question.
Let’s hear from ‘Science Direct’. Most of your cerebral cortex is considered to be the neocortex. “Neo” means new. Your neocortex is so named because its appearance is thought to be relatively new in vertebrate evolution. In humans, 90% of the cerebral cortex is the neocortex.
Now let’s take a break from the functions of the triune brain and turn to the Golden Circle which was proposed by Simon Sinek in his book ‘Start With Why’, written in 2007.
It explains how a pharma brand manager should write effective copy for her brand in medico-marketing writing. You’ll find his Golden Circle model precious because it helps you give focus to make your brand of sitagliptin stand out from other 150 sitagliptins.
And want to know a little more about this?
Here you will see the similarity between the Triune Brain and the Golden Circle.
The book ‘Start With Why’ elaborates on the Golden Circle. Sinek says humans are inspired by a sense of purpose (or “Why”), and that this should come first when communicating, before “How” and “What”.
And have you noticed carefully? There are three parts of The Golden Circle: ‘Why’, ‘How’, and ‘What’. Which is the bullseye in the Golden Circle? Yes, it’s the ‘Why’! The ‘Why’ represents the motives or the purpose of any activity.
Let us now summarise this.
Why?
Why does your organization exist? What’s the purpose of your brand? Once the ‘Why’ is communicated in a simple, easy-to-understand way to your padocumers, your brand will certainly have a strong competitive edge.
How?
Your segmentation targeting and positioning (STP), your value proposition, and your brand idea are ‘How’ you are going to address your purpose.
What?
Every brand manager knows what she does. She knows the vision and the mission of her brand. She knows ‘What’ brand-building activities need to be done. She knows what the price of her brand is. As one young brand manager once said, “I live and die by my brand.” I smiled and responded: “I’d rather live and die by the purpose of my brand.”
In one of my future blogs in this series, I shall share the close connection of the limbic system with the most important element of medico-marketing copywriting. What’s that? Hold on for a couple of weeks more!
